CPP/News: NPA-Masbate thwarts AFP, PNP ceasefire offensive

April 15, 2020, 5:40 pm

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Propaganda news article posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Apr 14, 2020): NPA-Masbate thwarts AFP, PNP ceasefire offensive

Another armed encounter ensued last April 10 in the Bicol region after a platoon of the 2nd Infantry Battalion and PNP led by 2Lt. Jay Zachary Tunguia attempted to encircle an NPA unit in Barangay Cabas-an, Aroroy, Masbate. This was 13th attack perpetrated by Duterte’s forces since his declaration of a unilateral ceasefire last month.

In its field report, the NPA-Masbate disclosed that around 30 soldiers and policemen were deployed to the said village at around 5:00 p.m. to encircle a squad of NPA fighters who just finished conducting a Covid-19 information drive and were set to return to camp.

As combat troops were already closing in, the Red fighters were left with no other option but to conduct active defense maneuvers to protect themselves and the residents. This resulted in a 30-minute skirmish which resulted in at least 3 casualties on the side of the military and police, with 1 dead and 2 wounded. The NPA squad suffered no casualty.

In retaliation, the soldiers and policemen arbitrarily arrested residents Romnick Vargas, Juan Dikino and Alden Javier who they paraded as members of the people’s militia. They also burned the house of Basyon Meralles and forcibly evicted residents Jun Dikino and Marven “Binoy” Grazil from the village.

Residents and local officials have criticized the 2nd IB for conducting patrol operations in the area when they were instructed by the local government to station themselves at the Masbate ports to prevent the entry of possible Covid-19 travelers. They point out that there are no reported infections in the hinterland areas of Masbate.

To save face, Joint Task Force Bicolandia spokesperson Maj. Gen. Fernando Trinidad claimed that his troops were the ones attacked by the NPA.

Contrary to this lie, however, AFP and PNP troops have continued to occupy and conduct counter-insurgency operations in at least 23 villages in the towns Mandaon, Claveria, San Pascual, Monreal, San Fernando, San Jacinto, Cawayan and Batuan.

https://cpp.ph/statement/npa-masbate-thwarts-afp-pnp-ceasefire-offensive/

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CPP/NPA-Negros Island: Sabat sang AGC-NPA sa traidor kag butigon nga pahayag sang 3rd IDPA

April 15, 2020, 5:46 pm

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NPA-Negros Island propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Apr 13, 2020): Sabat sang AGC-NPA sa traidor kag butigon nga pahayag sang 3rd IDPA

JUANITO MAGBANUA

NPA-NEGROS ISLAND

APOLINARIO GATMAITAN COMMAND

NEW PEOPLE'S ARMY

APRIL 13, 2020



Kon indi ignorante, isa ka butigon, istupido, traidor kag mapaniplang ining spokesperson sang 3rd Infantry Division sa iya pahayag nga ila ginsuspende ang direkta nga military action kontra sa CPP-NPA-NDF pero indi nagakahulugan nga pabayaan ang mga NPA nga mag “terorisa” sa pumuluyo gani kinahanglan sila nga maglunsar sang combat operation. Nagapamatuod lang nga ang pagdiklara sang ceasefire sang rehimen US-Duterte isa ka mapaniplang nga paagi agud wasakon ang rebolusyonaryong kahublagan gamit ang Covid-19 nga isyu.

Ang NPA indi “terorista” bangud nagapakig-away ini para sa interes sang malapad nga pumuluyo. Ang termino nga “terorista, nagapangilkil sa pumuluyo” pabalik-balik nga maitum nga propaganda sang berdugong AFP/PNP gani indi na ini bag-o kag indi na mapatihan sang pumuluyo. Tuyo sini nga hinabunan ang mga kapalpakan kag pagsupak sa kaugalingon nga mandato.

Ang rehimen US-Duterte kag ang idu-ido sini nga mersenaryo kag berdugo nga AFP/PNP amo ang matuod nga terorista. Nagaserbi nga goons kag armado nga hubon sang mga agalon mayduta kag dalagko komprador burgesya, nagapadayon pagpangbomba sa mga komyunidad, pagransak sang mga pamalay sang mga mangunguma ilabi na sa mga kabukiran, pagmatay sang mga ordinaryo nga mga sibilyan kag sistematiko nga nagapang-atake kag nagalapak sa tawhanon nga kinamatarung sang pumuluyo sa tunga sang gina-atubang nga krisis sa ikaayong lawas sang pungsod.

Ang pag-imposar sang Enhanced Community Quarantine kag pag-extend tubtob sa April 30 nagakahulugan nga magpadulong sa lubos nga pagdiklara sang Martial Law sa bug-os nga pungsod. Segurado nga makahalit ini sa palangitan-an sang minilyon ka pumuluyo. Ang pagpatigayon sang EJK-tokhang style nga nagpatay sang masobra 30,000 ka tawo, 89 ang biktima partikular sa Negros. Pagmasaker sang siyam ka mangunguma sa Syudad sang Sagay. Ang pagpatigayon sang SAURON 1 & 2 sa syudad sang Guihulngan kag Canlaon City sa Negros Oriental kag mga banwa sang Manjuyod, Siaton kag Sta. Catalina nga nagpatay sang 20 ka tawo kag madamu ang ginpangdakop kag ginpasakaan sang patu-pato nga mga kaso base sa ginpangtanum nga armas kag eksplosibo kag madamu pa nga porma sa paglapas sang tawhanon nga kinamatarung. Sa mata sang pumuluyo makita nila kon sin-o ang matuod-tuod nga terorista.

Panawagan sa pamunuan sang AFP-PNP ilabi na sa mga nasanagan nga mga rank and file nga may pag-ulikid sa kaayuhan sang pumuluyo, kon sensero kamu sa inyo gindiklara nga unilateral ceasefire, inyo untaton ang combat operation nga ginalunsar sa kaumhan kag kabukiran kag buligan ang mga pumuluyo sa pag-away sang makamamatay nga Covid-19 virus pareho sang ginahimo sang NPA nga pag-organisa, pagmobilisa kag paghulag sa pumuluyo agud matapna ang paglapta sang makamamatay nga virus.

Sa tanan nga NPA kag mga yunit milisya sa idalum sang Apolinario Gatmaitan Command (AGC), istrikto nga sundon ang gindeklara nga uinilateral ceasefire kag ipaseguro ang aktibo nga depensa sa tanan nga nasakupan nga Larangan Gerilya. Matinguha nga malikawan ang ginalunsar nga combat operation sang AFP/PNP sa minimum apang kon may kabudlayan sa paglikaw kag mabutang sa piligro, ipatigayon ang depensibang aksyon agud madepensahan ang pumuluyo kag ang aton hanay sa maksimum. ###

https://cpp.ph/statement/sabat-sang-agc-npa-sa-traidor-kag-butigon-nga-pahayag-sang-3rd-idpa/

NDF/IO: NDFP submits letter to UN Sec-Gen disclosing the GRP’s violations of its unilateral ceasefire

April 15, 2020, 5:52 pm

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NDF/International Office propaganda statement/letter posted to the National Democratic Front Philippines (NDFP or NDF) Website (Apr 15, 2020): NDFP submits letter to UN Sec-Gen disclosing the GRP’s violations of its unilateral ceasefire
Despite the GRP violation of their own unilateral ceasefire, the health committees and revolutionary forces of the entire NDFP continue to carry out programs for the health, welfare and safety of the Filipino masses where the NDFP operates. Although the NPA refrains from undertaking attacks against GRP armed forces, it observes an active defense policy to protect the communities from serious violations of the GRP armed forces.



NDFP Executive Committee and National Council member Luis Jalandoni

Luis Jalandoni, member of the Executive Committee and National Council of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) has submitted a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres disclosing the offensive military operations conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) from March 16, 2020 to April 15, 2020, in 196 villages of 96 towns, in gross violation of their own unilateral ceasefire declaration.

On the other hand, the New People’s Army (NPA) has complied fully with the unilateral ceasefire order of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in response to the humanitarian appeal of the UN Secretary General for parties involved in armed conflicts to declare a global ceasefire in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.

The offensive operations by the soldiers and police forces of the GRP are in defiance of the UN Secretary General’s appeal.

Jalandoni in his letter to Guterres said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have mounted 13 attacks or assaults against the NPA and conducted at least five aerial bombardment and artillery shelling in the 96 towns and 196 villages mentioned, citing reports from the CPP’s Information Bureau.

“The NDFP National Council has deeply valued your appreciation of the unilateral ceasefire issued by the CPP on March 16, 2020 in response to your call for a global ceasefire among warring parties in order to combat Covid-19 pandemic”.JALANDONI

Expressing deep appreciation for the UN Sec-Gen’s important call for global unity to combat effectively the COVID-19 pandemic, Jalandoni stressed that the NDFP is committed to continue its programs throughout the country to protect the people against the COVID-19 pandemic and the Duterte regime’s violations of its own unilateral ceasefire and the people’s fundamental human rights.

“The health committees and the revolutionary forces of the New People’s Army, the CPP , the NPA and the entire NDFP, continue to carry out programs in all 73 provinces where the NDFP forces operate, despite the GRP violations of their unilateral ceasefire. The NPA refrains from undertaking attacks against the GRP’s armed forces. The NPA is observing an active defense policy to protect the community from the serious violations of the GRP’s arned forces,” Jalandoni emphasized.

Jalandoni said the NDFP National Council, the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army, shall decide regarding the unilateral ceasefire of the CPP that ends on April 15, 2020.#

NDFP International Information Office
Utrecht, The Netherlands
15 April 2020

https://ndfp.org/ndfp-submits-letter-to-un-sec-gen-disclosing-the-grps-disregard-of-humanitarian-appeal-for-ceasefire-to-fight-covid-19/

MNLF member in Cotabato town nabbed for keeping unlicensed firearms, ammo

April 15, 2020, 6:02 pm

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From MindaNews (Apr 14, 2020): MNLF member in Cotabato town nabbed for keeping unlicensed firearms, ammo (By MALU CADELINA-MANAR)

KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 14 April) – Authorities arrested an alleged member of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) after residents complained that he fired his gun inside his residence in the municipality of Makilala, North Cotabato Monday night.

Major Arniel Melocotones, Makilala municipal police station chief, identified the suspect as Benjie Camensi Guangzon, resident of Purok-7, Barangay Jose Rizal.
Melocotones said his men, led by Police Executive Master Sergeant (PEMS) Cesar Olivar, caught Guangzon still holding a Colt caliber .45 pistol when they arrived at his place around 10:30 p.m. on Monday.
Olivar and his team also recovered from Guangzon’s possession six more unlicensed guns and ammunitions.

Aside from the Colt pistol, Guangzon’s other firearms were a Colt automatic caliber .45 pistol, an Armscor caliber .45 pistol, a caliber .38 revolver, two homemade handguns, and a Thompson.

Police also seized from the suspect four magazines from the caliber .45 pistols and one empty magazine for the Thompson.

The recovered items were already turned over to the Cotabato Provincial Police Laboratory Office in Kidapawan City.

Melocotones said they are digging deeper their probe as to Guangzon’s possible links with gunrunners operating in North Cotabato and nearby areas.

Initial police investigation revealed that the suspect was connected with the group of a certain Mr. Monreal, who claimed to be an MNLF sub-leader whose operations include North Cotabato.

Monreal, in 2018, was allegedly involved in recruitment of MNLF members.

Guangzon was immediately placed inside Makilala Police station’s lockup while appropriate charges are being prepared against him. (Malu Cadelina Manar / MindaNews)

https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2020/04/mnlf-member-in-cotabato-town-nabbed-for-keeping-unlicensed-firearms-ammo/

Resilient social networks: Southeast Asia’s enduring terrorist threat

April 15, 2020, 6:11 pm

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Posted to the Australia Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) Blog-The Strategist (Apr 16, 2020):  Resilient social networks: Southeast Asia’s enduring terrorist threat



[This post was adapted by the author from his chapter in ASPI’s Counterterrorism yearbook 2020. The full text of the yearbook, which includes notes and sources for each chapter, is available on ASPI’s website.]

The threat of terrorism in Southeast Asia remains high, but, as in Australia, it’s neither an existential threat nor even one of the more significant dangers most people face.

It is, however, resilient.

While the long-running, largely low-level, insurgencies of the southern Philippines and the deep south of Thailand fuel a steady stream of violence, jihadi networks and small groups inspired, directly or indirectly, by Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda are the greatest immediate threat, particularly in Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.

The drivers remain local grievances, but individuals and groups tend to become more brazen and less inhibited in using extreme violence when they see themselves as part of a cosmic struggle and their actions are praised by a global insurgent movement.

Many attacks have been inspired by the rise of IS in Syria and Iraq. Some have involved returnees from the fighting in the Middle East, but most have involved people who were inspired to act at home. This IS-inspired terrorism is built on a foundation of earlier extremist networks, the most important of which is the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) network. Militant splinter elements of this network were responsible for the bomb attacks in Bali on 12 October 2002, and the series of terrorist attacks that followed over the course of the decade.

The JI network as a whole became involved in outbreaks of communal violence in eastern Indonesian in Ambon, Maluku, and in Poso, Central Sulawesi. Since the defeat of its insurgency in Poso in 2007, JI has been quietly and carefully rebuilding while largely avoiding provocative violence. This network was the product of Indonesian, Malaysian and Filipino fighters travelling to join the conflict in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Those ‘Afghani alumni’ formed the leadership and core of JI.

The territorial defeat of IS and the interrupted flow of foreign fighters and supporters have brought some respite but by no means a cessation of the threat. The lessons from Afghanistan and the rise of al-Qaeda in the 1980s are that a relatively small number of foreign fighters travelling to a conflict zone can have a disproportionate influence and that the impact at home might be felt only many years later.

The experience of Indonesia, and to some extent the Philippines and Malaysia, is that violent extremism is highly social and prone to being intergenerational. JI has its origins in Indonesia’s Darul Islam movement that began in the 1950s and was injected with fresh life in the 1970s and 1980s, partly because of political oppression and a crackdown on militants. The leaders of JI were inspired by the experience of fighting in Afghanistan in association with al-Qaeda and, while they formally broke with Darul Islam in 1993, the family and social connections woven through the fabric of the JI network draw upon decades of conflict, local grievance, increasing radicalisation and the rise of transnational terrorist networks.

Neither the end of the IS caliphate nor the arrest and sentencing of thousands of militants and supporters will end the threat or dissipate the social movements involved.

Without relentless intelligence work and regular arrests, the threat of terrorism would quickly worsen. But policing, prosecution and detention by themselves won’t eliminate or even greatly diminish the resilient threat posed by violent extremist networks. Real advances will begin only when the cycle of recruitment and radicalisation is interrupted by disengagement from malign networks, followed by individual and collective rehabilitation and re-engagement of former militants with mainstream society.

The specialist counterterrorism unit of the Indonesian National Police, Detachment 88, has become enormously effective at detecting and disrupting terrorist plots. Its work has led to the arrest of more than 1,400 suspected terrorists since its formation 15 years ago. Around 808 were arrested between 2015 and 2018, and 376 arrests were made in 2018 alone. Most of those arrested were prosecuted and sentenced.

This success has generated its own problems. Indonesia has more than 250,000 detainees in almost 500 jails, housing more than twice the number of inmates they were designed for. It has resulted in a prisoner-to-guard ratio of around 55 to 1.

Indonesian counterterrorism is better resourced and led than ever, and the important work of rehabilitation has finally commenced in earnest, but the threat remains resilient and shows no signs of abating.

Malaysia, one-tenth the size of Indonesia, has so far suffered no significant international terrorist attacks but nevertheless faces a terrorist threat that’s proportionally every bit as great as that facing Indonesia. Since 2013, Malaysian authorities, led by the very experienced Special Branch intelligence agency/counterterrorism division of the Royal Malaysian Police, have foiled at least 26 attacks and arrested more than 520 suspects. A surprisingly large number, more than 130, were foreigners from 21 countries, mostly Indonesia and the Philippines. Arrests continue.

Authorities worry about not just those who have returned from Syria, but also those who aspired to join the caliphate and are frustrated that they were left behind. Malaysia, even more than Indonesia, struggles with a febrile environment of sectarian sentiment, much of it openly propagated through religious lectures and training activities. In this context, the IS takfiri judgemental narrative of anti-Shia, anti-Christian and anti-mainstream-Muslim sentiment remains an ever-present facilitator of radicalisation, even though, so far, Special Branch has prevented successful attacks.

Of major concern in Malaysia are militants travelling between its eastern state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo, and the adjacent Sulu archipelago in the Philippines, home territory of the IS-aligned Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

The activities of foreign fighters in the Philippines remain an ongoing concern amid fears that the collapse of the IS caliphate could put even more focus on less well-governed parts of western Mindanao as safe havens for IS supporters. Terrorism in the Philippines is largely homegrown, with long-running violence in western Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago. The presence of a relatively small number of foreign fighters, however, has been an important element in helping connect local grievances with global struggles, first with al-Qaeda and now with IS. Groups such as the ASG were formed by Filipinos returning from fighting with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan in the 1980s and early 1990s.

When four major jihadi groups, including the notoriously ill-disciplined piracy–cum–kidnapping-for-ransom gang, ASG, declared their allegiance to IS in mid-2014, it was seen to be more a branding exercise than a significant strategic realignment. The five-month siege of Marawi that erupted in May 2017 and resulted in the deaths of at least 980 militants (including at least 44 foreigners), 165 security personnel and 87 civilians, made it clear that the IS connection had, in fact, substantially changed the nature of the insurgent conflict.

When the siege began, the Armed Forces of the Philippines confidently declared that the conflict would be over within days. But it was concluded only after the nearly total destruction of the Philippines’ largest Muslim-majority city. Months of artillery barrages and aerial bombardment left the city centre looking like post-IS Mosul. More than 350,000 inhabitants were forced out and most still live in squalid camps. The army declared IS comprehensively beaten, but the structural damage, physical and social, inflicted on Marawi seems certain to sow a bitter harvest of intergenerational radicalisation.

The threat of terrorism in Southeast Asia lies in resilient social networks that have adapted to survive and regenerate in the face of counterterrorism efforts that focus on the tactical and neglect the strategic.

[Greg Barton is a research professor in global Islamic politics at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation at Deakin University. Image: Surabaya Government/Andy Pinaria/Getty Images]

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/resilient-social-networks-southeast-asias-enduring-terrorist-threat/

Women for Peace in the “Land of Promise”

April 15, 2020, 6:15 pm

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Posted to The Asia Foundation (Apr 15, 2020): Women for Peace in the “Land of Promise” (By Wahida A. Abdulla)

In 2019, The Asia Foundation published the report Trade in the Sulu Archipelago: Informal Economies amidst Maritime Security Challenges. The research, a product of the X-Border Local Research Network, was done by Gagandilan Mindanao Women, Inc., a small civil society organization working in the southern Philippines. This is their story.

Mindanao, despite its legacy as a strife-ridden region, is still known to us as the “Land of Promise.” Gagandilan Mindanao Women, Inc.—Gagandilan Women for short—is a nongovernmental organization dedicated to peace, development, and women’s empowerment in Muslim Mindanao. The name “Gagandilan”— courageous warrior in the local Tausug language—pays tribute to all Bangsamoro women who have worked so tirelessly for peace.

Gagandilan Women en route to the Municipality of Maimbung Sulu to conduct an interview. (Photo: Gangadilan Mindanao Women, Inc.)

I founded the organization in Zamboanga City after the infamous 2013 clash between government soldiers and a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front that became known as the Zamboanga Siege. Our members are Moros, the Muslim inhabitants of Mindanao, and we focus our efforts on mobilizing our community for small-scale projects to foster peace and build a foundation for stability in the region’s most vulnerable areas.

Today we run local programs such as orientations on gender-based violence and the role of women in preventing conflict. Our program Women Against Violent Extremism, or WAVE, was a coalition-style movement to prevent violent extremism. Our organization is led mostly by women, and the majority of our field researchers are women as well. In keeping with our commitment to gender equality, however, our researchers on the ground always include men. We focus on the provinces of Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi—fondly referred to together as Zambasulta—all on the southwestern tip of the Philippines.

A private port at Arena Blanco, Zamboanga City, where vessels from nearby islands unload their cargo and passengers (Photo: Gangadilan Mindanao Women, Inc.)

The sea borders to the west of Zambasulta are shared with the Malaysian state of Sabah and the Indonesian province of North Kalimantan, and Zambasulta has been a maritime trading region since precolonial times in the Philippines. Today, much of this trade takes the form of so-called “barter” that skirts tax and customs enforcement, yet the barter trade brings basic necessities to Zambasulta and has, in some ways, contributed to the stability of the area.

In late 2018, The Asia Foundation invited Gagandilan Women to work on a study of the informal barter marketplace. An initiative of the X-Border Local Research Network, which studies conflict in border regions, the new research project examines the nuances of the barter marketplace and the policy regimes that have both sought to suppress it and allowed it to thrive. We conducted interviews and gathered data from traders, boat operators, port authorities, and other people and institutions that contribute to informal trade in Zambasulta. We wanted to know what people were trading, how much they were earning, and how they were able to slip across international borders.

A member of the research team at the public port of Jolo, Sulu. (Photo: Gangadilan Mindanao Women, Inc.)

For a prosperous trading region, Zambasulta has earned a notorious reputation for its decades of violent conflict due to lawless elements like Abu Sayyaf, kidnap-for-ransom gangs, clashing political groups, and the episodic clan violence known as rido. Gagandilan Women hoped the X-Border project would be an opportunity to show the world a Mindanao beyond the conflict, and a Zambasulta that is home to the diverse cultures of several indigenous groups, including the Samal, Tausug, and Yakan peoples. We also saw a chance to grow as an organization by committing our time, resources, and network to a project that was larger than our previous undertakings.

The Asia Foundation encouraged us to take the lead in developing local data-gathering strategies, and they incorporated many of our ideas and insights into the research design. The Foundation provided training on interview and data-collection procedures and created a rigorous safety protocol, an important consideration given the sensitive nature of our inquiry and the volatile areas where we would be working. This was driven home for us by a kidnapping in Sulu, where some of our interviews were to take place. The incident caused us to reevaluate our approach to interviews and to plan our local movements strategically and with the utmost caution.

The Gagandilan Women pay a courtesy visit to the office of the Regional Port Management Authority. (Photo: Gangadilan Mindanao Women, Inc.)

In 2020, we continue to work with the X-Border Local Research Network, focusing on rice, the primary commodity traded from Sabah, Malaysia. The informal rice trade in Zambasulta has come to a crossroads, with a new semi-autonomous regional government looking to support the local economy while the domestic market is flooded with imported rice, and we’ve set out to see how barter traders and the public are being affected.

In the midst of our fieldwork in Sulu, a serious fire broke out in the capital city of Jolo in February. Thousands of people were affected by the conflagration, including several of our intended respondents. One pillar of Gagandilan Women as an organization is humanitarian engagement, and we changed gears to provide assistance to victims of the Jolo fire, working with various partners such as local government agencies, student organizations, and other civil society organizations to organize clothing donations. In the end we were still able to complete our intended interviews through local contacts.

The site of the conflagration in Jolo, Sulu. (Photo: Gangadilan Mindanao Women, Inc.)

We have completed the first round of research on the rice trade, and despite the temporary restrictions on movement caused by Covid-19, our work with the X-Border Network in Zambasulta will go on. In the meantime, we have been helping local governments distribute masks and pandemic information. Ultimately, we hope our research will help the Philippine national government and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao bring lasting peace and security to the Land of Promise.

The X-Border Local Research Network is a partnership between The Asia Foundation, the Carnegie Middle East Center, and the Rift Valley Institute, supported by UK Aid from the UK government.

[Wahida A. Abdulla is the founder and executive director of Gagandilan Mindanao Women, Inc. She can be reached at alexandria.abdulla09@gmail.com. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author, not those of The Asia Foundation or the UK government.]

https://asiafoundation.org/2020/04/15/women-for-peace-in-the-land-of-promise/

Irrigation project seen to benefit thousands of farmers in Sumisip

April 15, 2020, 6:20 pm

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From the Philippine Star (Apr 15, 2020): Irrigation project seen to benefit thousands of farmers in Sumisip (John Unson)

This April 15,2020 photo shows construction on an irrigation project in Sumisip, Basilan.
via The STAR/John Unson

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Thousands in Basilan stand to benefit from a P35-million irrigation project that will connect farmlands to a river in Sumisip town.

The ongoing construction of the irrigation project that will tap water from a river near the Mahatallang area in Barangay Tumahubong in Sumisip town, is a joint project of the National Irrigation Administration and the office of Basilan Gov. Jim Salliman.

In a statement Wednesday, the Basilan provincial government said the project shall supply water to farmlands around Barangay Tumahubong in Sumisip, the largest town in the island province.

Many of the more than 200 Abu Sayyaf bandits in Basilan who surrendered in batches in the past three years and availed of rehabilitation support and subsequent reintegration into mainstream communities via a provincial security initiative dubbed Program Against Violent Extremism are from hinterlands at the borders of Sumisip and nearby towns.

The NIA and the provincial government had earlier partnered in constructing multimillion-peso irrigation facilities in Basilan’s adjoining cities of Lamitan and Isabela.

The former Abu Sayyaf members now work as farmers.

Salliman said the irrigation projects are meant to boost diversification by farmers who lost thousands of hectares of coconut farms to a pest infestation.

The provincial government had earlier constructed a greenhouse with a drip system in Isabela City as a showcase of organic farming that can be duplicated in former conflict areas.

The construction of the Tumahubong irrigation facility is being assisted by the office of Sumisip Mayor Julz Adnan Hataman and the Army’s 64th Infantry Battalion, Salliman was quoted in the provincial government’s April 15 press statement as saying.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2020/04/15/2007507/irrigation-project-seen-benefit-thousands-farmers-sumisip

Rebel killed in Sorsogon clash with gov't troops

April 16, 2020, 9:03 am

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From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 16, 2020): Rebel killed in Sorsogon clash with gov't troops (By Connie Calipay)



ENCOUNTER. The recovered items after a clash between soldiers and communist rebels in Barangay Gabao, Irosin town, Sorsogon province on Thursday morning (April 16, 2020). A rebel was killed in the clash. (Photo courtesy of 9th Infantry Division)

A member of the New People's Army (NPA) was killed on Thursday morning in an armed encounter between government troops and the communist terrorist group (CTG) in Sitio Tongdol, Barangay Gabao, Irosin town in Sorsogon province.

Army Capt. John Paul Belleza, 9th Infantry Division Public Affairs spokesperson, said in a phone interview that the soldiers were conducting security operations in response to a report about the gathering of some rebels in the area when the clash broke out.

"Firefight lasted for 10 minutes before the enemies scampered towards different directions, leaving their dead comrade behind. One M16 rifle, several anti-personnel mines, and other subversive equipment and supplies were recovered in the encounter site,"he said.

Belleza said the troops are still hunting down the rebels who fled, as of this posting.

"Joint Task Force Bicolandia (commander), Major General Fernando Trinidad commended the troops for the successful operation and assured the public of the military's relentless efforts to prevent the CTG from spreading harm and violence in the region amidst the ongoing battle against Covid-19," he added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1100046

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PUP lauds AFP for helping transport studes stranded due to ECQ

April 16, 2020, 9:07 am

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From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 16, 2020): PUP lauds AFP for helping transport studes stranded due to ECQ (By Priam Nepomuceno)



AID FOR STRANDED STUDENTS. A student of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila undergoes a medical check-up on Tuesday (April 7, 2020). A total of 12 stranded PUP students were able to return to their homes in the provinces of Rizal, Cavite and Pampanga through the transportation assistance provided by the Civil Relations Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of CRSAFP)

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP)-Sta. Mesa in Manila expressed its gratitude to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for its assistance in transporting some of its students who were stranded in their dormitories and unable to go home to their provinces due to the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.

"The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), home to thousands of state scholars, 2,000 faculty members, and 1,000 plus employees from 22 branches and campuses, conveys our heartfelt gratitude to the Armed Forces of the Philippines through the Civil Relations Service for open-handedly extending time, security and transportation services to the stranded PUP students. Through your help, the safety of our dear students were placed a premium in this time of public emergency," PUP President Manuel M. Muhi said in a letter dated April 13 to AFP Civil Relations Service chief, Brig. Gen. Ernesto Torres, Jr.

Muhi was referring to the transportation assistance extended by the AFP's 7th Civil Relations Group led by its commander, Major Frank Sayson, to 12 PUP students who were able to return to their homes in Rizal, Cavite, Pampanga and nearby NCR provinces on April 7.

These students were stranded in their dormitories near the PUP Sta. Mesa campus for about three weeks before being aided by the military.

Photo courtesy of CRSAFP

"Corresponding your advocacies in protecting the Filipinos and in service as a key player of nation-building, PUP is also devoted to create a life-changing community through realizing social development impact that generates benefit for society," he added.

Established in 1904 and with an estimated 70,000 enrolled students, PUP is considered the largest state university in the Philippines in terms of student population.

"Parallel to your principles, it is our honor, therefore, that we are given this opportunity to express our sincerest desire to be your partner in translating your assistance into other forms of extension programs. We guarantee that you have our wholehearted support to AFP and we look forward to much of your continuous support to the Filipino community," Muhi said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1100003

Navy troops distribute food packs to 2K families in Parañaque

April 16, 2020, 9:43 am

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From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 16, 2020): Navy troops distribute food packs to 2K families in Parañaque (By Priam Nepomuceno)



AID FOR POOR FAMILIES. Navy troops assist in the distribution of over 2,000 family food packs to residents of four villages in Parañaque City on Wednesday (April 15, 2020). Each family food pack contains 35 various canned goods, 20 coffee sachets, 20 milk sachets, and 10 kilos of rice. (Photo courtesy of Naval Public Affairs Office)

The Philippine Navy (PN), with the assistance of other stakeholders, has distributed 2,034 family food packs (FFPs) donated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to residents of four barangays in Parañaque City on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas, Navy public affairs office chief, in a statement late Wednesday, said the PN Civil-Military Operations Group was aided in this initiative by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Parañaque City local officials, 5th Army Reservists, and other civilian volunteers.

She added that FFPs were distributed to 2,034 households in Creek Drive 1 and 2 of Barangay Valley 8, Kabihasnan Coastal Road, Barangay San Dionisio, and Sitio Manggahan 1 & 2 in Barangay Merville benefited from the food packs that were part of the PHP250-million donation of the ADB intended to aid around 140,000 families in Metro Manila affected by the enhanced community quarantine due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak.

Each FFP contained 35 various canned goods, 20 coffee sachets, 20 milk sachets, and 10 kilos of rice.

"The PN's active participation in endeavors like this is a realization of its mandate of being in the service of the Filipino people especially during these times of crisis," Roxas said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1099998

New Army nurses to help in Covid-19 fight

April 16, 2020, 9:51 am

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From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 16, 2020): New Army nurses to help in Covid-19 fight (By Priam Nepomuceno)



NEW ARMY NURSES. Newly-recruited nurses of the Philippine Army (PA) take their oath in Fort Bonifacio on Wednesday (April 15, 2020). These nurses will be assigned in various (PA) medical facilities that serve as patient care centers for coronavirus disease 2019 cases. (Photo courtesy of Army Chief Public Affairs Office)

The Philippine Army on Wednesday announced the deployment of its 55 newly recruited nurses to various PA facilities tapped to help the government in its ongoing campaign to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Col. Ramon Zagala, PA spokesperson, said the nurses will be assigned as members of the Army medical team, which are deployed in various Covid-19 treatment facilities including the Army Wellness Center, Rizal Medical Complex and at the Army General Hospital (AGH).

He added that the first batch of 16 nurses was assigned at the AGH since last week.

On the other hand, the second batch of 39 nurses, who took oath Wednesday, started their three-day training on Covid-19 response, as well as orientation on the military organization.

Specifically, the PA provided the recruits with lectures and workshops on the PA Health Service, Anatomy and Physiology, Intro to Covid-19 Disease, Basic Infection Control (use of PPE (personal protective equipment), donning and doffing of PPE, hand hygiene, wastes disposal, control of traffic and movement in the clinical area), Basic Nursing Procedures (administration of injections, care of patients with mechanical ventilators, and nursing documentation).

On the military side, they were given orientation on the specific military duties and responsibilities, military courtesy, etiquette, and discipline, he added.

Since the recruitment follows a special call for enlistment, they will still undergo the basic military training and will be part of the regular force deployed in the different Military Treatment Facilities (Station Hospitals and/or Medical Dispensaries) after the pandemic.

Further, fully qualified individuals are priorities for application for commissionship either in the Nurse Corps or Regular Officer Corps.

They will be enlisted for an initial one term or three years.

“This national health emergency calls us for an immediate response to help those who are in need. The Army is grateful for our front-liners who took the challenge and risks their lives in the service of the Filipino people,” Zagala said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1099994

Army, MILF foil bomb try in Maguindanao

April 16, 2020, 10:05 am

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From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 16, 2020): Army, MILF foil bomb try in Maguindanao (By Edwin Fernandez)



IMPROVISED BOMBS. Soldiers inspect the laminated sack that contained improvised bombs found on a roadside in Guindulungan, Maguindanao on Wednesday afternoon (April 15, 2020). The bombs (inset) are intended to harm soldiers and the civilians amid the enhanced community quarantine for the 2019 coronavirus disease in the province. (Photo courtesy of 6ID)

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – An Army’s bomb disposal team disarmed improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted in two locations in the Maguindanao town of Guindulungan by the Daesh-inspired Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) on Wednesday, an official said.

Elements of the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion (IB) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members retrieved a plastic-coated sack with IEDs following reports from civilians, said Maj. Gen Diosdado Carreon, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.

The IEDs were discovered in sitios Dungguan and Dama Kayo in Barangay Kalumamis after residents tipped the Army about what they suspected as homemade bombs.

In a statement on Thursday, Carreon said the Army’s 3rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team immediately conducted an evaluation and found out that the sack contained IEDs rigged from 60-mm and 81-mm mortar projectiles with electrical detonators and blasting caps filled with flash powder.

Carreon commended the 7IB and the 601st Brigade for their latest accomplishment in the fight against terrorism.

"The discoveries of IEDs helped in sustaining peace and order situation in Central Mindanao,” Carreon said as he acknowledged the support of the MILF.

Carreon also reminded all Army units to maintain the alert status while performing as front-liners in the fight against Covid-19 as lawless elements are taking advantage of the situation.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1100007

NPA rebels urged to surrender amid health crisis

April 16, 2020, 10:06 am

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From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 16, 2020): NPA rebels urged to surrender amid health crisis (By Che Palicte)



Maj. Gen. Jose Faustino Jr. commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command. (File photo courtesy of Eastmincom)

The chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) has called on the communist New People’s Army (NPA) fighters to surrender amid the crisis brought about by the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

In a statement on Wednesday, Maj. Gen. Jose Faustino Jr., said it is better for NPA rebels to come down from the mountains to escape starvation.

Faustino assured said that upon surrender, the rebels can immediately avail the government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and other financial support programs.

Surrendering, he said, is more ideal than "harassing communities and grabbing their relief goods."

"We have a caring government that attends to the need of every citizen of this country in times of crisis," Faustino said.

The Eastmincom chief issued the challenge after government troops figured in a series of encounters with the rebels early this week after residents in Agusan del Norte and Davao Oriental complained that NPA fighters are harassing them for food.

Early this month, residents in a village in Pantukan, Davao De Oro, also reported that the rebels had resorted to extortion in order to feed themselves, forcing the government forces to respond.

Eastmincom noted that the NPA attacks came despite the reciprocal ceasefire declared by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) on March 29, days after President Rodrigo Duterte called for a ceasefire with the NPA so that government forces can assist health workers in containing Covid-19.

"Let us continue to support the local government initiatives and programs to prevent the spread of the virus and mitigate its social and economic impact without compromising the security of our communities from possible terroristic acts," Faustino said.

The CPP-NPA-NDF is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1100058

Army hits NPA for violating own ceasefire in Caraga

April 16, 2020, 10:09 am

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From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 16, 2020): Army hits NPA for violating own ceasefire in Caraga (By Alexander Lopez)



Brig. Gen. Maurito L. Licudine, commander, 402nd Infantry Brigade, Army. (PNA file photo by Alexander Lopez)

The communist New People’s Army (NPA) is "fooling the people of Caraga region" by defying the ceasefire it declared last month, the commander of the Army's 402nd Infantry Brigade said Thursday.

Brig. Gen. Maurito L. Licudine issued the statement in reaction to the latest killing the communist rebels perpetrated against an unarmed militiaman in the Surigao del Sur town of San Miguel.

“The CNTs (Communist NPA Terrorists) continue to deceive the people of the Caraga region. They carry on with the propagation of lies to agitate and win new recruits while doing terroristic acts, such as murder, abduction, and arson to sow fear and forcibly gain support from the people,” Licudine said.

He noted that the NPA has already transformed into a group of "notorious bandits with the end view of amassing wealth through extortion and intimidation."

On Tuesday, rebels belonging to the NPA's North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee shot and killed Wilson Behing, a member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu), who was tending his farm in Sitio Lamesa, Barangay Carromata, San Miguel.

Police said the five rebels who killed Behing were headed by a certain Arnel C. Banguis.

“Behing was working on his farm and was unarmed when approached and shot to death by the NPA rebels. He was killed in front of his own children. He suffered gunshot wounds on his face and different parts of his body, including hack wounds, which led to his untimely death," Licudine said.

"This gruesome death is a work of evil, a gross violation of their unilateral ceasefire and the international humanitarian law,” he added.

He accused the NPA of launching a "killing spree in Surigao del Sur" as the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police (PNP) were busy providing support to the front-liners working to contain the dreaded coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Last month, the rebels also killed a tribal chieftain and two civilians in San Miguel, Surigao del Sur.

"These wanton killings by the NPA must be stopped. We must join hands in condemning these atrocious acts of the CNTs in the strongest terms and renounce their presence in our communities,” Licudine said, describing the rebels as "bandits and murderers who do not regard the stigma and impact of their evil deeds to the people of Surigao del Sur."

“They are the true viruses in our communities,” he added.

The murder of Behing was also condemned on Wednesday by lawyer Marlon P. Bosantog, acting director of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) 13 (Caraga).

Behing belonged to the Manobo tribe in San Miguel.

The NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1100028

Army rescues 3 minors from NPA in Agusan Norte

April 16, 2020, 11:17 am

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From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 16, 2020): Army rescues 3 minors from NPA in Agusan Norte (By Alexander Lopez)



CAPTURED. Troopers of the Army's 29th Infantry Battalion present to the Philippine National Police in Jabonga, Agusan del Norte the six New People’s Army members who were captured following an encounter on Monday (April 13, 2020). Three minors were also rescued from the rebel movement during the encounter. (Photo courtesy of 29IB)

Government troops rescued three minors and captured six members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) after an encounter in the Agusan del Norte town of Jabonga early this week.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Army's 29th Infantry Battalion (29IB) said the three minors were new recruits of the NPA in the area and were undergoing a "teach-in"when rescued by the government forces in Barangay Cuyago, Jabonga.

Lt. Col. Isagani O. Criste, 29IB commander, identified the captured NPA members as Seljun A. Amol, 24; Junrell E. Balbero, 24; Jainie A. Alatraca, 21; Jhon T. Sayson, 21; Cristine P. Baghocan, 19; and James Jusua B. Amolo, 19.

The three minors were turned over to the Provincial Social Welfare and Development in Agusan del Norte for proper disposition.

Criste said Amol was identified by a former rebel as belonging to the NPA's Guerrilla Front 16-A who was tasked with the recruitment of young people in the area.

Balbero, meanwhile, has been linked to a political instructor under GF 16-A while Alatraca performed a non-combatant role for the NPA since 2015 and whose brother is an active NPA fighter.

Criste said Sayson, Baghocan, and Amolo were new recruits of the NPA in the area who also attended the teach-in when they were captured by the soldiers.

“We condemn the continued recruitment of minors by the NPA. They completely disregard the rights of the minors by making them combatants to join their fight against the government,” he said.

Criste also branded the NPA rebels as "selfish and insensitive for carrying out their extortion and recruitment activities despite the ceasefire they declared" amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis.

He said Barangay Cuyago residents had alerted the government troops of the rebels in the area who were allegedly coercing the villagers to produce food and supplies for them.

“I do not know how many times we need to plead for the people to stop believing the NPA's lies. But I am sure of one thing, that we will never get tired of fulfilling our duty to protect our land and our people against the deadly virus that are these NPAs,” Criste said.

He also urged the remaining NPA combatants in Agusan del Norte and nearby provinces to surrender and avail of the livelihood programs of the government.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1100029

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26 former NPA supporters surrender in Aurora

April 16, 2020, 11:20 am

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From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 16, 2020): 26 former NPA supporters surrender in Aurora (By Jason De Asis)



BACK TO THE FOLD OF LAW. A total of 26 former supporters of the communist terrorist group, mostly belonging to the Dumagat tribe, voluntarily surrender to the 91st Infantry “Sinagtala” Battalion, Philippine Army on Wednesday (April 15, 2020). Ten of them are former members of the Milisya ng Bayan (MB) and 16 were supporters of the terrorist organization Platoon 4A4 of Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC) of the New People's Army operating in the boundary provinces of Aurora, Quezon, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija. (Photo by Jason de Asis)

At least 26 former supporters of the communist terrorist group New People's Army (NPA), mostly belonging to the Dumagat tribe, voluntarily surrendered to the 91st Infantry “Sinagtala” Battalion (91IB) on Wednesday.

Of the surrenderers, 10 are former members of the Milisya ng Bayan (MB) and 16 are either couriers and contacts of the terrorist organization Platoon 4A4 of the NPA's Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC) operating in the boundary provinces of Aurora, Quezon, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija.

Lt. Col. Reandrew P. Rubio, acting commander of the Army’s 91IB, said the surrenderers initially turned over two .38-caliber revolvers, one homemade shotgun and one homemade .22-caliber firearm during a simpe Balik-Loob program ceremony held at the Umiray covered court in Barangay Umiray, Dingalan, this province.

The 26 surrenderers pledged to withdraw their support to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) and took their oath of allegiance to the government.

Also present during the ceremony were Dingalan town Mayor Shierwin Taay, barangay chair Juanito R. Borreo, other local officials and stakeholders who are continuously supporting the program of the government to achieve lasting peace and development.

“Mayor Taay and the local officials played vital roles in encouraging the surrenderers to return to the fold of the law,” Rubio said.

He said the mass surrender was the result of the retooled community support program (RCSP) operation efforts by the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC) with the special participations of local officials, stakeholders and the communities.

“Our government is open for dialogue towards peace engagement, to welcome the surrender of CPP-NPA members and their supporters as a way end the local communist armed conflict in our area of responsibility,” Rubio said.

He also assured of government assistance under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) to all qualified CPP-NPA members and supporters who return to the fold of the law.

“Once again, I am appealing to other rebels to lay down their arms and surrender to authorities. Our government is here to really take care of you,” Rubio said.

The 26 surrenderers are now undergoing interview as part of the protocol to process their benefits under the E-CLIP program such as livelihood, medical, education, housing, and legal assistance.

One of the surrenderers said he was happy that they were given the chance to change their lives and correct the mistake they have committed due to deception of the CPP-NPA.

“We are also victims of the lies and deceptions of the CPP-NPA. We want peace. CPP-NPA is sowing fear and terror to the community and this is one of our reasons to surrender to proper authorities,” he said.

“I want to end armed conflicts so that no more lives would be sacrificed,” Mayor Taay said as he recalled with sadness the ambush staged against him by members of the CPP-NPA that resulted in the death of an enlisted personnel and wounding of a military officer in Sitio Singawan, Barangay Umiray, Dingalan town in this province some four years ago.

He also said the issue on poverty and lack of rightful information in the poor community must be resolved.

As a gesture of thanks to the surrenderers, the mayor, together with other local officials, led the distribution of food packs and initial cash assistance to them.

Meanwhile, Col. Andrew D. Costelo, Commander, 703rd Infantry Brigade, said the relentless joint efforts of the Philippine Army and Philippine National Police resulted in the withdrawal of support and membership to communist front organizations.

He said it is evident that the efforts of the government forces are geared towards sustaining peace and development in the area.

“The Army and the PNP are always ready to face any herculean task so as to carry on the spirit of service at all times,” he said.

Brig. Gen. Alfredo Rosario, commander of 7th Infantry Division, also expressed his appreciation for the actions taken by government troops to save the former rebels from further harm.

“As we all face an unseen common enemy, referred to as Covid-19, it is wise to unite and gear all efforts to a single strong direction,” Rosario said.

He gave assurance that the 7ID is ready always to serve and protect the people.

The surrender of the 26 former rebel supporters is the biggest number so far this year under the 7ID's areas of jurisdiction.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1100063

NPA unit leader yields in NegOcc

April 16, 2020, 11:23 am

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From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 16, 2020): NPA unit leader yields in NegOcc (By Nanette Guadalquiver)



SURRENDER. Jonel "Roy" Moreno surrenders to the 62nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army led by commanding officer Lt. Col. Melvin Flores (left) in Isabela, Negros Occidental on Thursday (April 16, 2020). Moreno said he decided to surrender after suffering hunger and hardships due to the unfulfilled promises of leaders. (Photo courtesy of 62nd Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army)

A local guerrilla unit leader of the New People’s Army in central Negros surrendered to the Philippine Army on Thursday.

A report of the 303rd Infantry Brigade identified the rebel as Jonel "Roy" Moreno, 33, a resident of Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City.

He is now in the custody of the 62nd Infantry Battalion (62IB) led by commanding officer Lt. Col. Melvin Flores based in Barangay Libas, Isabela town.

"The surrender of Jonel Moreno adds to the increasing number of NPA and Militia ng Bayan members who have finally woken up from the deception of the communist-terrorist group, and have decided to leave for good and avail the amnesty program of the government,"Flores said.

Moreno, a full-time party member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), decided to surrender through the 62IB and the 94th Infantry Battalion after suffering hunger and hardships due to the unfulfilled promises of the NPA leaders.

According to the report, Moreno also revealed the NPA's continuing exploitation of the masses in outlying communities in central Negros and the involvement of a village official in the transport of rebel logistics and ranking NPA leaders.

Moreno turned over to Flores an M16 rifle with magazine, a .45-caliber pistol with two magazines, assorted ammunition, a unit of ICOM hand-held radio.

Moreno is undergoing a custodial and stress debriefing process in preparation for his inclusion in the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP.

Under the program, he is expected to receive immediate welfare assistance, livelihood assistance, and incentives for surrendered firearms.

Col. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of 303rd Infantry Brigade, called on the communist rebels anew to abandon the armed struggle and avail of the government program for former rebels.

The NPA, which has been waging a five-decade armed struggle against the government, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1100103

AFP-PNP captures NPA Southern Tagalog intel officer

April 16, 2020, 11:32 am

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From the Philippine Information Agency (Apr 16, 2020): AFP-PNP captures NPA Southern Tagalog intel officer (By AFP Southern Luzon Command)



CALAMBA CITY, Laguna, April 17 (PIA)--The joint forces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police (AFP-PNP) by virtue of a search warrant, arrested the regional intelligence officer of the NPA’s Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee in Brgy. Bunducan, Nasugbu, Batangas at about 9:30 in the morning of Thursday.

The suspect was identified by government forces as Lamberto Asinas alias Baste who will face charges for Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition at Regional Trial Court Branch 27 of Sta Cruz, Laguna under Executive Judge Cynthia R Marino-Ricablanca.

The troops were able to recover from the suspect's possession a Caliber .45 pistol, numerous ammunition, one hand grenade, laptop, cellphone and enemy documents.

Colonel Alex Rillera, Commander of the 202nd Brigade said the combined security forces were able to locate the terrorists' safe house through reports from the neighborhood who observed suspicious activities over the past few weeks.

"We were able to confirm his identity through the help of several former rebels who worked with him before, one of whom was included in the mass surrender last March 29 during the NPA’s 51st Anniversary," added Col Rillera.

Following the mass declaration of the communist terrorists as Persona Non Grata in CALABARZON, “the NPAs no longer have a safe haven to stay in the region because the people are no longer afraid and no longer supportive of them as proven by this arrest by virtue of legal document duly issued by a court of law.

Per the military’s record, Batangas activated the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict or PTF ELCAC on September 9 last year which, as of the moment, resulted to 625 localities in the province issuing resolutions banning the presence of the terrorists in their areas.

According to Major General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr, Commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, Asinas is the 11th NPA leader who is considered as high value target to be neutralized since 2019.

It can be recalled that 2ID was directly involved in the arrest of Jaime Padilla, alias Diego, the NPA’s Southern Tagalog Regional Spokesman last November at the posh Cardinal Santos Medical Center as well as the killing of Armando Lazarte alias Pat Romano in Antipolo City last December.

Major General Burgos lauded the involved soldiers and policemen for their "commitment and dedication to win the peace and ensure the safety and security of our constituents while performing frontline duties in the 340 Quarantine Control Points established in our area to contain the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus."

He assured the people that "despite the prevailing health crisis, RTF-ELCAC 4A will never waver in our sworn duty of ending local communist armed conflict as well as in the delivery of basic services to the grassroots of our society not only to defeat the corona virus, but more importantly, the deadlier NPA virus."

"The NPA terrorists are now running out of space, they no longer enjoy mass base support, and they are no longer relevant to the communities, thus, expect that they will be decimated soon which will pave the way for the much coveted peace, prosperity and development that every Filipino citizen truly deserve," ended Major General Burgos as he called upon "the few remaining NPA terrorists to put down their arms, return to the folds of law and avail the benefits from E-CLIP because we will get them regardless whether they are dead or alive."

It can be recalled that three weeks ago, soldiers killed a certain Noel Levanta, a hardcore cadre of Metro Manila Regional Party Committee’s Regional Education Bureau, during an encounter following an NPA ceasefire violation in Brgy Puray, Rodriguez, Rizal. (CPG, PIA-4A/AFP-Southern Luzon Command)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1039210

NPA attacks Zambo troops in Covid drive anew

April 16, 2020, 11:35 am

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From the Mindanao Examiner (Apr 16, 2020): NPA attacks Zambo troops in Covid drive anew

Communist insurgents launched attacks anew on government soldiers distributing information leaflets on the new coronavirus, or Covid-19, in the southern Filipino province of Zamboanga del Norte, officials said Thursday.

Officials said soldiers from the 44th Infantry Battalion clashed with the New People’s Army rebels in Tinuyop village in Leon Postigo town. There was no report of casualties on the military side in Wednesday’s fighting that lasted 15 minutes, said Lt. Col. Don Templonuevo, the battalion commander.

The leaflets provide basic information on the virus and its symptoms, and how it spreads and how to avoid catching the deadly respiratory disease.

“Troops were tracking down the terrorists,” he said, adding, it was the 3rd time since late last month that rebel forces assaulted soldiers helping in the government information drive in the villages in Zamboanga Peninsula.

He said rebels also attacked troops on April 12 in Pange village on Zamboanga del Norte’s Siayan town and in Penaranda village in Zamboanga Sibugay’s Kabasalan town on March 21.

Col. Leonel Nicolas, Commander, commander of the 102nd Infantry Brigade, said the rebel attacks will not hamper the military’s role in helping the government’s health efforts in the region. “Despite the recent setbacks in our campaign against Covid-19, our soldiers will continue to conduct public awareness efforts, among others in support to the Inter-Agency Task Force Covid-19,” he said.The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been waging a violent secessionist campaign in the country for many decades now. (Zamboanga Post)

https://mindanaoexaminernewspaper.blogspot.com/2020/04/npa-attacks-zambo-troops-in-covid-drive.html

100 families get aid from Army

April 16, 2020, 11:38 am

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From the Mindanao Times (Apr 16, 2020): 100 families get aid from Army (BY RHODA GRACE SARON)

One hundred poor families received relief goods from the 5th Civil-Relations Group and private sector as part of the “Kapwa Ko, Sagot Ko” campaign for the current health crisis.

Capt Benedick Cagatin, commander of the 51st Civil Relations Unit of CRG, led the distribution of relief goods, consisting of 15 kilos of rice, three pieces of canned goods, and two pieces of noodles for each family.

The relief goods were donated by Jeffrey Jess S. Mataro and personnel of 5th CRG intended for 100 poor families of different puroks in Barangay Doña Andrea, Asuncion, Davao del Norte in partnership with the 60th Infantry Battalion and barangay officials of Barangay Doña Andrea, headed by its chairman Al M. Sumalhag.

“We estimate that the 15 kilos for each family can be consumed until the end of the month,” Cagatin said. “We consider those beneficiaries as belonging to the poorest of the poor. Meaning, they do not have other sources of income.”

The “Kapwa Ko, Sagot Ko” is a project of the Civil Relations Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the aim of helping families affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The project aims to help poor families by providing for their basic needs until the enhanced community quarantine is lifted in the country.

For those who wish to be part of the program and extend a donation please contact the 5th Civil Relations Group at 0917-895-0975.

https://mindanaotimes.com.ph/2020/04/17/100-families-get-aid-from-army/