Soldier hurt, troops seize firearms in north Negros clash

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 7, 2023): Soldier hurt, troops seize firearms in north Negros clash (By Nanette Guadalquiver)

RECOVERED. The Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion find firearms and ammunition, subversive documents and personal items after an encounter with remnants of the dismantled New People’s Army Northern Negros Front in the hinterlands of Toboso, Negros Occidental on Maundy Thursday (April 6, 2023). A soldier was injured, but is now in stable condition at a hospital in Bacolod City. (Courtesy of 303rd Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army)

BACOLOD CITY – A soldier of the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) was wounded during an encounter with the remnants of the dismantled New People’s (NPA) Army Northern Negros Front (NNF) in the hinterlands of Toboso, Negros Occidental on Thursday afternoon.

The 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) said the trooper, whose identity is still being withheld by the unit, is now in a stable condition at a hospital here, where he received the Wounded Personnel Medal from Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, commander of 303IBde, on Friday morning.

“It is with great pride that I commend the tireless efforts of officers and troops of 79IB under Lt. Col. J-Jay Javines. The same goes for our wounded personnel. Truly, the devotion and sacrifices made by our soldiers to their oath to safeguard fellow Filipinos and the country are beyond measure,” Edralin said.

He added the 303IBde appreciates the continued support of the locals who provide information to the troops on the presence of the NPA rebels in their community.

“They have now understood that communist-terrorists are the menace of the society. The 79IB also acted immediately to the information given by the locals,” he added.

At around 4 p.m., soldiers engaged about 10 NPA fighters in Sitio Seraje, Barangay San Isidro after residents complained of extortion and propaganda activities.

Based on the accounts of the locals, at least three wounded rebels were seen withdrawing from the encounter site, the report said.

During the clearing operation, troops recovered two homemade shotguns with two magazines and live ammunition, mobile phone battery, medicine kits, hammocks, rainboots and other personal items, and subversive documents.

The NNF, which was part of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor, was dismantled by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police in April 2021.

From late 2021 to 2022, some of its top leaders have been killed in clashes while some members have surrendered, although others continue to conduct recruitment and recovery efforts, particularly in the hinterland villages in the boundaries of Escalante City, in Toboso and Calatrava towns, and in other remote areas of northern Negros.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1199038

Two NPA cadres with four high-powered guns surrender to Army troopers in Cagayan

From the Manila Bulletin (Apr 6, 2023): Two NPA cadres with four high-powered guns surrender to Army troopers in Cagayan (By FREDDIE LAZARO)

CAMP MELCHOR F. DELA CRUZ, Isabela – Two members of the New People’s Army (NPA) with their four high-powered firearms surrendered to the soldiers belonging to the Philippine Army’s 501st Infantry Brigade in Regaay, Hacienda Intal, Baggao, Cagayan.

Major Rigor Pamittan, spokesperson of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division, confirmed on Thursday, April 6, the surrender of the two NPA rebels with their two bushmaster rifles and two M-16 Armalite rifles.

The two NPA rebels, whose identities were withheld due to security reasons, decided to return to the fold of law as they can no longer tolerate the hunger they are experiencing and are tired of hiding from the authorities.

The two former rebels admitted that they were involved in the encounters between the NPA and the soldiers in Baggao and Gattaran, both in Cagayan, in the previous months.

Upon surrendering to the soldiers, the two rebels told the soldiers the location of the cache of the four high-powered guns.

Pamittan said the two NPA rebels are now under the custody of the Army 501st Infantry Brigade while the processing of their benefits through the firearms remuneration program of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) is being undertaken.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/4/6/two-npa-cadres-with-four-high-powered-guns-surrender-to-army-troopers-in-cagayan

Moro families displaced by clashes in Maguindanao del Sur

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Australian expert urges Philippines to build military base on Pag-asa

Posted to Marianas Variety (Apr 7, 2023): Australian expert urges Philippines to build military base on Pag-asa

(NYMWPS) — An Australian defense and security expert said the Philippines government should build a military base on Pag-asa Island in the face of increasing Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

Carlyle Thayer, PhD, professor emeritus at the University of New South Wales and the Australian Defense Force Academy, has also suggested to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to strengthen military cooperation with Australia and Japan.

In a recent online talk organized by the National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea or NYMWPS, a peaceful, nonpartisan and transglobal organization that advocates for the preservation of Philippine sovereignty and territorial integrity, Thayer said opening a military base on Pag-asa island and other facilities in the West Philippine Sea would be a major demonstration of Philippine sovereignty over the region.

Pag-asa, internationally known as Thitu, is the largest in the Kalayaan Island Group, and serves as the seat of the local government of Kalayaan municipality, Palawan province. It is home to more than 400 people, and is 277 miles from Puerto Princesa City and 579 miles from Manila.

Thayer also suggested expanding the Philippines’ treaties with Japan, Australia, and the U.S. while formulating procedures in handling the presence of the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels.

“It is imperative that signatories of these treaties clarify and present the same position to China that this is unacceptable behavior,” he added, referring to China's illegal military presence in the South China Sea.

Thayer said the Philippines’ Mutual Defense Treaty, the Status of Forces Agreement, and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the U.S. provide defense consultation, collaboration, capability building for maritime security, and serve as a deterrence against Chinese aggression in the region.

Thayer believes the three accords "allow for more frequent visits of the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard to tense regions. This also serves as an opportunity for holding more naval drills and activities with countries like the United States, who in turn can help resupply critical units like in Ayungin Shoal."

He said these agreements are “provocative” to China because they threaten China’s illegal occupation in the region.

But “there is no ground for neutrality in China’s massive military threat. Don't trust Chinese intentions," he added.

China’s embassy in Manila has criticized the expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, saying that it “will seriously harm Philippine national interests and endanger regional peace and stability.”

President Marcos has allowed the U.S. to access four more locations aside from the five existing sites under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Before Thayer could answer questions from the online participants, a voice was heard uttering incomprehensible statements while the screen-sharing features displayed lewd images which forced the organizers to stop the online event.

Whether this was an intentional attack against the NYMWPS or Thayer or just a prank, he said it was a sign that the group’s efforts have been effective in standing up to its adversaries. He also advised the group to continue pursuing its mission and goals.

Dr. Celia Lamkin, a CNMI and Guam resident, is the global chair and founder of the National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea.

https://www.mvariety.com/news/australian-expert-urges-philippines-to-build-military-base-on-pag-asa/article_d679d4d8-d48e-11ed-ae93-2fa33eff982c.html

China's Conduct is Driving a Realignment in the Indo-Pacific

Posted to the Maritime Executive (Apr 6, 2023): China's Conduct is Driving a Realignment in the Indo-Pacific (By Daniel R. Depetris)

U.S. Coast Guard file image

PUBLISHED APR 6, 2023 8:22 PM BY THE LOWY INTERPRETER

On April 3, the Philippines government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr formally unveiled four additional locations where US forces will be permitted to operate. Two of those locations, in Santa Ana and Lal-lo, are located in Cagayan, the Philippines’ northernmost province, approximately 440 kilometers from Taiwan’s southern coastline. The announcement occurred two months after Washington and Manila concluded negotiations on the new basing arrangements, which come on top of the five locations the US military already uses. Both sides lauded the deal as an example of a strong US-Philippines alliance. “It seems to me,” Marcos said after the talks concluded, “that the future of the Philippines, and for that matter the Asia-Pacific region, will always involve the United States”.

It’s tempting to congratulate the individual US and Philippine negotiators for this week’s news. But China and its President Xi Jinping really deserve much of the credit.

China’s conduct in the Indo-Pacific, more than the talent of the US diplomatic corps, Washington’s renewed focus on Asia, or Marcos’ attempt to make a name for himself, is the biggest motivator for the balancing behavior that can be seen in the region. If it weren’t for Beijing’s incessant campaign to press its territorial claims on land and at sea, it’s highly unlikely new access arrangements for the US would have been discussed.

The Philippines is hardly the only country taking stock of its own geopolitical surroundings.

China’s rising power is the fuel driving what can only be described as a rapid transformation in Japan’s strategic outlook. Tokyo, careful in the past to ensure that its actions in the defense realm weren’t needlessly provocative to Beijing, is today making no apologies for crafting and resourcing a more assertive defense policy. Japan, which for decades kept itself pegged to an artificial one per cent defense spending-to-GDP ratio, aims to double its total defense budget by 2027 – a sum that, if implemented, would make Tokyo the third-largest military spender in the world.

Some of Japan’s extra spending will be earmarked for the types of weapons systems – surveillance assets, land attack cruise missiles, anti-submarine warfare capabilities and air defense – that would be critical in the event of a hypothetical conflict with China. Just as important as the numbers and individual investments is the change in attitude the Japanese seem to be embracing. The decision to acquire a so-called counterstrike missile force, first by purchasing US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles and later by fielding an updated version of the indigenous Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile system, is both a symbolic and substantive broadening of Tokyo’s concept of self-defense.

Japan is not only strengthening its alliance with the United States, but also expanding defense relationships with other countries inside and outside of its immediate region. Much of this movement can be chalked up to China’s belligerence. Tokyo has signed several defense cooperation deals over the past year and a half, including with India in September 2020, Vietnam in September 2021, Australia in October 2022, and the United Kingdom in January 2023. Most of these agreements are designed to accelerate the execution of joint training exercises, ease the pathway towards the mutual military deployments, and boost inter-operability between the Japan Self-Defense Forces and its partners. It would not be surprising if similar deals were in the works.

Again, we can thank China for the regional collaboration.

“China’s current external stance,” the Japanese government wrote in its defense budget overview, “military activities, and other activities have become a matter of serious concern for Japan and the international community, and present … the greatest strategic challenge in ensuring the peace and security of Japan and the peace and stability of the international community”.

India, of course, is taking its own steps in response to Chinese military aggression. Clashes with Chinese ground forces along India’s disputed Himalayan border, some of which have resulted in Indian military fatalities, have opened eyes in New Delhi to just how far behind the Indian military is in relation to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). While it’s true that India can’t match China dollar-for-dollar (according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China’s defense budget was nearly four times higher than India’s in 2021), it’s also true that India’s military establishment clearly recognizes the necessity of deeper investments in procurement and readiness.

Approximately 13 per cent of India’s entire budget for the current fiscal year is defense-related. India, notorious for avoiding the entanglement of alliances and opposed to bloc politics as a matter of principle, is also more willing to accept intelligence assistance from foreign partners if it’s in its self-interest to do so.

Australia is another player in the region that has long since adapted its position towards China. The good old days of unfettered trade and strategic partnership are long gone, replaced by a more independent Australia keen to minimize dependency on China and weld itself ever more closely to the US militarily. Beijing’s behavior, particularly its economic coercion against crucial Australian industries such as wine, barley and coal, has merely reinforced the idea throughout Australia’s politics that Beijing is no longer a reliable partner. While China-Australia relations are starting to thaw a bit (Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong traveled to China last year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke with Xi during last year’s G20 Summit in Bali and may visit China himself in the coming months, and Australian and Chinese trade officials met in Beijing this week), Australia is firmly committed to its current path of deepening the strategic alliance with Washington.

Xi Jinping and Chinese Communist Party stalwarts will blame all of these developments on a US-led strategy to surround China, stifle its development, and undermine its power. Xi instead ought to look in the mirror.

[Daniel R. DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a foreign affairs columnist for the Chicago Tribune and Newsweek.]

This article appears courtesy of The Lowy Interpreter and may be found in its original form here.

https://maritime-executive.com/article/china-s-conduct-is-driving-a-realignment-in-the-indo-pacific

The Japan-Philippine-U.S. trilateral alliance in the making

 Posted to the Japan Times (Apr 6, 2023): The Japan-Philippine-U.S. trilateral alliance in the making (By RICHARD JAVAD HEYDARIAN-Contributing Writer)

A new 'cold war' with China is leading to the emergence of trilateral security groupings in the Indo-Pacific

The Philippines lacks the operational capacity of other U.S. regional allies such as Australia, Japan and South Korea. But what makes the island country special is its geography and location. | REUTERS

With a so-called new cold war between the United States and China now in full swing, new geopolitical alignments are emerging across the Indo-Pacific.

Predictably, the recently announced Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) nuclear-powered submarine deal dominated the headlines. After all, long-term deployment of state-of-the-art submarines to the region are clearly targeted toward China, which has steadily expanded its naval footprint across adjacent waters.

For the first time in recent memory, the U.S. is also expected to share cutting-edge military technology with a foreign partner: Australia is expected to receive at least three Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines within a decade, while waiting for its own share of the next-generation nuclear attack Astute-class submarines by the middle of the century. Meanwhile, South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk-yeol, took a major step in his hopes of revitalizing frayed ties with Japan following a warm meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo.

Just recently, Yoon announced the creation of a new government-sponsored compensation fund in order to address a major sticking point in bilateral relations with Japan, namely the issue of wartime forced labor. Recognizing the significance of such steps to a stronger U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral partnership, American President Joe Biden welcomed Seoul’s efforts.

Just as important, however, is a less talked about trilateral strategic grouping, which can prove just as — if not more — consequential. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fateful decision to grant U.S. troops expanded access to prized bases and his subsequent visit to Tokyo in February have paved the way for the emergence of a new Japan-Philippine-U.S. (JAPHUS) alliance.

Given the geographic proximity of Tokyo and Manila to festering disputes over Taiwan and the South China Sea and deepening defense ties among the three nations, the JAPHUS alliance will be central to the Pentagon’s efforts to implement its “integrated deterrence” strategy against a resurgent China.

The emergence of new trilateral security groupings in the region has been driven by a combination of three interrelated factors.

To begin, the past decade has exposed the inherent limitations of Asian multilateralism, most prominently in the case of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Following the end of the Cold War, the regional organization consciously positioned itself as the driver of a more inclusive and stable order. Notwithstanding the merits of initiatives such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, a platform for institutionalized dialogue among major powers, the regional body has largely failed to “socialize” a resurgent China.

If anything, China has managed to exploit internal differences in ASEAN by leveraging its strategic patronage of less developed members (i.e., Cambodia) and more authoritarian leaders (i.e., Rodrigo Duterte) in the region. Since contemporary ASEAN largely operates on “consensus,” namely unanimity, all China can seamlessly lean on the weaker links in the regional body to achieve its strategic goals.

The upshot is the failure of ASEAN to, inter alia, categorically condemn China’s militarization of adjacent waters as well as its inability to finalize the long-drawn Code of Conduct negotiations in the South China Sea.

Moreover, the much-vaunted Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, better known as “the Quad,” has also lost much of its initial luster. Once dubbed as a potential “Asian NATO,” the power grouping has been openly divided over the Ukraine crisis. On one hand, India has not only maintained, but even expanded trade ties with Russia over the past year. In stark contrast, the U.S., Australia and Japan have imposed unprecedented sanctions against the Eurasian power. In response to criticism, top Indian officials have often lashed out at the West, with the country’s top diplomat recently accusing Europe of “hypocrisy,” while extolling the virtues of a post-American, multipolar order.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is no longer in a position to unilaterally dictate the regional security order. China has rapidly closed the gap with the U.S. and the Asian superpower has achieved virtual strategic parity with the U.S. military in an event of conflict. In response, the Pentagon has developed an “integrated deterrence” doctrine, which seeks to leverage ad-hoc, issue-specific “minilateral” cooperation among America’s network of alliances in the Indo-Pacific, most especially across the so-called First and Second Island Chains.

The AUKUS will be crucial to America’s ability to project power across and preserve a liberal international order in the Western and South Pacific. The U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral alliance, meanwhile, will be crucial to managing threats emanating from North Korea and Russia, as well as from China in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea.

Most experts, however, believe that any major armed conflict between the U.S. and China would likely center on Taiwan and the South China Sea.

And here enters the Philippines, which straddles multiple flashpoints in the region. Clearly, the Southeast Asian nation lacks the operational capacity of other U.S. regional allies such as Australia, Japan and South Korea.

But what makes the Philippines special is its geography.

On one hand, the Southeast Asian nation is an active claimant state in the South China Sea, where it has been at loggerheads with Beijing over the past three decades, beginning with China’s creeping occupation of the Mischief Reef in the early-1990s. Moreover, the Philippines’ northernmost naval facilities in the Mavulis and Fuga islands are just over 100 nautical miles away from Taiwan.

Unlike its ASEAN neighbors, the Philippines has increasingly aligned itself with the West over the China question. In fact, it’s the only Southeast Asian state to openly back the AUKUS, while welcoming closer defense ties not only with the U.S., but also all fellow U.S. treaty allies of Australia, Japan and South Korea in recent years.

Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Philippines has granted U.S. troops expanded access to key bases across the country, including those near the South China Sea, as well as Taiwan’s southern shores. As the island nation’s president put it, “(given) our geographical location, should there in fact be conflict in (Taiwan) … it’s very hard to imagine a scenario where the Philippines will not somehow get involved.” His cousin and top adviser, the Philippine’s ambassador to the U.S., Jose Manuel Romualdez, has made it clear that “neutrality” is not an option for the country.

Accordingly, the Philippines is not only doubling down on its alliance with the U.S., but also seeking closer defense ties with Japan, which is also located close to Taiwan. The Sakishima Islands and Yonaguni Island are just around 100 kilometers away from Taiwan’s northernmost shores, while the Senkaku Islands are just over 160 km away. No wonder then, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once declared, “A Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency, and therefore an emergency for the Japan-U.S. alliance.”

Currently, the Philippines is negotiating an Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreements and a Visiting Forces Agreement deal with Japan in order to facilitate military interoperability, arms transfers and potentially even deployment of Japanese troops to Philippine bases in the future. The ultimate aim is to enhance the Philippines’ defensive capabilities as well as jointly prepare for and potentially deter Chinese aggression against Taiwan and in the South China Sea.

As the U.S. ambassador to Tokyo, Rahm Emanuel, bluntly argued, closer security cooperation among regional allies such as the Philippines and Japan is “a major contribution to the strategic alignment in the area from a deterrence standpoint.” Deepened bilateral security cooperation is part of a broader effort to establish a robust Japan-Philippine-U.S. trilateral alliance, which will be extremely crucial to checking China’s worst instincts across the First Island Chain, extending from the East China Sea to the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea.

[Richard Javad Heydarian is a senior lecturer at the University of the Philippines, Asian Center and author of, among others, “The Indo-Pacific: Trump, China and the New Struggle for Global Mastery.”]

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2023/04/06/commentary/world-commentary/asia-pacific-trilateral-alliances/

The Curious Case of Cagayan: Localisation of U.S.-China Rivalry in the Philippines

Posted to Fulcrum-Analysis of Southeast Asia (Apr 6, 2023): The Curious Case of Cagayan: Localisation of U.S.-China Rivalry in the Philippines (By ARIES A. ARUGAY)

 

Philippines - U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, fire a Javelin shoulder-fired anti-tank missile in a combined arms live-fire event during KAMANDAG 6 at Colonel Ernesto Rabina Air Base, Philippines, Oct. 13, 2022. (Photo: Cpl. Ujian Gosun / USINDOPACOM)

The loci of superpower rivalry in the Indo-Pacific has gone down to the subnational level. The United States and China are engaged in a power competition for influence within local governments in the Philippines.

Changes in foreign policy under the Marcos Jr. administration have highlighted the significance of protecting Philippine security interests amid an intensifying United States-China rivalry. The Marcos Jr administration has reinvigorated the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States and adopted more assertive responses to Chinese intimidation in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Behind these policy shifts, however, is the important role played by subnational political units or local governments as critical arenas of superpower competition.

In November 2022, the Philippine military announced that the implementation of EDCA will now include five additional sites — two in Cagayan and one each in Zambales, Palawan, and Isabela. All these provinces are located in the northern part of the Philippines with Cagayan being adjacent to Taiwan. Signed in 2014, EDCA aims to improve Philippines-U.S. defence cooperation by allowing American troops to be temporarily based in Philippine military facilities. EDCA was largely dormant

during the Duterte administration.

 

The disclosure of the new sites preempted official government approval through the Department of Foreign Affairs. Originally, the Marcos Jr administration intended to conduct consultations with concerned provincial governments and other relevant stakeholders as this possibly entails the biggest presence of U.S. troops on Philippines soil since American bases closed in 1992. Given the country’s decentralised governance set-up, local governments have a say in matters within their area. In foreign policy matters, politics in the Philippines rarely stop at the water’s edge.

Immediately, Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba opposed the proposal to have U.S. troops in his province. Apart from not being consulted, he warned against the Philippines being used as a staging platform for the U.S. defence of Taiwan, which would bring conflict to the country. He was also sceptical of EDCA’s role in improving the national government’s disaster response, given that U.S. forces were never mobilised when previous typhoons hit his province.

Other Filipino politicians joined the anti-EDCA bandwagon. Senator Imee Marcos, sister of Marcos Jr, chaired a congressional hearing attended by several provincial governors in northern Philippines as well as relevant cabinet officials. As a former governor herself, she expressed that these new locations were imposed by the U.S. without consent from local officials. Sen. Marcos also warned that EDCA is making our military facilities vulnerable as “legitimate targets” of China.

Senator Marcos has made a valid point. The strategic importance of Cagayan’s geographical location has been recognised by U.S. and China even prior to the Marcos administration. Duterte’s insisted that the Philippines-U.S. Balikatan war games in the WPS were provocative; as a result, the location of the joint military exercises was shifted to the archipelago’s eastern frontier. In 2021 and 2022, Governor Mamba vehemently opposed the proposal for U.S.-Philippine Balikatan live-fire exercises by saying that “we don’t want to anger China here in Cagayan”. Bowing to local pressure and lack of support from Duterte, the military scrapped the idea.

But the peculiar regard of a provincial governor against provoking China may indicate the superpower’s influence in Cagayan province. Chinese economic investments and other forms of diplomatic, political, and even socio-cultural initiatives peaked after Duterte’s pivot to China. While official statistics reveal that China is not the biggest foreign direct investor in Cagayan, the province has benefited from key national infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Among them is the nearly completed Chico River Pump Irrigation project that will provide services for some 8,700 hectares of farmland in the province. Another proposed Chinese project is the conversion of Fuga island off the coast of Cagayan (near the Philippines’ northern maritime border) to a “One Belt One Road New Smart City”. Duterte agreed to the deal as part of his visit to Beijing in April 2019. Similar to many BRI projects, this did not materialise when the Department of National Defense sought to strategically review the terms of the project. In addition, the powerful Enrile political dynasty, which has a foothold in the province and is a known adversary of the governor, has expressed opposition to the increasing Chinese influence in Cagayan.

The strategic importance of Cagayan’s geographical location has been recognised by U.S. and China even prior to the Marcos administration.

In reality, China’s investments in Cagayan are less on infrastructure but more on online gaming operations known as POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) through the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority. The media has reported anomalies of tax evasion and illegal presence of Chinese nationals working in POGOs in the province. These all suggest China’s increasing footprint in the province (and concurrent political influence). Recently, President Marcos Jr proposed to re-examine the presence of POGOs given the declining revenue it brings to the country and its many problems.

Cagayan’s opposition to EDCA, however, was short-lived. On 6 March, the Commission on Elections reversed its ruling that should have removed Governor Mamba from office for violating electoral campaign laws during the 2022 elections. Within weeks, the local politician downplayed his criticism and succumbed to the national government’s plan to install two EDCA sites in his province. The timing of this change of heart appeared to be due to a quid pro quo. If this is true, it is not a coincidence. Within days and against China’s stern warning, President Marcos Jr announced that the new EDCA locations had been finalised while Mamba hinted that two of these sites would be in his province.

The case of Cagayan reveals that U.S.-China rivalry is now increasingly localised as their intensifying competition will now be played within the context of national-local political dynamics. In the fight for access to prime geopolitical real estate, superpowers will heighten their “influence operations” strategies that will inevitably draw local political elites in their fight to gain their favour. The decentralised and dispersed nature of politics in the Philippines opens many paths for superpower influence. Local political elites can also leverage U.S.-China competition to benefit their parochial political interests. It will be interesting to find common patterns of different narratives in other local areas in Southeast Asia.

Intensifying U.S.-China rivalry has regional and global ramifications, but in the case of the Philippines — and possibly across Southeast Asia — it is increasingly apparent that superpower competition will be local.

[Aries A. Arugay is Visiting Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. He is also Professor at the Department of Political Science, University of the Philippines Diliman.]

https://fulcrum.sg/the-curious-case-of-cagayan-localisation-of-u-s-china-rivalry-in-the-philippines/

CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: 3 na maysakit na Pulang mandirigma, dinukot at sadyang pinatay ng AFP

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Apr 2, 2023): 3 na maysakit na Pulang mandirigma, dinukot at sadyang pinatay ng AFP (3 sick Red fighters, abducted and deliberately killed by the AFP)

 

April 02, 2023

Tatlong maysakit na Pulang mandirigma ng Bagong Hukbong Bayan (BHB) sa Northeastern Mindanao Region ang inabangan sa mga ospital, dinukot at sadyang pinatay ng mga sundalo ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) nitong nagdaang linggo. Ito ay sa kabila ng malinaw nilang istatus bilang mga hor de combat o wala sa katayuang lumaban. Ang mga pagpatay ay seryosong paglabag sa internasyunal na makataong batas at Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and Interntional Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

Noong Marso 26, dinukot ng mga armadong pwersa ng estado ang mag-asawang sina Dano at Rosalia Caindoy sa isang ospital sa Misamis Oriental habang nagpapagamot. Si Dano ay labis na nanghihina at namayat dahil sa seryosong mga sakit.

Sa sumunod na araw, pinalabas ng AFP na napatay ang mag-asawa sa isang engkwentro sa pagitan ng yunit nito at ng BHB sa Sityo Vertodazo, Barangay San Juan, Bayugan city, Agusan del sur. Ibinalandra ng mga sundalo ang bangkay ng dalawa at nilagyan ng mga armas para palabasing nagkaroon ng armadong sagupaan.

Noong Marso 29, dinukot naman ng AFP si Emanuel Llanos Anob, 67 at maysakit, sa haywey sa Butuan City. Galing sa ospital si Anob nang dukutin siya. Naiulat pa ng kanyang mga kaanak ang kanyang pagkawala bago mapag-alamang pinatay siya. Basta na lamang inilagak ng mga sundalo ang kanyang bangkay sa isang funeral home sa Bayugan City noong Marso 30. Pinalalabas na napatay si Anob sa isang engkwentro sa hangganan ng Barangay Umalag at Castillo, San Miguel, Surigao del Sur.

Ang dalawang kaso ng sadyang pagpatay ay labag din sa Ika-4 na Bahagi, Artikulo 4 ng CARHRIHL kung saan ipinagbabawal ang “hindi pag-uulat sa identidad, personal na kalagayan at sirkunstansya ng isang taong pinagkaitan ng kanyang kalayaan sa mga dahilang may kaugnayan sa armadong labanan sa mga Partido…” (Numero 5); at “karahasan sa buhay at pagkatao, partikular ang pagpatay o pagpinsala, pagpapailalim sa pisikal at mental na tortyur…” (Numero 1).

Nang madakip ang tatlo, dapat ay kinilala ang kanilang mga karapatan bilang mga personahe na sangkot sa armadong tunggalian o bihag ng digma at bigyan ng tamang pagtrato at proseso sang-ayon sa mga napirmahang kasunduan sa pagitan ng National Democratic Front of the Philippines at Gubyerno ng Republika ng Pilipinas.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/3-na-maysakit-na-pulang-mandirigma-dinukot-at-sadyang-pinatay-ng-afp/

CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: Berdugong tropa ng 80th IB, inambus ng BHB-Rizal

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Apr 2, 2023): Berdugong tropa ng 80th IB, inambus ng BHB-Rizal (Executioner troops of the 80th IB, ambushed by the NPA-Rizal)

 

April 02, 2023

Tinambangan ng mga Pulang mandirigma ng Bagong Hukbong Bayan (BHB)-Rizal ang nag-ooperasyong tropa ng 80th IB sa Sityo Karayupa, Barangay San Rafael, Rodriguez noong Marso 31. Isang sundalo ang napatay.

Ayon sa BHB-Rizal, matagal nang namemerwisyo at nang-aabuso ang 80th IB sa mga sibilyang komunidad. Mula pa Pebrero ay nag-ooperasyon na ang naturang yunit sa mga barangay na sasaklawin ng proyektong Wawa-Violago Dam. Nagsisilbing gwardya ang mga sundalo ng mapangwasak na proyekto.na ito.

“Dahil sa mga operasyong ito ay ilang kaso na ngpanggipit at sarbeylans ang isinagawa nito sa mamamayan ng Rizal na nagnanais manatili sa kanilang mga tirahan at lupaing apektado ng dam,” ayon sa BHB-Rizal.

Anito, naisagawa ang gerilyang aksyon dahil sa nagpapatuloy na suporta ng masang anakpawis sa hukbong bayan, taliwas sa kasinungalingang ipinahayag ng AFP.

Samantala, nasamsam ng BHB-Cenral Negros mula sa mga armadong maton ang dalawang maiksing armas sa Sityo Manlama, Brgy Montilla, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental noong Marso 30. Nakuha ang mga armas mula kay Eddie Abarquez at kanyang maton na si Lemark Nueva. Ginagamit ni Abarquez ang armas para dahasin at sindakin ang mga residenteng nais niyang agawan ng lupa.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/berdugong-tropa-ng-80th-ib-inambus-ng-bhb-rizal/

CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: Pagdukot at iligal na detensyon sa 3 sibilyan sa Batangas, binatikos

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Apr 3, 2023): Pagdukot at iligal na detensyon sa 3 sibilyan sa Batangas, binatikos (Abduction and illegal detention of 3 civilians in Batangas, criticized)

 

April 03, 2023

Kinundena ng Karapatan-Southern Tagalog ang labag sa batas na pagdukot at iligal na pagbibimbin sa tatlong sibilyan sa Batangas simula pa Marso 27. Dinukot ng 59th IB sa Medical Center-Western Batangas, Balayan sina Lloyd Descallar at Alfred Manalo, kapwa boluntir ng Sugarfolks Unity for Genuine Agricultural Reform (SUGAR)-Batangas, at si Angelito Balistostos.

Sina Descallar at Manalo ay dinampot ng mga ahenteng militar habang naghihintay sa labas ng ospital. Si Balitostos, 65 anyos, ay dinampot din ng mga ahente dahil nakataong nagdaraan siya habang dinudukot ang naunang dalawa.

Sina Descellar at Manalo ay naglulunsad ng konsultasyon sa mga magtatapas at maliliit na plantador ng tubo sa Balayan matapos ang pagsasara ng Central Azucarera Don Pedro Incorporated (CADPI) na makaaapekto sa kanilang kabuhayan.

Matapos ang ilang araw na paghahanap at paggigiit ng grupo sa karapatang-tao na Tanggol Batangan, napilitan ang 2nd ID na amining nasa kustodiya nila ang tatlo. Ang mga grupo sa karapatang-tao na naghanap sa Balayan 3 ay paulit-ulit na nakaranas ng panggigipit at harasment mula sa mga sundalo.

“Lubos na kinukundena ng Karapatan-ST ang 59th IB sa pagdukot sa Balayan 3. Sa kabila ng serye ng mga kasinungalingan para itago at pagtakpan ang kanilang krimen, napilitan silang aminin na nasa kustodiya nila ang Balayan 3,” pahayag ng Karapatan-ST.

Iginigiit nila na pahintulutan ang pamilya at mga abugado na bisitahin ng tatlo at kilalanin ang kanilang mga karapatan.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/pagdukot-at-iligal-na-detensyon-sa-3-sibilyan-sa-batangas-binatikos/

CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: Saan napunta ang badyet ng NTF-Elcac?

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Apr 3, 2023): Saan napunta ang badyet ng NTF-Elcac? (Where did the NTF-Elcac budget go?)

 

April 03, 2023

Noong Marso 30, inamin ng bagong-talagang direktor ng NTF-Elcac na si Lorenzo Torres na 16% lamang sa 846 ng proyektong farm-to-market road ng ahensya ang nakumpleto noong 2022. Nakapailalim ang mga mga ito sa Barangay Development Program na may badyet na ₱10 bilyong pondo sa taong iyon.

Para sa 2023, dinoble pa ng DBM ang badyet para sa BDP na para umano sa 956 baryo. Walang hiningi at ibinigay na detalye kung anu-anong baryo ang mga ito at anong klaseng mga proyekto ang itatayo dito. Mula nang itinatag ang NTF-Elcac noong 2018, nagsilbi nang palabigasan ng mga heneral sa badyet ng ahensya.

Pormal na itinalaga si Torres sa ahensya noong Marso 28. Bago siya magretiro, nagsilbi siyang kumander ng Northern Luzon Command. Naging kumander din siya ng 10th ID, 1003rd IBde at hepe ng Armed Forces Civil Relations Service.

Beteranong red-tagger si Torres. Noong 2018, pinamunuan niya ang yunit na nag-aresto at nagdetine sa dating kinatawan ng Bayan Muna na si Satur Ocampo, ACT Teachers Party Rep. France Castro at 16 na iba pa sa gawa-gawang kasong “trafficking” ng mga batang Lumad sa Talaingod, Davao del Norte.

Nasa lugar noon sina Ocampo, Castro at marami pang ibang progresibo para saklolohan ang mga batang Talaingod na noo’y pokus ng matinding pandarahas at panggigipit ng estado. Pinalaya sila ng korte matapos magpyansa ng ₱80,000 kada isa.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/saan-napunta-ang-badyet-ng-ntf-elcac/

CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: Pwersahang pagpapasurender at pagsakdal sa kahera ng RMP, kinundena

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Apr 3, 2023): Pwersahang pagpapasurender at pagsakdal sa kahera ng RMP, kinundena (Forced surrender and indictment of the RMP cashier, condemned)

 

April 03, 2023

Mariing binatikos ng Rural Missionaries of the Philippines ang nagpapatuloy na panggigipit, pwersahang papasurender at pamimilit para sumang-ayon sa mga kasinungalingan at huwad na mga kaso ng kanilang mga myembro. Kinundena nito ang pamumwersa kay Angelie Magdua, kahera (cashier) ng RMP, na inipit at hinatulang maysala sa kasong “financing terrorism” noong Marso 16.

Kasama si Magdua sa 16 na myembro ng RMP na kinasuhan ng paglabag sa Seksyon 8 ng R.A. No. 10168 o Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act. Inakusahan silang nagbibigay ng pondo ng RMP sa Paritido Komunista ng Pilipinas at Bagong Hukbong Bayan. Isinampa ang kaso laban sa kanila noong Agosto 2022.

Idinaan sa plea bargain (negosasyon sa pagitan ng nagsakdal at sinakdal para umaming nagkasala) nang walang paglilitis ang 55 kaso ng “financing terrorism” (pagpopondo ng terorismo). Ibinaba ang kaso labang sa kanya mula sa pagpipinansya tungo sa pagiging “accesory” o kasabwat sa krimen dulot diumano ng kanyang “pagsurender” noong Disyembre 4, 2022. Hindi inanunsyo ng Department of Justice ang “pagsurender” na ito, taliwas sa naging gawi ng mga ahensya ng gubyerno na iparada ang mga sibilyang “surenderi.” Si Magdua ang kauna-unahang hinatulang nagkasala sa kasong “pagpopondo sa terorismo.”

“Hindi lamang nirered-tag at sinasampahan ng gawa-gawang mga kaso ang mga misyunaryo at manggagawa (ng RMP), isinasailalim rin sila sa mga operasyong naglalayong ipresyur sila para sumang-ayon sa mga kasinungalingan at imbentong kwento,” ayon sa RMP. Sa ngayon, natigil ang mga programang edukasyon, pangkabuhayan at iba pang serbisyong pangkaunlaran ng RMP-North Mindanao Region dahil sa mga akusasyong ito.

“Maraming ordinaryong Pilipino na katuwang ng mga ministro ng RMP-NMR ang hindi na nakatatanggap ng kinakailangang tulong at pagkakataong umunlad dahil dito,” ayon sa grupong relihiyoso.

Tinawag ng Union of Peoples Lawyers in Mindanao na “hungkag” at “desperado” ang ipinagmamayabang ng DoJ na “tagumpay na paghatol” kay Magdua. Sa pamamagitan ng plea bargain, iniwasan ng DoJ na isalang sa korte ang kaso kung saan makikilatis ang testimonya ni Magdua, gayundin ng mga “saksi” na ipinrisinta ng estado, anito. Ikinalulungkot ng UPLM na nabitag ng estado si Magdua gamit ang mga kasinungalingan at mga huwad na pangako.

“Napagkaitan ng suporta ng isang masugid na alyado ng mga komunidad ng lumad at magsaasaka sa kanilang paglaban sa mga operasyong mina at malakihang negosyong agrikultural sa rehiyon,” ayon sa grupo ng mga abugado. “Ipinagkait sa kanila ang katuwang na nagtatransporma sa mga lumad tungo sa pagiging tagapagtanggol sa karapatang-tao.”

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/pwersahang-pagpapasurender-at-pagsakdal-sa-kahera-ng-rmp-kinundena/

CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: Mga kasapi ng Kabataang Makabayan, nagraling-iglap sa Kamaynilaan

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Apr 4, 2023): Mga kasapi ng Kabataang Makabayan, nagraling-iglap sa Kamaynilaan (Members of Kabataang Makabayan, gathered in Manila)

 

April 04, 2023

Sa paggunita ng ika-54 anibersaryo ng Bagong Hukbong Bayan (BHB), naglunsad ng isang iglap-protesta ang ilampung kasapi ng Kabataang Makabayan (KM) sa kahabaan ng Bluementritt, Maynila, noong Abril 2. Ang KM ay lihim na rebolusyonaryong organisasyong ng mga kabataan.

Ilang linggo bago ang rali, tulong-tulong na naghanda ang mga kasapi mula sa iba’t ibang balangay sa punong lungsod. Tiniyak ng bawat balangay ang mga lalahok na kasapi, pagpipinta ng malalaking istrimer, paghahanda ng mga plakard at mga bandila, pati na ang mga gagamiting takip sa mukha. May nagrekorida sa lugar na pagdadausan ng protesta, at umugnay sa mga reporter sa masmidya. Naghanda rin ng pag-ugnay sa mga paralegal team sakaling kailanganin ang kanilang tulong ligal.

Nagbigay-pugay sa BHB ang pambansang tagapagsalita ng KM na si Maria Laya Guerrero. Kinilala ni Guerrero ang patuloy na pagpupunyagi ng BHB para ibayong isulong ang rebolusyong Pilipino bilang sagot sa lumalalang krisis ng lipunan sa ilalim ng ikalawang rehimeng Marcos.

“Hangga’t nananatili ang reaksyunaryong US-Marcos at pagpapatupad nito ng mga huwad na batas, lumiliyab ang rebolusyonaryong kilusan bilang kagyat at pangunahing solusyon para tugunan ang pambansa at demokratiko nating kahilingan,” ani nito.

Sa buong panahon ng paghahanda at paglulunsad ng raling-iglap, nagsilbing inspirasyon ng mga kasapi ng KM ang hukbong bayan at mga Pulang mandirigma.

Marami sa mga tao sa kahabaan ng Blumentritt ang tumigil at nakinig sa maiksing programang isinagawa. Marami ay napatango pa sa talumpati ng tagapagsalita. Matapos ang programa, organisadong nagtiwalag ang naglaho sa kakapalan ng tao sa paligid. Sa kabila ng intimidasyon at panghahabol ng mga pulis, hindi nito napigilan ang pagpupunyagi at pagtatanghal ng kabataan sa pinakamamahal na Bagong Hukbong Bayan!

Ang isinagawang iglap-protesta ay isa lamang sa mga aktibidad ng KM para sa pagdiriwang ng anibersaryo ng BHB. Sa mga susunod na linggo, inaasahan ang pagtungo ng mga kabataan sa kanayunan at kabundukan para sumanib sa BHB, makipamuhay sa masa, at buuin ang kapasyahang maging bagong mga Pulang mandirigma.

Sa kabila ng sunod-sunod na anti-insurhensyang patakaran ng pasistang estado, nananatiling matatag at nagpupunyagi ang armadong rebolusyong pinangungunahan ng BHB sa ilalim ng mahigpit na pamumuno ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP).

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/mga-kasapi-ng-kabataang-makabayan-nagraling-iglap-sa-kamaynilaan/

CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: Mga mandirigma at masa, nagtipon sa Eastern Visayas

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Apr 5, 2023): Mga mandirigma at masa, nagtipon sa Eastern Visayas (Warriors and masses, gathered in Eastern Visayas)

 

April 05, 2023

Di maaapula ang diwang palaban ng hukbong bayan at masa sa Eastern Visayas.

Buong siglang naipagdiwang ng Bagong Hukbong Bayan (BHB) at ng masang magsasaka sa isang prente gerilya sa Eastern Visayas (EV) ang ika-54 taon ng hukbong bayan noong Marso 27. Sa aktibidad na pinangunahan ng BHB-Efren Martires Command (EMC), nagawa nilang bulag at bingi sa kanilang pagtitipon ang pasistang 8th Infantry Division na nagsasagawa ng todo-atake sa rehiyon na dinagdagan ng hindi bababa sa tatlong batalyon ng Philippine Army mula sa pagbubukas ng 2023.

Sa temang “Makatadungan an magrebolusyon! Umapi ha NPA! Makigbisog agud magdaug,” muling pinagtibay ng mga Pulang kumander at mandirigma, mga kadre at kasapi ng Partido, at mga kasapi ng mga rebolusyunaryong organisasyong masa ang kanilang kapasyahang isulong ang digmang bayan. Ito ang natatanging paraan upang biguin ang walang habas na pasistang terorismo ng rehimeng US-Marcos sa rehiyon, ipaglaban ang interes ng masang anakpawis sa gitna ng tumitinding krisis at kahirapan, at kamtin ang pambansang kalayaan at demokrasya para sa mamamayang Pilipino.

Sa programa, nagsagawa ang isang pito-kataong iskwad ng mga Pulang mandirigma ng tahimik na 21-gun salute para sa mga namartir na rebolusyunaryong bayani. Inialay din sa programa ang isang bagong tula ng pagpaparangal para kina Ka Jose Maria Sison, dakilang komunistang guro, at sa mga martir ng Komite Sentral at Politburo ng Partido. Inialay din ito kina Helenita “Ka Elay” Pardalis, sekretaryo ng Komite ng Rehiyon, Gil “Ka Biboy” Giray, kumander ng Panrehiyon na Kumand sa Operasyon ng BHB sa EV; “Ka Mamoy”; “Ka Joshua,” “Ka Mike” at sa isa pang Pulang mandirigma. Ang anim ay namartir sa teroristang pambobomba ng 8th ID sa Barangay Imelda, Las Navas noong Nobyembre 23, 2022.

Binigyang-diin sa programa ang pangangailangan na palakasin ang solidong pamumuno ng Partido sa hukbong bayan at sa hanay ng mga rebolusyonaryong masa, upang pagtibayin ang determinasyon nitong biguin ang tumitinding pasismo ng estado sa rehiyon at ipatupad ang kilusang pagbabalik-aral sa Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo at sa mga batayang prinsipyo ng Partido.

Binanggit din sa programa ang pangangailangang isulong ang digmang bayan upang matugunan ang mga batayang demanda ng masa, laluna ng masang magsasaka para sa rebolusyong agraryo. Kailangang buklurin sa makatarungang pakikibaka ang malawak na mamamayan bilang kasagutan sa kanilang labis na paghihirap at tumitinding hinaing para sa panlipunang pagbabago, ayon sa isa sa mga tagapagsalita.

Binasa din sa programa ang Winaray na bersyon ng editoryal ng Ang Bayan, Marso 7, 2023 na pinamagatang “Digmang bayan para sa kalayaan at demokrasya.”

Matapos ang mga mensahe, nagkaroon ng open forum kung saan binigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga dumalo na magtanong at magpahayag ng mga isyu na nais nilang mabigyang-linaw. Tumampok sa diskusyon ang mga maiinit na problema ng masa gaya ng destrosong idinulot ng saywar at pagkakampo militar sa mga baryo sa pamamagitan ng Retooled Community Support Program o RCSP, mas matinding kahirapan ng mga magsasaka dahil sa mga operasyong kombat ng mga sundalo, at kung paano ipagpapatuloy ang mga rebolusyonaryong gawain sa harap ng pinatinding pasismo ng estado.

Naitaguyod ng hukbong bayan at masa ang aktibidad nang lingid sa mga mata at tenga ng kaaway at pinaghandaan sa loob lang ng ilang araw. Nagawa pa nilang magpalitan ng mga kultural na pagtatanghal at magsalu-salo sa simpleng mga pagkain at kakanin.

Pagkatapos ng programa, puyos ng determinasyon ang hukbong bayan at masa na magpurisge sa landas ng digmang bayan. Ilan mang bomba ang ihulog at ilan mang batalyon ang itambak ng kaaway, hinding hindi maaapula ang diwang mapanlaban ng hukbo at mamamayan sa Silangang Kabisayaan. (Ulat ng Larab)

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/mga-mandirigma-at-masa-nagtipon-sa-eastern-visayas/

CPP/NPA-Central Negros: 62nd IB padayon nga naglusob sang mga komunidad sa tunga sang Semana Santa

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Apr 5, 2023): 62nd IB padayon nga naglusob sang mga komunidad sa tunga sang Semana Santa (62nd IB continued to attack communities in the middle of Holy Week)

 


JB Regalado

Spokesperson

NPA-Central Negros (Leonardo Panaligan Command)

Negros Island Regional Operational Command (Apolinario Gatmaitan Command)

New People's Army

April 06, 2023

Karun nga Semana Santa, wala gapamalandong ang pasistang 62nd IB. Padayon nga naglusob sa mga komunidad sang mangunguma sa binukid sang Guihulngan sa Oriental Negros kag Moises Padilla kag Binalbagan sa Negros Occidental.

Abril 5-6, may 150 ka tropa sang 62nd IB nga nakalapta sa Brgy Quinten Remo, Moises Padilla. may kolum nga makita sa sityo Inarawis kag Tibubong sakop sang nasambit nga baryo.

Ini man nga adlaw, may kolum man sang pasistang 62nd IB sa sityo Bungao, Brgy Trinidad, Guihulngan. Samtang sa sityo Busluton, Brgy Sandayao, Guihulngan may kolum man nga makit-an.

Abril 6 sang gab-i may 1 ka platun nga tropa militar nag-abot sa sityo Bugalo, Brgy Santol, Binalbagan.

Apang sadtong Marso 26, 2022 alas 8:00 sang aga, pilit nga ginsaka sang 62nd IB nga tropa militar ang balay ni Landie Grapa kag 2 pa ka mga mangunguma nga sanday Windel kag Rosin sang sityo Alamag, Brgy Linantuyan, Guihulngan. Ginapasibangdan sila nga nagatago sang NPA.

Marso 31 sang aga, ginkastigo sang nasambit nga tropa militar sanday Mary Joy Cabanag, Maylin Carillo, Eddie Recanillo, Jenny Bontalao kag Leng-ling Recanillo lunsay mga kababaihan sang sityo Kansiyawan, Brgy Linantuyan, Guihulngan. Gin-interogar kag pilit sila nga ginapatug-an kon diin ang NPA. Bangud sang naagum nga kasakitan sa lawas bangud sa pagpamintas sang militar natrauma ang nasambit nga mga kababaihan. Alas 5:00 sang aga sa amo gihapon nga adlaw, ginsaka man sang militar ang balay ni Jonald Belando, ginpasandig sa dingding sang iya puluy-an si Jonald kag ginkastigo. Ginapahug pa sila sang militar nga patyon kon indi manugid kon diin na ang NPA. Kadungan man sini, ginsipa man sang militar si Arnel Belando anak ni Jonald sa amo gihapon nga lugar.

Samtang sa sityo Kanduyanon, Brgy Linantuyan, Guihulngan-pilit man nga ginsaka sang militar ang balay ni Rolando Marosino, Marso 31, 2023 alas 5:00 sang aga. Ini man nga adlaw pilit man nga ginsaka sang militar ang balay ni Dora Legaspi sang sityo Pinasagan, Brgy Linantuyan, Guihulngan, Negros Oriental.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/militarisasyon-sang-central-negros-bisan-holy-week/