Jolo blasts no direct threat to Eastern Mindanao: military

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 26, 2020): Jolo blasts no direct threat to Eastern Mindanao: military (By Che Palicte)



DAVAO CITY – The Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) assured Monday's twin explosions in Jolo, Sulu, which claimed the lives of soldiers and civilians, had no direct threat within its area of jurisdiction.

In a statement Wednesday, Eastmincom also assured the public that its ground units will remain vigilant and in full alert.

Lt. Gen Jose Faustino Jr., Eastmincom commander, said he has already directed all unit commanders to ramp up security operations to prevent the possible spillover of the incident to different areas within Eastern Mindanao.

“The Command is also working closely with its adjacent military units and law enforcement agencies, especially with the Philippine National Police (PNP), to stay on top of the situation to ensure the maximum safety of the public,” the statement said.

Eastmincom also urged the public to be vigilant and to immediately report to the authorities any suspicious individuals or activities.

“It is in this moment that all of us need to be security-conscious and that we need to uphold even more our culture of security. Rest assured that the safety of everyone is our primary concern,” it said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113389

Navy safeguards northern islands

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 26, 2020): Navy safeguards northern islands


Contributed photos

Camp Aquino, TARLAC CITY – Northern Luzon Command’s (Nolcom) Naval Forces Northern Luzon conducted a flag-raising ceremony on Fuga Island on August 8.

The men and women of Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL) attended the event, led by Col. Simplitius Adecer, the deputy commander for Marine Operations of NFNL, and the concurrent commander of Naval Task Force 12 (NTF 12).

Melchor Visario, the chairman of Brgy. Fuga alongside other barangay officials, residents, teachers, and students showed their support to the troopers in safeguarding the parameters of the country’s sovereign claim in the north.

Last August 7, Nolcom, through the NFNL, established a Marine detachment in the area to constitute and execute the plans of Armed Forces of the Philippines to build defense facilities on the island, which will include a sheltered pier, a naval station, and a 20-hectare littoral monitoring detachment.

Fuga Island is a part of the Babuyan Archipelago, the second-northernmost island of the country.

It was recently known for the existence of an airfield and is significantly close to fiber optic cables that connect the Philippines to mainland Asia and is key to the country’s push for better internet and communication infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the ongoing installation of flag markers and construction of lighthouses in various islands of Cagayan, Batanes, and Babuyan Group of Islands is made possible with the joint efforts of Nolcom, NFNL, and Philippine Coast Guard.

Nolcom, through its naval unit, NFNL, will do its mandated task to secure the maritime and sovereign territory of the state, and help in the overall development of communities in the area.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113490

25 ex-NPAs start 20-day skills training in Agusan Norte

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 26, 2020): 25 ex-NPAs start 20-day skills training in Agusan Norte (By Alexander Lopez)



TRAINING FOR EX-REBELS. Lt. Col. Julius Cesar Paulo (left), commander of the Army's 23rd Infantry Battalion, together with Agusan del Norte provincial administrator Jerry Laureto (center), and Technical Education Skills Development Authority provincial director Rey Cueva (right), leads the opening of the 20-day technical-vocational and livelihood skills training for the former rebels on Monday in Barangay Alubihid, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte. The training aims to prepare the former guerillas for their reintegration into mainstream society. (Photo courtesy of 23IB)

BUTUAN CITY – Twenty-five former combatants of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Agusan del Norte are now undergoing a 20-day technical-vocational and livelihood skills training.

1st Lt. Roel T. Maglalang, the civil-military operation (CMO) officer of the 23rd Infantry Battalion said the 20-day training of former rebels (FRs) started on Monday and expected to end on September 18 at the 23IB headquarters in Barangay Alubihid, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte.

“This is a joint effort of the 23IB, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in Agusan del Norte (TESDA-ADN), and the Agusan del Norte Provincial Social Welfare and Development in the province (PSWDO),” Maglalang said in a statement Wednesday.

He said the technical-vocational training includes electrical installation and maintenance, organic vegetables and concoctions production, and computer literacy training.

TESDA-ADN head Rey Cueva said he was elated with the willingness of the former rebels to undergo the technical-vocational skills training

Cueva said the training offered by TESDA seeks to alleviate unemployment and help the government fulfill its peace and order initiatives.

“We strongly believe that by letting you learn new skills, you can use it in applying for a job, so you can gain your own salary to buy your basic needs, support your children's education, and your family's medical needs. We hope that you will focus and be attentive in this training because this will help you find a good job for a brighter future,” Cueva said.

Lt. Col. Julius Cesar C. Paolo, 23IB commander, said the training is part of the package that former rebels received through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) to prepare them for their reintegration into mainstream society.

“The training will also ensure the FRs (former rebels) to become productive members of their communities through the new skills and additional knowledge they will acquire. It will also help them start their new lives as they go back to their families,” Paulo said.

He also underscored the government initiatives aimed at ensuring that combatants become productive members of the communities where they reintegrate.

“Years of enduring the hardships in the mountains and witnessing the terroristic activities of the Communist NPA Terrorists (CNTs) greatly affected the perspectives of our FRs,” Paulo said. “This training will help them overcome the incorrect points of view the CNT leaders indoctrinated and dinned into their minds,” Paulo said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113442

3 suspects nabbed for IP leader killing in NoCot

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 26, 2020): 3 suspects nabbed for IP leader killing in NoCot (By John Andrew Tabugoc)



ARRESTED. The mug shot of three of four suspects linked to the Aug. 23, 2020 killing of Indigenous People’s leader Merlin Ansabu Celis in Barangay Mahongkog, Magpet, North Cotabato. The three suspects are arrested on Tuesday (Aug. 25, 2020) while a fourth suspect remains at-large. (Photo courtesy of Magpet MPS)

MAGPET, North Cotabato – Police operatives arrested Tuesday three of four suspects linked to the recent killing of Merlin Ansabu Celis, an indigenous peoples (IP) leader in Barangay Mahongkog here.

Major Judgie Barotas, Magpet police chief, said the Police Regional Intelligence Unit -12 and Magpet police force nabbed the three suspects in separate operations in the province.

Barotas said suspect Jerry Ansabu was arrested at his residence in Sitio Tagaytay of Mahongkog village around 1 p.m., while Bonel Rubio and Rex Ansabu were both arrested late at night on the same day in Barangay Sanggadong in Kabacan town, North Cotabato.

A fourth suspect, identified as Rufino Ansabo, remains at-large.

“The three suspects vehemently denied the allegation against them and pointed to Rufino, the suspect at-large, as the one responsible on the killing of the IP leader,” Barotas said.

Celis, a Manobo leader in Mahongkag, was on her way to visit her farm on Aug. 23 together with daughter Jovelyn when attacked by the suspects with a 12-gauge shotgun.

The suspects finished off the victim by hacking her to death with a machete.

The daughter managed to run away and sought the help of village officials, who in turn called for police assistance.

Investigators said personal grudge was the primary motive, particularly the rivalry on tribal leadership and land conflict between the two families.

“Village officials of Mahongkag have commended the police for the capture of the suspects who have several recorded complaints in their area”, Barotas said.

North Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco, a member of the Manobo Dulangan community, has condemned the killing and ordered the police to arrest all the suspects involved.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113447

Westmincom confers medals to wounded soldiers in Jolo blasts

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 26, 2020): Westmincom confers medals to wounded soldiers in Jolo blasts (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)



HONORED. Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., Western Mindanao Command (Wetmincom) chief, pins medal to a soldier who was wounded in the two successive bomb explosions Monday (Aug. 24, 2020) in downtown Jolo, Sulu. Vinluan visited Tuesday (August 25, 2020) the six of the 24 injured soldiers admitted at the Camp Navarro General Hospital in Zamboanga City. (Photo courtesy of Westmincom Public Information Office)

The Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) has conferred medals on the soldiers who survived the two successive bomb explosions Monday in downtown Jolo, Sulu.

Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Westmincom chief, led the conferment of medals Tuesday afternoon at Camp Navarro General Hospital here on Sgt. Norman Santiago; Cpl. Jesus Genora; Cpl. Jeric Gil Villaruz; PFC Jay Carbon; PFC Jeffry Domingo; and Pvt. Rocelo Abacial, Jr.

The medal recipients are among the 24 soldiers who sustained injuries during the two successive bomb explosions that killed 14 individuals and wounded nearly 80 others.

Twenty-one of the 24 military personnel were injured in the first explosion that occurred around 11:55 a.m. in front of a grocery while the other three on the second explosion around 1 p.m. in front of a bank some 100 meters away from the site of the first blast.

“On behalf of the men and women of the Western Mindanao Command, I would like to extend my deep sympathies to the bereaved families of the victims who succumbed to death due to the mindless acts of terrorism,” Vinluan said.

“Let us continue to pray for the eternal repose of the souls of those who were killed and for the speedy recovery of those who are recuperating in the hospitals,” Vinluan added.

Authorities placed Jolo on lockdown following the blasts, as well as the municipalities of Indanan, Parang, Patikul, and Maimbung.

The lockdown was lifted Wednesday but tight security measures remained, military officials said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113459

ASG sub-leader nabbed in Zambo Sibugay

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 26, 2020): ASG sub-leader nabbed in Zambo Sibugay (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr. and Ely Dumaboc)



ARRESTED. Law enforcement authorities arrested Wednesday (Aug. 26, 2020) an alleged sub-leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay. The suspect has allegedly masterminded the kidnapping and beheading of an affluent Zamboangueño in 2009. (Photo courtesy of Police Regional Office-9 Public Information Office)

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police operatives arrested an alleged sub-leader of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) who led the 2009 kidnapping and beheading of an affluent Zamboangueño some 11 years ago here.

Brig. Gen. Jesus Cambay Jr., Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) director, identified the suspect as Jamiul Nassalon, 41, who carries the aliases of Ustadz Amih, Abu Haris, Abu Tii, Abu Janar, and Abu Jamih.

Cambay said Nassalon was arrested through a warrant of arrest around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday in Barangay Caliran, Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Nassalon has three standing warrants of arrest for serious illegal detention with ransom, with no recommended bail; attempted murder with PHP120,000 recommended bail; and attempted murder with no recommended bail.

Nassalon was tagged as the mastermind in the kidnapping and beheading of Doroteo Gonzalez on Apr.25, 2009 in Barangay Buenavista.

The ASG bandits beheaded Gonzales after his family failed to pay the PHP25 million ransom in exchange for his release.

Gonzales' severed head was found on May 17, 2009 in the town of Al-Barka, Basilan province.

“We have been in our intensified campaign against personalities who are identified be engaged in terrorist groups, including persons who are in cahoots with them,” Cambay said.

“We do not want that they take advantage of this pandemic when our personnel are preoccupied with the enforcement of our minimum health protocol issues and overlook the security concern in the Zamboanga Peninsula,” he added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113470

Manhunt on vs. gunmen in NoCot town police chief's slay

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 26, 2020): Manhunt on vs. gunmen in NoCot town police chief's slay (By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa, has ordered a manhunt against the assailants of the chief of the Carmen municipal police in North Cotabato.

In a statement, Gamboa also extended his condolences to the family of Maj. Joan Resurreccion, who was shot dead while pursuing an armed group in Sitio Tawan-tawan, Purok 4 in Barangay Poblacion on Tuesday.

“We would like to extend our condolences to the family of Police Maj. Resurreccion and I assure the surviving kin that they will receive all PNP benefits due him,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

Resurreccion’s family will receive PHP250,000 from the President’s Social Fund; between PHP141,000 and PHP181,0000 from the PNP’s Special Financial Assistance; burial benefits amounting to PHP50,000; and PHP200,000 gratuity from the National Police Commission.

“This is an unfortunate day for us in the law enforcement service but their legacy as PNP’s modern-day heroes will always be remembered,” Gamboa added.

In a report of Police Regional Office 12 (Soccsksargen) to Camp Crame, a group of armed men shot a foreign national in Barangay Poblacion at about 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

After the incident, operatives of Carmen’s municipal police, led by Resurreccion, responded and pursued the suspects in the shooting.

When the police officers reached Sitio Tawan-tawan, the armed group fired at them.

Resurreccion was brought to the municipal hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound but he was declared dead on arrival.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113393

Duterte to consider proposed Sulu-wide martial law: Palace

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 26, 2020): Duterte to consider proposed Sulu-wide martial law: Palace (By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos)



President Rodrigo Duterte. (Presidential photo)

President Rodrigo Duterte would take into consideration the state forces’ recommendation to place the entire Sulu province under martial law following the recent deadly twin blasts that rocked its capital town Jolo, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

This was after Army Chief, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejena, and Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa, sought the implementation of a Sulu-wide martial law.

“The President will of course consider this recommendation,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview with CNN Philippines’ The Source. “The recommendations have been made and the President listens to those on the ground.”

Sobejana and Gamboa recommended the declaration of martial law in Sulu after the twin explosions in Jolo on Monday left at least 15 people, including seven soldiers and a police officer, dead and 77 others wounded.

According to reports, the first explosion happened along Serrantes Street in Walled City village in Jolo at about 11:53 a.m. on Monday, while the second occurred just 100 meters away at about 1:06 p.m.

The attacks were reportedly carried out by two Abu Sayyaf group suicide bombers.

Section 18, Article 7 of the 1987 Constitution states that a president can declare martial law and suspend the writ of habeas corpus for a period not exceeding 60 days, in case of invasion or rebellion.

It also provides that such proclamation of martial law or suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can either be revoked or extended for a period determined by Congress through joint voting.

Roque said Duterte needs to be “very careful” in assessing the recommendation because there should be a “legal and factual” basis to declare martial rule in Sulu.

“Although the recommendation has been made, the President has to be very careful that it will pass the scrutiny of the legislative and the judicial branches of government,” he said.

The President, in his public address, which was delivered Monday night but aired on television on Tuesday morning, did not talk about the twin explosions in Jolo, Sulu.

Duterte may have failed to tackle the twin bombings in Jolo but he has already directed the top officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the PNP during a joint command conference to take appropriate actions, Roque said.

“The fact that he (Duterte) did not say anything, it’s probably because he has given the necessary orders to the top brass of the AFP and the PNP, and you don’t discuss what you intend to do as far as the situation on the ground is (concerned) publicly,” he said.

Roque, however, said he was not privy to Duterte’s specific orders.

“The command conference was confidential in nature. I was not even allowed to sit through the meeting where he met with (the) top leadership of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police,” he said.

Asked if Duterte would visit Jolo following the incident, Roque said it would be “very difficult” for the President, considering the situation in the province.

He, nevertheless, guaranteed that victims of the twin explosions would receive assistance from the government.

“Under the circumstance, let’s just say that it’s very difficult (for the President to visit Jolo) not only because of the pandemic but also because of the situation in the province,” Roque said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113406

Army names 2 female suicide bombers behind Jolo twin blasts

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 26, 2020): Army names 2 female suicide bombers behind Jolo twin blasts (By Priam Nepomuceno)



Philippine Army (PA) commander, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana. (Philippine Army photo)

Philippine Army (PA) commander, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana identified the two female suicide bombers who carried out the twin bombings in Jolo, Sulu that killed at least 15 people and wounded more than 70 others on Monday.

In a message to reporters on Tuesday, Sobejana named the two by their aliases – "Nanah", a resident of Basilan, and "Inda Nay", a Sulu resident who later relocated to Tawi-Tawi.

Sobejana said "Nanah" was the wife of the first confirmed Filipino suicide bomber, Norman Lasuca, who conducted the attack against the 1st Brigade Combat Team in Sulu on June 28, 2019, which left seven people dead and 12 others wounded.

Meanwhile, "Inda Nay" was the widow of reported Islamic State conduit, Abu Talha, who was killed following an encounter with the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion in November 2019.

"The two female suicide bombers are the same targets being tracked by the group of Maj. (Marvin) Indammog before they were killed by policemen on 29 June 2020," Sobejana added.

Indammog, Capt. Irwin B. Managuelod, Sgt. Jaime M. Velasco, and Cpl. Abdal Asula were conducting intelligence and monitoring operations against two suspected suicide bombers when they were gunned down by nine police officers in Jolo, Sulu.

Meanwhile, Sobejana also paid tribute to the heroism of the eight soldiers who died in the blasts.

“The Philippine Army grieves over the death of these men. We honor their sacrifice in serving our country and protecting the people of Jolo, Sulu. To the bereaved families of our troops, we extend our deepest condolences. Rest assured that the Army is here to help you and is ready to extend the necessary assistance,” he said in a separate statement.

Killed in the blasts were Staff Sergeants Louie Cuarteros, Manuelito Oria and Privates Omair Muksan, Juvienjay Emlani, John Ray Paler, Aiub Sahid from the 21st Infantry Battalion and Private John Agustin from the 35th Infantry Battalion.

Their remains were sent to their respective provinces to be given funeral honors.

Sobejana added that the PA will provide burial assistance, command financial assistance and special financial assistance to the families of the slain troops.

Their families are also are entitled to receive special financial assistance from the President's Socio-Civic Projects Fund.

They will also receive health, educational, and shelter assistance from other government agencies.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113405

AFP determined to crush ASG despite Jolo blasts

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 26, 2020): AFP determined to crush ASG despite Jolo blasts (By Priam Nepomuceno)



AFP chief-of-staff, Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay. (File photo)

The twin bombings in Jolo, Sulu that caused heavy casualties will not deter the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from its commitment to end the threat posed by Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) terrorists.

"The Abu Sayyaf Group will not deter us from nor shake our resolve to bring an end to their violence," said AFP chief-of-staff, Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, in a statement to reporters Wednesday.

Earlier, Philippine Army commander Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said that two female suicide bombers were probably motivated by ASG leader Mundi Sawadjaan.

He added that troops in the ground will continue to be on high alert to prevent similar attacks.

"Combat and intelligence operations were also ramped up to pursue those responsible," Gapay said.

While the AFP continues to pursue the perpetrators of the twin blasts, he urged the public to be calm, vigilant, and do their share in keeping their communities safe by cooperating with government authorities.

Gapay added that the AFP condemns and will do everything in its authority to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The twin blasts in Jolo on Monday has so far killed 15 people, including eight soldiers, and wounded over 70 others, including 48 civilians.

"No sensible religion or ideology would ever endorse these hapless attacks. Rest assured that their sacrifices will not be in vain," Gapay said, as he extended his condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113429

PH to continue patrols in Spratlys: Locsin

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 26, 2020): PH to continue patrols in Spratlys: Locsin (By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora)



Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. 

The Philippines will continue patrolling its territorial waters in the Spratlys, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. said Wednesday.

"We're gonna continue our patrol because it’s ours. That’s all there is to it and then they will continue to call it an illegal provocation including my protest about their illegal incursions but that’s their right. It’s a free world. We can’t stop another country from talking,” Locsin said in an interview over ANC.

Last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) protested the illegal confiscation of the fish aggregating devices of Filipino nationals by Chinese Coast Guards in Scarborough Shoal as well as China's "continuing illicit issuances of radio challenges on Philippine aircraft" conducting activities in the area.

Following this note verbale, the Chinese Foreign Ministry then branded as "illegal provocations" Manila's maritime patrols in the Kalayaan Island Group.

"They can call it illegal provocations, you can’t change their mind. They already lost the arbitral award, they wouldn’t accept it,” Locsin said.

Asked if the government will lodge another diplomatic protest against China over its remark, Locsin said anyone is free "to say what they want" on any issue.

"That is a very fine line that I'm going to have to consider because as I've said to all of my people, when you lack the military power to do something about incursions to your territory, all you have is precision in the law, precision about the facts. Let's get it always correct then file our protest," he said.

If something happens beyond an incursion, for example, an attack on a Philippine naval vessel, Locsin said this is when he would call Washington D.C.

'US presence beneficial'

In the same interview, Locsin admitted that it is in the Philippine interest that the US maintains its presence in the region.

"It benefits the Philippine interest that we have US presence in the region, I've said that very clearly... Again, we have a balance of power situation. Yes, we need US presence in Asia," he said.

In the crafting of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, Locsin added that among the provisions being pushed is the "exclusion of foreign powers", a proposal the Philippine side has opposed.

"I said no, that completely undermines the very independence of the countries who are now going to agree to a code of conduct so we don't unnecessarily hurt each other... As a diplomat, I don't foreclose any means to protect the sovereignty and freedom of my country," he said.

China, Taiwan and some ASEAN member-states including the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Vietnam, have competing claims in the South China Sea.

For more than a decade, China and the bloc committed to working towards the early adoption of the COC but it was only during the 20th ASEAN-China Summit in the Philippines in November 2017 that development on the document began to move forward.

Locsin said the two parties approved the "first text" of the COC, however, a timeline for a final document is yet to be determined as the two-year deadline earlier set "wasn't even accepted by the other countries".

The top diplomat noted that Manila alone cannot dictate the content of the COC as other Southeast Asian nations have their "own objections and their own accommodations with China."

Despite this, Locsin said Manila is firm in rejecting any provision in the COC that would set aside the Arbitral Award, which ruled Beijing's nine-dash line as illegal.

"There can never be an accommodation that sets aside the Arbitral Award, obviously they will not refer to it directly, but even the implication--I have a very good ear for implications -- that I will oppose," he said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113454

US donates PPE, hygiene kits to Davao City

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 26, 2020): US donates PPE, hygiene kits to Davao City

The United States government donated personal protective equipment (PPE) and hygiene kits to support Davao City’s efforts to address the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim turned over the items to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio during an online event on Wednesday.

US Agency for International Development (USAID), together with US company Procter & Gamble, will provide 1,450 hygiene kits for the city, which will then distribute the kits to facilities caring for vulnerable sectors.

The hygiene kits contain face masks, soap, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, toothbrushes, and sanitary napkins.

The PPE donation is part of the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s previously announced nearly PHP15 million worth of PPE and medical supplies to hospitals across the country.

This assistance is part of the US government's nearly PHP1-billion (USD20.5 million) investment to support Philippines' Covid-19 response.

"These efforts are the result of a longstanding special partnership between the United States and the Philippines. While the pandemic tests all of us, I know from my four years in the Philippines that the deep bond between our two countries will help us meet this challenge. In fact, I'm confident that we will come through this stronger together,” Kim said.

This donation will augment the ongoing U.S. government efforts in Davao City to respond to Covid-19. USAID assistance enhances laboratory and specimen transport systems, infection prevention and control, risk communication, health care waste management, disease surveillance, contact tracing, and case management.

With local counterparts, USAID is also working to ensure the continued provision of vital tuberculosis, family planning, and maternal and child health services.

The US Defense Threat Reduction Agency has supported Davao’s Bureau of Fire Protection with decontamination training and equipment, as well as boosted biosecurity efforts in both human and animal populations.

The US has provided more than PHP228 billion (USD4.5 billion) in development assistance to the Philippines over the past 20 years, including over PHP29 billion (USD582 million) in health assistance.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113484

Lawmakers, Moro rights advocate reject Martial Law proposal in Sulu

From the periodically pro-CPP online publication the Davao Today (Aug 26, 2020): Lawmakers, Moro rights advocate reject Martial Law proposal in Sulu

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Lawmakers and a Moro human rights advocate reject calls from defense officials to declare Martial Law in Sulu following the wake of the twin blasts that killed 14 in Jolo.

Bayan Muna Representative and Manobo tribal leader Eufemia Cullamat said the recommendation to impose Martial Law in Sulu may lead to abuse as what happened during Martial Law in Mindanao from 2017 to 2019.

“Declaring Martial Law is not a solution to the bombings in Jolo, Sulu because it will only be further abused by the State’s armed forces,” Cullamat said, citing cases such as arrests of farmers and Lumad leaders, and closure of Lumad schools.

She also warned that the bombings would be used by the Duterte administration to hasten the implementing rules and regulations of the anti-terrorism law, which faces questions in the Supreme Court for violations to the people’s constitutional rights.

It was Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, Chief of the Philippine Army and Philippine National Police Chief General Archie Gamboa who recommended to place the province under Martial Law to go after the perpetrators of the bombings.

Fellow Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate said that while the bombing is “condemnable and atrocious”, state security forces can track the perpetrators even without invoking the anti-terror law.

“(Now) the AFP claimed that the one responsible for the blast was the same person who got away from pursuing four Army intelligence officers in Jolo before they were gunned down on June 29 by policemen near the police station at Barangay Walled City in Jolo. It can be seen that the AFP can track down and apprehend bombers or terrorists without the terror law,” Zarate said.

The Davao-based lawmaker of Bayan Muna said that if not for the ‘mistake’ of the PNP to shoot down the AFP intelligence tracking the bombers, this situation could have been caught already.

Amirah Lidasan of the Moro-Christian People’s Alliance said putting the entire province of Sulu under Martial Law is “like punishing the whole population” for the crimes of alleged ‘suicide bombers’.

Lidasan, who has worked in monitoring human rights cases in Bangsamoro areas since 2000s, said the bombings should be put in context to deep struggles between the Moro civilians against the military.

“While we condemn the bombing in Jolo on Monday because it endangered the lives of civilians, we must understand that there’s a context why the soldiers were targeted. There is an ongoing war in Sulu, and most of the times, the military operations in Sulu have resulted to injustices including killing of civilians and passing them off as “collateral damage” or even accusing them of conniving with the Abu Sayyaf,” Lidasan pointed out.

Lidasan noted that this is not the first time a Mindanao bombing has affected Bangsamoro areas. She sees a similar pattern here with what happened in the time of President Arroyo that bombings were timed after the president is hounded by corruption charges.

She noted the bombing happened amidst growing criticism against President Rodrigo Duterte for not seriously resolving corruption in the government and addressing the problems brought by the rising number of COVID-19 infection.

“And it is also not new that this violence is used to justify the implementation of anti-people measures like the Anti-Terror Law and imposition of Martial Law,” she said.

Lidasan said there should be a thorough investigation, as the usual suspect the Abu Sayyaf group or ISIS-influenced groups have not come out to declare responsibility for the explosions.

The 11th Infantry Division, in an earlier statement, believed that the terror group Abu Sayyaf was behind the blasts as retaliatory attack following the arrest of its top leader Anduljihad “Idang” Susukan in Davao City last Aug. 13.

The AFP’s Eastern Mindanao Command said that the explosions in Jolo has no direct threat in their area, including Davao City, but they are currently in full alert.

The Bangsamoro Government released a statement condemning the “inhumane bombing”, assuring its constituents to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“At a time when the world grapples with the challenges of a global pandemic and during a period when we are just entering a new phase for the region, an act like this deserves nothing but condemnation and appropriate actions,” they said.

http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/lawmakers-moro-rights-advocate-reject-martial-law-proposal-in-sulu/

Philippines: Significant Measures to Protect Conflict-Affected Children in Place but Full Implementation Essential for Effective Protection

Posted to the Relief Web (Aug 25, 2020): Philippines: Significant Measures to Protect Conflict-Affected Children in Place but Full Implementation Essential for Effective Protection

Fifth Country Report on Children and Armed Conflict in the Philippines

New York, 25 August 2020 –Although notable progress to protect boys and girls has been made, including as part of the peace process between the Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), children in the Philippines suffered the direct impact of armed activities such as large-scale military operations, notes the fifth report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) in a recently published report.

Covering a 3-year period (2017-2019,) the report highlights that 90% of all grave violations against boys and girls in the country occurred in the Mindanao region, with a spike in verified incidents following the Marawi siege. Killing and maiming, attacks on schools and hospitals and recruitment and use of young people under 18 have affected the region’s children the most, while restrictions on access have impaired the work of monitors in verifying violations, the report states.

“I congratulate the Government of the Philippines on the measures taken to better protect boys and girls from armed conflict in the country, including the landmark Children in Situations of Armed Conflict (CSAC) Law, and now urge its swift implementation as well as ensuring that any other legislation, such as the Anti-Terror Act passed in July 2020, is in harmony with this Law,” said the CAAC Special Representative, Virginia Gamba.

“Despite progress achieved, children in the Mindanao region have been disproportionately affected by violence and I urge the Philippines to facilitate access of humanitarian actors to affected areas of Marawi City to assess the impact of the siege on children,” added USG Gamba.

Grave Violations Against Children

The killing and maiming of children remained the most verified violation with 139 children affected, the majority of incidents due to ERW or IEDs. The Special Representative called upon all parties to immediately halt their use and abide by their obligations under international laws. She further called upon the Government to fully implement the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their destruction.

The recruitment and use of children mostly by armed groups remained preoccupying and the Special Representative urged armed groups to immediately release all associated children from their ranks for reintegration purposes and to enter into dialogue with the UN to develop action plans to end the practice. Also of concern was the detention of children for alleged association with armed groups, which showed a two-fold increase compared to the previous report. “Detaining boys and girls for their actual or alleged association with armed groups only contributes to further victimizing them. I call on the Government to abide by the provisions in the CSAC Law that maintain children should be treated as victims, with the best interest of the child as the primary consideration,” said Virginia Gamba.

“I further urge the Government to expedite the revision of its protocols on handling children involved in armed conflict and ensure that all affected children can receive appropriate services and comprehensive reintegration programs and support,” she added.

The Special Representative is particularly concerned that the education of at least 20,000 children was disrupted following an increase in verified attacks on schools and protected personnel, with increasing cases being attributed to government and pro-government forces and groups regarding threats to children and schools operated by non-governmental organizations in indigenous peoples’ communities in Mindanao. The Special Representative reminded all parties to conflict of their obligation to protect the civilian character of schools as per international law and urged the authorities to implement the Government’s National Policy Framework on Learners and Schools as Zones of Peace and to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration for the non-military use of schools.

Best Practices from the Philippines

The completion of the Action Plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2017 marked a turning point in the protection of children in the Philippines, especially in the Mindanao region. The United Nations has been documenting lessons learned from this process, especially the release of 1,869 children, the reintegration programs benefitting disengaged children and their families, and the manner in which the action plan and its result have boosted peace dialogues between the armed group and the Government.

“Support programs on the prevention of re-association of children have been proven effective and have provided meaningful and sustainable reintegration services to children formerly associated with armed groups. Completion of action plans to end recruitment have also proven to be a confidence-building measure between the armed group and Government, yielding lasting results for children,” added Ms. Gamba.

She further encouraged all parties to integrate the concept of protection of children as a central issue in ongoing and future peace negotiations and agreements, including through the use of the Practical guidance for mediators to protect children in situations of armed conflict developed by her Office and key experts.

She commended the work of the United Nations on the ground, often working in difficult conditions especially during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and called on the international community to support the monitoring and reporting capacities of the United Nations in the country as well as the work on the prevention of grave violations against children.

Grave Violations Against Children in the Philippines (2017-2019)

Overall number of grave violations: 331

Recruitment and Use: 67 children

Killing and Maiming: 139 children (44 killed, 95 maimed)

Rape and Other Forms of Sexual Violence: 6 children

Attacks on Schools and Hospitals: 98 attacks (62 schools, 36 hospitals)

Abductions: 21 children

Denial of humanitarian access: No incidents verified but the monitoring and verification of violations was challenged by access restrictions due to the volatile security situation and restricted freedom of movement, as well as concerns over threats and violence against humanitarian personnel.

For additional information, please contact:

Soop-Mai Tang, Political Affairs Officer, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict +1-929-810-9124 (work) / tang2@un.org

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: www.twitter.com/childreninwar www.facebook.com/childrenandarmedconflict

https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/philippines-significant-measures-protect-conflict-affected-children-place-full

Army chief says militant leader was likely killed in the Philippines

From the Stars & Stripes (Aug 25, 2020): Army chief says militant leader was likely killed in the Philippines (By JIM GOMEZ | Associated Press)



Police attend to their injured at a site of an explosion in the town of Jolo, Sulu province southern Philippines on Monday Aug. 24, 2020.  By NICKEE BUTLANGAN/AP

Abu Sayyaf militants may have staged suicide bombings that killed 14 people to avenge the death of a Filipino leader of the Islamic State group in the southern Philippines following a clash with troops last month, the army chief said Tuesday.

Army commanding general Cirilito Sobejana said Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan was wounded in a July 6 gunbattle in a jungle near Patikul town in Sulu province and most likely died a few days later. Troops have been searching for his buried remains, he said.

Two Islamic militants blew themselves up in suicide attacks Monday that killed at least 14 people, including soldiers, and injured 75 others in Jolo town in Sulu, in the country’s worst extremist attack this year. Military officials accused Sawadjaan’s nephew, Mudzrimar “Mundi” Sawadjaan, of plotting the midday bombings.

“They wanted to avenge his death,” Sobejana told The Associated Press. “It’s also a very desperate move because they have lost strength and wanted to create an impression that they still exist.”

Sobejana said he is “90% sure that Sawadjaan is gone. We’re reserving the 10% until we find his body as concrete evidence.”

Recently captured Abu Sayyaf militants provided information about his death, including how he was wounded and eventually died and was buried by a group of militants. His followers have launched an effort to pick a replacement, Sobejana said.

An earlier U.S. Department of Defense report to Congress said without elaborating that it believed Sawadjaan was the “acting emir,” or leader, in the Philippines of the Islamic State group.

Most of the victims of Monday’s bombings, including children, were caught in the first blast, near two parked army trucks in front of a grocery store and computer shop in a downtown plaza where the town cathedral is located, military officials said.

In the second blast, the attacker blew herself up near a group of soldiers and police, killing one soldier and one police commando and wounding several others, a military report said.

The military is trying to determine if the two suicide bombers were the widows of Abu Sayyaf militants.

The largely Roman Catholic nation’s southern region has been the scene of decades of Muslim separatist unrest. The Abu Sayyaf, a small but violent group, has been listed by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization for bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings.

A few of its armed factions, including the largest one led by the Sawadjaans, are aligned with the Islamic State group.

The twin bombings were the latest suicide attacks in the predominantly Muslim province of Jolo, including a deadly January 2019 bombing of a Roman Catholic cathedral believed to have been carried out by an Indonesian couple.

Largely confined to Jolo’s poverty-wracked mountain settlements all his life, Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan was born to a peasant family in Jolo and likely only finished grade school. Poverty drove him to work as a lumberjack in the jungles off Patikul town, where he married a woman from Tanum, the mountain village where he would base his Abu Sayyaf faction years later, according to a military officer who has closely monitored the Abu Sayyaf and spoke on condition of anonymity because of the nature of his work.

https://www.stripes.com/army-chief-says-militant-leader-was-likely-killed-in-the-philippines-1.642545