INFORMATION BUREAU

JUNE 12, 2020

It is urgent that the Filipino people unite and vigorously fight to frustrate the Duterte regime’s scheme to establish a fascist dictatorship by enacting the Anti-Terror Law.

The Duterte clique appears to be bent on pushing this fascist measure despite widespread opposition against it. A wide range of groups have stood up and voiced out their protest against the bill. They denounce how the bill will give Duterte martial law powers to proscribe people as “terrorists” and have them arrested and detained without charges.

The patently anti-democratic character of the anti-terror bill, which Duterte certified as urgent has outraged the Filipino people. Their indignation is further roused because it was prioritized over the clamor for mass testing and other health measures needed to face the pandemic. Duterte and his minions risk further political isolation and questions of legitimacy if they push the bill in complete disregard of the people’s opposition.

A very broad front of democratic forces is now arrayed against Duterte. They come from a wide range of political and non-political persuasion. They have issued statements and manifestos and vented their outrage over media and social media. They have manifested their protest through mass actions, ever aware of the need for physical distancing to prevent Covid-19 infections, but more importantly, of the need for social solidarity to fend off the greater danger and threat against democracy.

The Party denounces the Duterte regime for its acts of suppression to push back against opponents of the bill and for using the pandemic to justify anti-democratic measures. A number of protesters have been arrested and detained over the past days, adding to the tens of thousands of people arrested during the 3-month lockdown. State agents have stepped up the campaign of “terrorist-tagging” against activists.

In the provinces and rural areas, away from the eyes of the media, the regime’s campaign of suppression has intensified with a spate of killings in Samar, mass arrests in Bukidnon, attacks and massacre in Bicol, the arrest of mass leaders and coercing peasants to surrender, all in the name of “fighting terrorism.”

The people, however, are not ready to bow down to Duterte’s tyranny. In the face of suppression and threats against their democratic rights, they have displayed even greater unity and determination to fight back. They have come to each other’s aid and have helped strengthen the people’s collective courage and commitment to protect their rights and advance their democratic cause.

It is gratifying that the broad range of forces who now stand against the Anti-Terror Bill are working together and doing their utmost to stop it from being enacted.

Tomorrow, June 12, democratic forces all over the country will come together in different places to manifest their unity against the Anti-Terror Bill. They have chosen the day appropriately, underscoring the fact that 122 years since the declaration of nominal independence, the country remains without sovereignty, in the clutches of big imperialist powers (both the US and China) and under the tyranny of a detested fascist and dictator.

The Party wishes well all the forces of democracy and anti-tyranny. The Party and all revolutionary forces are in solidarity with the Filipino people’s struggle against the Anti-Terror Bill and the Duterte regime’s scheme to establish a fascist dictatorship.

https://cpp.ph/statement/frustrate-dutertes-scheme-to-establish-a-fascist-dictatorship/

PATNUBAY DE GUIA | NDF-SOUTHERN TAGALOG

JUNE 13, 2020



Ang National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Southern Tagalog (NDFP-ST) ay mahigpit na kaisa ng sambayanang Pilipino sa mariing pagtutol at paglaban upang ibasura ang Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (ATA 2020) na ngayon ay naghihintay na lamang ng pirma ng pasista at kriminal na si Duterte para maging isang ganap na batas matapos pirmahan ito at isumite sa Malacañang ng kapwa mga pasistang lider ng Kongreso at Senado na sina Alan Peter Cayetano at Vicente “Tito” Sotto.

Kapag ganap na naisabatas, ilalagay ng batas na ito ang Pilipinas sa permanenteng kundisyon ng paghaharing militar nang di na kailangan ng pormal na deklarasyon ng batas militar.

Nananawagan ang NDFP-ST, lalo na sa mga mamamayan ng rehiyong Timog Katagalugan, na patuloy at huwag maglubay sa paglaban na maging ganap na batas ang isang higit na mapanupil, kakila-kilabot at marahas na Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. Gumawa tayo ng iba’t ibang paraan na angkop at pinapahintulot ng sitwasyon para i-rehistro ang ating mariing pagtutol sa batas. Nasa poder na ng Malacañang ang panukalang batas kaya dapat lang kay Duterte nakatutok ang ating laban para hamunin siyang i-veto ang panukalang Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 bagama’t siniterpekahan niya itong “urgent bill” na ang nais pakahulugan ay kanya itong iniendorsong panukalang batas. Huwag nating pahintulutan si Duterte na lalong salaulain at labagin ang ating mga batayang karapatan at makapaghari siya ng mas masahol pa sa ipinataw na batas militar sa bansa ng dating diktador na si Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Sa pagsusumite ng panukalang batas sa opisina ng Presidente ng Pilipinas, tahasang isinantabi nina Cayetano at Sotto ang malakas at malawakang pagtutol ng taumbayan laban sa Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 upang tuparin ang matagal nang hangarin ni Duterte na mabigyan ng ligal na bihis ang kanyang kamay na bakal na paghahari sa bansa kahit walang pormal na deklarasyon ng batas militar. Binalewala din ni Cayetano ang pagbawi ng mga bumotong “yes” tungong “no” at “abstention” sa panukalang batas ng marami-raming bilang ng mga kongresista resulta ng tinamo nilang batikos at presyur mula sa kani-kanilang mga nasasakupan.

Ang hakbang na ito nina Cayetano at Sotto ay patunay na isang rubber stamp at sunod-sunuran ang dalawang kapulungan ng Kongreso sa kapritso ng Malacañang. Inilantad din nila ang Kongreso bilang kasabwat at instrumento ng pasismo at terorismo ng burukratiko-militar na estado ng malalaking burgesya kumprador, panginoong maylupa at burukrata kapitalista.

Makatuwiran at may batayan ang mga kaliwa’t kanang pagtutol ng sambayanang Pilipino sa Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 dahil sa mga anti-mamamayan at anti-demokratikong mga probisyon nito na magdudulot ng malawakang paglabag sa karapatang pantao at yuyurak sa mga pundamental na karapatan ng mamamayang Pilipino na nakatadhana sa burges na Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas ng 1987.

Ang ATA 2020 ay magsisilbing panibagong dagdag na sandata na magagamit ng pasistang rehimeng Duterte para takutin, supilin at pigilan ang anumang mga pagtutol ng sambayanang Pilipino sa mga katiwalian at kainutilan ng kanyang administrasyon lalo na sa palyadong pagharap at pagsugpo sa pandemic na Covid-19.

Sa Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, inangkin at kinamkam na ng ehukatibo ang kapangyarihang hudisyal sa pagtitiyak ng probable cause hanggang sa paglalabas ng Warrant of Arrest (WOA) laban sa mga pinaghihinalaan nilang terorista at maging sa mga nagbabalak pa lang na gumawa ng “terorismo” na ekslusibong nakalaan sa Hudikadura bilang bahagi ng check and balance sa tatlong sangay ng gubyerno.

Sa ilalim ng ATA 2020, bubuuin ang Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) na siyang magsisilbing pangunahing tagapagpatupad ng bagong batas. Ang ATC ay may kapangyarihang magtakda sa sinumang indibidwal, grupo ng mga indibidwal, organisasyon o asosasyon, sa loob at labas ng bansa, bilang mga terorista, batay sa makikitang probable cause laban sa indibidwal, grupo ng mga indibidawal, organisasyon o asosayon na nagsagawa, nagtangkang magsagawa o nakipagkutsabahan sa paggawa ng “terorismo”. Ang ATC ay binubuo ng mga gabinete ni Duterte kabilang ang prominente at masusugid na mga anti-komunista, pasista at mga pusakal na lumalabag sa karapatang pantao tulad nina Lorenzana ng DND, Año ng DILG at Esperon na Presidential Security Adviser (kabilang din sa mga bubuo ng ATC ang Executive Secretary, bilang Chairman, Kalihim ng DOJ bilang Vice Chairman at mga Kalihim ng DOF at DFA bilang mga myembro). Maraming beses nang nagpahayag sa publiko ang 3 dating mga Heneral sa AFP na mga terorista at prente ng CPP-NPA-NDFP ang mga progresibong grupo na aktibong lumalalaban sa mga anti-mamamayan at anti-demokratikong mga batas at patakaran sa bansa. Hindi malayong mangyari na gamitin nila ang ATC para sa paghahabol at pagpapakulong sa mga lider at aktibista mula sa mga progresibong grupo, mga organisasyon at indibidwal, iba pang mga kritiko at oposisyon na hayagang bumabatikos sa mga katiwalian at kapalpakan ng gubyernong Duterte.

Pinahihintulutan din ng ATA of 2020 ang 14 na araw at dagdag pang 10 araw na pagpapalawig sa pagbinbin sa isang indibidwal o grupo na kanilang dinakip bilang pinaghihinalaang “terorista” o mga “terorista” kahit wala pang kasong naisasampa sa Korte. Taliwas ito sa tinatadhana ng burges na Saligang Batas ng 1987 na hanggang 36 oras lamang ang pinapahintulot na palugit sa mga “alagad ng batas” para sampahan ng kaso sa Korte ang sinuman na kanilang dinakip. Obligadong pakawalan ng mga “alagad ng batas” ang kanilang hinuling suspek at mga suspek sakaling lumagpas na sa 36 na oras ang pagkakabinbin sa kanila.

Sa pamamagitan ng ATA 2020, hawak ngayon ng pasistang rehimeng US-Duterte ang leeg ng sambayanang Pilipino at anumang oras ay maaari niyang pilipitin ang leeg ng sinumang susuway sa kanyang mga kagustuhan at magpapatuloy sa pagtutol at pagtuligsa sa kanyang paghahari. Gustong mangyari ni Duterte na magsawalang kibo at maging sunod-sunuran na lamang ang taumbayan sa kanyang otoridad at tiranikong paraan ng paghahari kahit sa gitna ng malaganap na kagutuman at kawalan ng hustisya na nararanasan ng sambayanang Pilipino.

Kasama ni Rodrigo Roa Duterte, sisingilin at pananagutin ng taumbayan at ng rebolusyonaryong kilusan, sa akmang panahon, sina Alan Peter Cayetano, Vicente Tito Sotto at maging ang mga mambabatas na nag-endorso at pumirma sa Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (ATA 2020). Sisingilin at pananagutin sila sa bawat paglabag sa karapatang pantao at dugong papatak mula sa mga magiging biktima ng kanilang ginawang mapanupil at marahas na batas. Maraming paraan na magagamit at mapagpipilian ang taumbayan para singilin at papanagutin ang mga taong nagdulot sa kanila ng dagdag na pagpahihirap at pagpapasakit. Habang hindi pa napipirmahan ni Duterte ang ATA 2020, may panahon pa kayo na makinig at pumanig sa malawak na kahilingan ng taumbayan at bawiin ang inyong pag-endorsyo at pagsang-ayon sa ATA 2020.

Ngayong darating na paggunita sa huwad na kalayaan sa bansa sa Hunyo 12, 2020, dapat na ibuhos at itutok ng bayan ang namumuong galit sa pasistang rehimeng US-Duterte. Itambol ang malakas na tinig ng pagtutol sa Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 na higit ang bangis at teror na yuyurak sa mga pundamental na karapatan ng mamamayan at lalong magbibigay ng impyunidad sa AFP at PNP na makapaghasik ng karahasan at terorismo sa sambayanang Pilipino.

Buong lakas ding ipagsigawan at iparating sa publiko na hangga’t umiiral ang malakolonyal at malapyudal na sistemang panlipunan sa bansa, hindi kailanman mararanasan ng sambayanang Pilipino ang tunay na kalayaan at demokrasya sa bansa. Kailangan munang ibagsak ng sambayanang Pilipino ang umiiral at naghaharing sistemang malakolonyal at malapyudal nang sa gayon matamasa nito ang tunay na kalayaan, demokrasya at kasaganaan.

Magkaisa at Labanan ang Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020!

Isulong ang Tunay na Kalayaan at Demokrasya!

Ibagsak ang pasistang rehimeng US-Duterte!

https://cpp.ph/statement/hinggil-sa-napipintong-maging-ganap-na-batas-ang-anti-terrorism-act-of-2020/

RCTU-ST

REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL OF TRADE UNIONS

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT OF THE PHILIPPINES

JUNE 13, 2020

Mariing kinokondena ng Revolutionary Council of Trade Unions (RCTU-NDF-ST) kasama ng Sambayanang Pilipino ang niratsadang batas ng mababang kapulungan na Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (ATA 2020) na kinopya lamang ng buong-buo sa naunang ipinasa ng Senado na SB1083.

Panukala ito ng pasista at mamamatay taong Senador na si Sen. Panfilo “Kuratong Baleleng” Lacson. Masahol pa sa Martial Law ni Marcos ang laman ng anti-terror law na ito dahil walang pakundangang sinasagasaan nito ang mga pundamental na karapatan ng mamamayan na nasusulat at isinasaad ng Konstitusyon at Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas.

Ngayong araw, sa pagdiriwang ng “ Araw ng Kalayaan”, hindi pa man naipapatupad ang ATA ay ramdam ng taong bayan ang kawalan ng Kalayaan. Walang kalayaan kung patuloy ang paglabag ng gobyernong Duterte sa batayang karapatan ng mamamayan, ang unti-unting pagkitil sa kalayaang magsalita, kalayaan sa pamamahayag at magprotesta ng sambayanan laban sa tiranikong rehimeng US-Duterte.

Bilang priority bill ni Duterte, inatasan ni Rodrigo Duterte ang Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) para tiyakin na ang kanyang mga tuta sa Senado at Mababang Kapulungan na agarang asikasuhin at maisabatas ang Anti-Terror Bill (ATB) sa halip na unahin ang pagsasagawa ng mga batas o mga resolusyon na may kaugnayan sa pananalasa ng pandemyang Covid-19.

Wala sa panahon ang pagpasa ng Anti-Terror Bill ni Duterte, dahil lugmok ang kalagayan ng mamamayan at hindi pa nakakaalpas sa napakalalang epekto ng bayrus na kumitil na sa 1,036 tao, nakahawa sa halos 24,175 katao at patuloy na nakakaranas ng malawak na kagutuman sanhi ng patuloy na pagpapatupad sa community quarantine na pwersahang nag-alis ng kabuhayan at trabaho sa mamamayan.

Kagaya ng inaasahan, muling ipinakita ng Kongreso (lower at upper) na sila ay pawang mga “rubber stamp” ng Palasyo. Sa Senado, makalipas ang 5 buwan ay naipasa na ang SB1083; habang sa mababang kapulungan ay agad-agad nilang winalang bahala at ibinasura ang HB6875 na kanilang sariling bersyon na naunang pinaglaanan ng talino’t panahon ng bawat-isang kongresista nang agaran na magdisisyon ang mayorya ng kongreso na gayahin at aprubahan na lamang in-toto ang SB1083. Mabilis na nakalusot sa 3rd hearing ang bill dahil kinopya lamang ang Senate version. Dahil dito, hindi na dumaan ang panukalang batas sa bicameral conference.

Sa kabila ng kabi-kabilang pagtutol dito ng ibat-ibang saray ng lipunan at ng pagdami ng mga kongresistang bumabawi sa nauna nilang boto, agaran ding ipinadala nina Sen. Tito Sotto at Rep. Allan Cayetano noong Hunyo 9 ang pinal na bersyon ng batas kay Duterte.

Atat na atat si Digong na aprubahan ang ATA upang gamitin nya sa pagsansala at pagsupil sa lumalawak na galit ng mamamayan. Batid nya na ang kanyang mga kasalanan at kriminal na kapabayaan sa mga manggagawa at sambayanan ay aani ng malakas na paglaban at malawak na protesta sa darating na panahon.

Dagdag pa dito, ultimong layunin ni Duterte na gamitin ang kamay na bakal ng batas militar para makapanatili sya sa pwesto lagpas pa sa kanyang termino sa 2022. Pinipilit gayahin at lagpasan ni Rodrigo Duterte ang ginawang taktika ni Marcos na magdeklara ng “Martial Law” para makapanatili sa poder ng pampulitikang kapangyarihan. Kaya naman mas pinasahol pa nya sa Martial Law ang kanyang bersyon ng Anti-Terrorism Act 2020 (ATA).

Inaasahang pipirmahan agad ito ni Duterte dahil sa matagal na nya itong itinutulak katuwang ang kapwa nya pasistang mga heneral na lantaran at gigil na gigil ng ipatupad ang Anti-Terror Law sa balangkas ng NTF-ELCAC upang mas gawing madugo at marahas ang pagsupil sa mga kritiko ng administrasyon. May nakuhang impormasyon mula mismo sa loob ng gobyerno ni Duterte na plano nilang isagawa ang ala-“oplan tokhang operation” sa mga kritiko ng gobyerno. Plano daw na pagpapatayin ang 100,000 aktibista, progresibo at oposisyon sa pagpapatupad ng Anti-Terror Law.

Bakit dapat malakas na tutulan ng malawak na hanay ng mamamayan ang Anti-Terrorism Act?

Maraming mga probisyon sa ATA ang lantarang wawasak sa sibil at pampulitikang karapatan ng mamamayang Pilipino na direktang bangga at nagsasalaula sa mga probisyon ng Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas. Ayon kay Ex. Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, may dalawang probisyon sa ATA na bumabangga sa Saligang Batas.

Una ang paglabag sa Section-2, Article III ng 1987 Constitution na nagbibigay ng mandato na “huwes lamang” ang may otoridad na maglabas ng warrant of arrest. Habang sa ATA ang nagtatakda ng WARRANTLESS ARREST at ang binigyan ng kapangyarihan na magtukoy kung sino ang huhulihing terorista ay ang mga kinatawan ng Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC).

Binubuo ang ATC ng mga uhaw sa dugo, berdugo at kilalang lansakang lumalabag sa karapatang pantao katulad nina Gen. Lorenzana (DND), Gen. Año (DILG), Gen. Esperon na National Security Adviser (kabilang din sa mga bubuo ng ATC ang Executive Secretary, bilang Chairman, Kalihim ng DOJ bilang Vice Chairman at mga Kalihim ng DOF, DFA at NICA head bilang mga myembro).

Mas pinabangis pa nito ang nilalaman ng 1973 Martial Law Constitution na nagbibigay ng otoridad sa ehekutibo na maglabas ng Arrest, Search & Seizure Order (ASSO) dahil ang mga nasa ATC ay pawang mga mamamatay tao kaya sila din ang magtatakda ng kamatayan sa mga taong tutukuyin at pagdududahan nilang terorista.

Ikalawa, sa ATA, Section 29 nakasaad ang “Detention without Judicial Warrant of Arrest” na tahasang nilalabag nito ang nakasaad sa 1987 Constitution na maglalabas lamang ng “warrant of arrest” kung mapapatunayan na may “probable cause” o nakita ng huwes na may malinaw at malakas na batayan na ang pinaghihinalaang tao ay gumawa at naisagawa nya ang krimen at nilalabag din nito ang husga ng Kataastaasang Hukuman (SC) rules 113 na nagsasaad na ang “warrantless arrest ay nangangailangan ng aktwal na pagsasagawa ng krimen.

Nakasaad din dito na pwede nilang idetine ang isang taong matutukoy nilang “terorista” sa loob ng 14 araw at extension ng 10 araw na walang isinasampang kaso sa korte. Malinaw na ang ATC ay binibigyan ng otoridad sa Section 29 ng ATA na mang-aresto at idetine ang kanilang pinaghihinalaang tao at isubject sa lahat ng torture para umamin na sila ay mga terorista o di kaya ay hindi na nila ilabas at patayin na lamang kahit pa nga hindi pa sya nakakapagkomit o nag-iisip pa lamang ng krimen.

Pangunahing nilalabag nito ang Article VII, section 18 ng Saligang Batas na nagsasabing sa loob ng 3 days, kapag wala kang naisampang kaso sa isang pinaghihinalaang naaresto ay kinakailangan mo na itong pakawalan o palayain kahit pa nga sa panahon na suspendido ang “writ of habeas corpus”.. ayon din sa Article 125 ng revised penal code, ang isang detainee ay nararapat na maiharap sa husgado sa loob ng 12 o 36 oras depende sa bigat ng kanyang nagawang kasalanan.

Kahit hindi mapatunayan na ang kanilang hinuli ay isang terorista at nakalaya ito, pwede pa ring iutos ng ATC ang house arrest, di-papayagang gumamit ng mga communication gadgets, kokontrolin ang pagkilos mo sa isang lugar lamang at maging pakikipag-usap sa ibang tao ay kinakailangang pagbawalan.

Pinasaklaw din nito ang depinisyon ng terorismo, maging ang pagsasalita na umayon sa sinasabi ng mga pinaghihinalaang terorista ay isasama rin bilang akto ng isang terorista. Kaya kapag nanawagan ng dagdag sahod ang mga terorista, ang mga simpleng manggagawa na hihingi ng dagdag sahod ay maaring ikukunsidera ding terorista.

Malaking kasinungalingan ang sinasabi ni Sen. Sotto at Lacson sa pagsasabing “wag daw tayong mangamba dahil naglagay naman sila ng safeguard para di-maabuso”. Katunayan, Inalis nila ang P500,000.00/araw na karampatang penalty sa mga kapulisan na nagkamali sa ginawang paghuli sa pinaghihinalaan nilang terorista. Kahit ang pinagyayabang ni Lacson na makukulong naman ng 10 taon ang mga kapulisan o kasundaluhan na aabuso o magkakamali ng paghuli, pero ang isang maling naakusahan ay makukulong ng minimum na 12 taon. Inalis din dito ang “requirements to check for torture” o pagpresenta sa husgado ng suspek para malaman kung Ito ay nakaranas ng physical, moral or psychological tortured.

Ayon naman kay Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo (Natl Director of NASSA/Caritas Phils & Chairman Commission on Social Action Justice & Peace ng CBCP), ang ATA ay posibleng gamitin para targetin ang Caritas activists dahil sa pakikipaglaban nila sa karapatan at kagalingan ng mamamayan.

Dagdag pa nya, “kung ang ginagawa namin ay sasabihing terorismo, ano ang hindi?” “kung ang mga aktibista at oposisyon ay kinukunsiderang terorismo, sino ang malaya?” “kung ang gobyerno ay may kakayanang sabihing terorista ang sinuman, ano pa ang kaya nilang gawin?” Pagtatapos nya, “Activism is not Terrorism”!

Wala pa man ang Anti-Terror Law, matagal nang nakakaranas ng napakatinding panunupil at terorismo ng estado ang sambayanan sa kamay ng pasistang rehimeng US-Duterte.

Sinasalamin ng kasaysayan nang impyunidad ang panunungkulan ni Duterte gamit ang kanyang mga berdugong AFP at PNP sa malawakang paglabag sa karapatang pantao ang kasalukuyang nagaganap na takot at pangamba ng mamamayan sa pagpapatupad ng Anti-Terror Law.

Sino ang makakalimot sa Double Barrel at sa pangunahing kampanya na “Oplan Tokhang” na kumitil ng halos 30,000 katao, at sa pagpapatupad ng BAHO Law na umabot ng halos 200,000 ang inaresto dahil sa paglabag dito, at nakaranas ng ibat-ibang pagpapahiya, pambubugbog at pagpatay. Halimbawa nito ang ginawa kay Ex. Cpl. Ragos, habang sa kabilang banda ay nagagawa ng mga kapulisan at kasundaluhan ang lahat ng layaw gaya ng ginawang mañanita ni Gen. Sinas at 18 pang opisyales ng PNP. Samantala, mga kapulisang hindi naman nag-obserba sa “social distancing” din ang humuli sa Cebu 8 at Piston 6, at Iligan 16, na may kapal pa ng mukhang ikaso sa mga iligal na hinuli ang paglabag sa social distancing.

Milyon-milyong pondo publiko ang ginagastos ng militar at mga trolls para malawakang isagawa ang red tagging sa mga lehitimo, legal at progresibong organisasyong masa sa pamamagitan ng social media, tri-media at paggamit ng mga eroplano at helicopter para lamang magsaboy ng kanilang polyeto ng red tagging.

Laganap ngayon ang paglalabas ng mga pekeng balita, pagdidikit sa mga Makabayan Partylist, organisasyong masa na gaya ng KMU, Bayan at maging ang ABS-CBN ay isinasangkot ng NTF-ELCAC sa armadong tunggalian na pinangungunahan ng NPA. Kahit si Sen. Tito Sotto ay pinaratangan sa kanyang twitter si Angel Locsin na mahigpit daw na tagasuporta ng NPA.

Sa Timog Katagalugan, hindi pa man naipapasa sa Senado at Kongreso ang ATB ay tuloy-tuloy na ang red tagging sa mga lehitimo at sentro ng paggawa gaya ng PAMANTIK-KMU at OLALIA-KMU na isinasagawa ng NTF-ELCAC, kaalinsabay ng panghaharas sa mga lider unyon at aktibong kasapi ng mga militanteng unyon.

Hindi mawawala ang pangamba ng mamamayan sa naganap na malawakang pag-clone sa mga FB Account ng mga indibidwal, grupo at kilalang mga personahe. Unang nagreport ng cloned FB Account ang mga estudyante ng UP Cebu na nagprotesta laban sa ATA. Posibleng gamitin nila ito sa ilang bagay gaya ng pagpost ng mga makakasira sa pangalan nila at posibleng magamit sa pagsasampa ng mga gawa-gawang kaso sa balangkas ng BAHO at ATA. Posibleng ginagawa din ito para magamit na mga trolls upang maipagtanggol ang rehimeng US-Duterte o di kaya ay gamitin sa pagpapalaganap ng fake news upang ilipat ang pokus ng mamamayan sa kasalukuyang maiinit na usapin dahil alam ng gobyerno na ang mga Pilipino ay isa sa pinaka aktibong netizen sa buong mundo.

Lubos na nakakabahala, hindi lamang sa mga aktibista at organisasyong masa na kritikal sa gobyerno kundi maging sa simpleng mamamayan na magpapahayag lamang ng kanilang pagkadismaya o opinyon publiko. Wala pa man ang ATL ay matinding karahasan at panunupil na ang nararanasan ng sambayanan.

Mas masahol ang nararanasan sa kanayunan at malalayong barangay, di-hamak na mas marahas at mapanupil ang ginagawa ng AFP at PNP, regular na ginagawa ang walang humpay na pagbomba gamit ang 105 mm howitzers at air assets (helicopter/jet fighter) sa mga komunidad ng magsasaka at katutubo, pagpatay sa mga aktibista at kasapi ng mg organisasyong masa.

Ano ang epekto ng Anti-Terror Law sa mga manggagawang Pilipino?

Sa buhay na karanasan ng manggagawa sa TK, wala pa man ang ATA ay itinuturing na ng AFP at PNP na terorista sa tuwing may isinasagawang pagwewelga ang manggagawa. Ito ay kahit pa nakasaad at nabibilang sa pundamental na karapatan ito ng manggagawa.

Kung gayon, mas magiging mas mura at siil ang paggawa sa bansa dahil sa ATA 2020. Sa kasalukuyan, bagsak na bagsak na ang kabuhayan at napakatinding kahirapan ang nararanasan ng mga manggagawa dulot ng kronikong krisis ng malakolonyal at malapyudal na sistemang panlipunan na sinusuhayan ng tuloy-tuloy na paglala sa krisis ng pandaigdigang sistemang kapitalista. Mas lumala pa ang kalagayan ng manggawang Pilipino dulot ng usad kuhol na pagtugon ni Duterte sa pananalasa ng pandemyang Covid-19 na pinasahol pa dahil sa militaristang solusyong Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

Dagdag pahirap at pighati ang idudulot ng Anti-Terror Act (ATA) sa mga mangggawa at Sambayanang Pilipino, lalo nitong itutulak palalim sa kumunoy ng kahirapan ang masang anakpawis na lubos nang nakaranas ng napakalalang kagutuman. Patunay ang datos na umabot nang 4.2 milyong pamilya o 21 milyong katao ang nakakaranas ng napakatinding kagutuman ayon sa sarbey ng SWS. Ang 16.7 porsyento ay pinakamataas na tantos ng kagutuman simula noong 2014 na nakapagtala ng 22 porsyento noon. Sa sarbey na ito, umabot ng 699,000 pamilya o 3,495,000 katao ang nakaranas ng napakatinding kagutuman sa gitna nang may nakalaan namang pondo na P275B para sana sa ayuda sa mga pinakamahirap na mamamayan pero patuloy na iniipit ng korap at pasistang kalihim ng DSWD na si Gen. Bautista.

Habang umabot naman sa record breaking na 7.3 milyon manggagawa ang nawalan ng trabaho ayon sa sarbey ng PSA. Hindi pa rin tapos ang nagaganap na tanggalan, dadami pa ang mawawalan ng trabaho dahil sa ginawa ni Sec. Bebot Bello ng DOLE na paglalabas ng DOLE Labor Advisory #17. Nilalaman nito ang flexible work arrangement o pagpapatupad ng pagbabawas ng manggagawa, pagsasarado, tanggalan at flexible wages (pagbabawas ng sahod at benepisyo) sa panahon ng Covid-19, basta ireport lamang ito ng mga kapitalista sa kanilang mga pangrehiyong tanggapan.

Mas magiging laganap ang pagkawala ng trabaho ng mga manggagawa, dahil imbes na maipaglaban nila ito sa pamamagitan ng sama-samang pagkilos o welga ay mapipigilan dahil sa ATA. Kung dati, ay nakakuha ng dagdag sahod o di kaya ay nakakabalik ang mga manggagawa sa trabaho dahil sa mahusay na paggamit ng SSP laban sa pakana ng kapitalistang malawakang magtanggal, magagamit na nila ngayon ang probisyon sa ATA at maituturing na terorista ang mga kawawang manggagawang nag-eehersisyo ng karapatang magwelga.

Sa pananalasa ng mga neoliberal na patakaran at malawakang tanggalan, agarang nakakapaglunsad ng SSP ang mga manggagawa, sa ngayon hindi na basta-basta makakapag-lunsad ng sama-samang pagkilos ang mga manggagawa para ipagtanggol ang kanilang mga karapatan na niyuyurakan ng mga kapitalista dahil sa ATA. Kapag nadeklarang economic sabotage ang ginagawa ng unyon o mga manggagawa ay posible na itong pumasok sa pagiging terorista lalo na kapag idiniklarang mahalaga at esensyal ang produkto ng kapitalista. Dahil dito, ibayo pang panunupil at militarisasyon sa kilusang paggawa ang mararanasan sa rehiyon ng Timog Kagalugan na sentro ng militarisasyon sa kilusang paggawa sa kasalukuyan.

Kahit nga nasa panahon ng Covid-19, hindi naman huminto ang AFP at PNP sa ginagawa nitong panunupil at karahasan sa mga manggagawa, unyon at pangrehiyong sentro ng paggawa sa rehiyon. Sunod-sunod ang mga naitalang harasment sa mga manggagawa ng Coca Cola, halos araw-araw ay binabahay-bahay ng militar at kapulisan ang mga aktibong opisyales at kasapi ng unyon para pwersahin na pekeng pasukuin bilang kasapi ng NPA. Katuwang ang kapitalistang Coke, pinapayagan nya ang mga militar na maglabas-masok sa planta, kapural din ang chief security officer ng pabrika.

Halos kaalinsabay ng pagkakapasa ng ATA sa kongreso, nagpapatuloy pa rin ang harasment sa mga lider manggagawa, ginigipit din ng mga sundalo ang kapitan ng Barangay Pulo para palayasin ang opisina ng Workers Center sa ipinagawang building ng Anakpawis Partylist doon.

Ipinapakita ng agarang pagpapasa ng ATA ang desperasyon ng rehimeng US-Duterte para magdagdag ng sandata laban sa lumalawak na diskontento at sosyal na pag-aalburuto ng mamamayan dahil sa kainutilan, usad kuhol na pagtugon sa mga problemang kinasasdlakan ng bayan at matinding panunupil. Ngunit kagaya ng karanasan sa Martial Law ni Marcos, hinding hindi magtatagumpay ang tiranikong rehimen sa layunin nyang gapiin ang pakikibaka ng sambayanan bagkus ito ang magtutulak para tahakin ng sambayanang lumalaban ang landas ng armadong pakikibaka dahil sa nararanasan nilang matinding kalupitan.

MABUHAY ANG RCTU-NDF-ST!

MABUHAY ANG CPP-NPA-NDF!!

MABUHAY ANG REBOLUSYONG PILIPINO!!!

https://cpp.ph/statement/anti-terror-law-isinabatas-ni-duterte-para-sa-ibayong-terorismo-ng-estado/

A SUSPECTED Abu Sayyaf bandit was killed, while two others were arrested in an anti-drug operation in the province of Tawi-Tawi, an official said Wednesday, June 10.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Regional Director Emerson Margate identified the slain Abu Sayyaf bandit as Bensal Aradi.
Margate said arrested as Margate's companions were Mahmud Ainal, 42, and Najil Sangkula, 35.

Margate said that Aradi was killed in a shootout during an anti-drug operation around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, June 7, in the village of Tubig Basag, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.

Margate said the shootout ensued as Aradi opened fire, prompting the approaching lawmen to return fire, killing the Abu Sayyaf member instantaneously.

He said Ainal of Sangkula, who was with Aradi during the buy-bust operation, was arrested by joint operatives of PDEA, police and military.

Margate said the joint operatives have recovered some 50 grams of substance believed to be shabu with an estimated market value of P340,000, one caliber .45 pistol with live ammunition, drug paraphernalia and marked money.

He said charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed against the arrested suspects. (SunStar Zamboanga)

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1859638/Zamboanga/Local-News/Abu-Sayyaf-killed-2-others-nabbed-in-Tawi-Tawi

ZAMBOANGA CITY--The Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) has released PHP1.3 million aid to 20 former communist New People’s Army (NPA) in the province.

The Army's 1st Infantry Division said in a statement Thursday that financial aid was released through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) during the meeting of the task force Tuesday in Dipolog City.

It said that each of the former rebels received PHP65,000 as immediate cash assistance and livelihood assistance.

“The provincial government will continue to assist our former rebels in their reintegration to their respective communities,” Gov. Roberto Uy, provincial E-CLIP chairperson, was quoted as saying.

“As the chairperson of the PTF-ELCAC, we are also committed and focused on ensuring the delivery of basic services and addressing the root causes of insurgency in the priority target barangays of the province,” Uy added.

The First Infantry Division said that the former rebels will also undergo a livelihood training program from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

“I am very thankful to our soldiers and the government for the assistance given to us, former rebels, who returned to the folds of the law,” the 1ID quoted one of the former NPA rebels as saying in the dialect.

“We would like to send a message to the remaining members of the CPP-NPA Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army) terrorists, your former comrades are the living testaments of the sincerity of the government in attaining just and lasting peace in the country,” said Colonel Leonel Nicolas, 102nd Infantry Brigade commander, as he enticed the remaining NPAs to surrender.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Generoso Ponio, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, thanked the different stakeholders and partners in the implementation of E-CLIP in Zamboanga del Norte.

“The interplay of the different stakeholders in this campaign anchored in achieving peace and development shows the paradigm shift of our nation's approach from purely military to Whole-of-Nation,” Ponio said.

“Inasmuch as we value the lives of the people we protect, we also aim to save as many victims of deception and exploitation by the communists NPA rebels,” Ponio added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1105659

After four years in office, President Rodrigo Duterte has been unable to sever ties between the United States and the Philippine defense establishment. These linkages persist against Duterte’s wishes despite his thorough consolidation of power via political patronage and populist demagogy.

Duterte’s February 11 note to abolish the Philippines-United States Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) by August 2020 could have triggered seismic changes in the Asia-Pacific’s geostrategic landscape. The VFA, which took effect in 1999, is the keystone of U.S.-Philippine defense cooperation in the post-Cold War era. Its termination would endanger the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and 2014’s Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) which promotes maritime security in the South China Sea and interoperability between U.S. and Philippine military forces. Most importantly, the EDCA allows American troops, warships, and planes temporary access to a series of Philippine military installations from which they can coordinate appropriate responses to Chinese infringements on Philippine maritime sovereignty. Duterte hoped to engage China in a quid pro quo, whereby his expulsion of the American military would result in substantial Chinese economic investments, particularly across his political base on the island of Mindanao.

It appears Duterte’s intention to nix the VFA was an impulsive decision made without close consultation with senior officials, and there was opposition to the move. Having received senatorial ascension in 1999, certain establishment figures contended the VFA could not be discarded without wider debate. More serious problems arose as the growing COVID-19 pandemic manifested itself across the Philippine archipelago. Stringent quarantine regulations resulted in severe economic contraction and cast doubt on future investments. Chinese investors are hardly eager to accelerate business venutres in a country having difficultly containing contagion. To do so would only precipitate further COVID outbreaks back home. Plus, Beijing’s constriction of strategic sea lanes without appropriate compensation during an economic downturn served Manila no purpose. As a result, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced on June 1 that Duterte had ordered the suspension of the VFA’s termination due to recent political and economic developments. Yet there is more to this reversal than commercial considerations.

Leaving aside their formal acceptance of Duterte’s initial decision, the principal opposition to the VFA’s termination has come from the military. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is loyal to Duterte on most fronts, including his controversial war on drugs. However, the AFP insists on maintaining its special relationship with Washington, regardless of their commander-in-chief’s open hostility to American military involvement in the archipelago. Current pressures to turn away from old alliances have thus far been deflected.

This present reality has emerged from a complex past. The modern Philippine military was originally established as an American colonial institution geared toward pacifying insurgent bands resisting the imposition of foreign domination. From 1901 onward internal pacification increasingly became the duty of an insular constabulary under civilian jurisdiction. Regular soldiers, by contrast, turned their guns outward to guard national sovereignty. After Cold War tensions spread to Asia in 1950, the United States assumed the Philippines’ external defense burden and merged the constabulary with the regular army to conduct a protracted counterinsurgency campaign against armed agrarian bands striving for structural socioeconomic reform. A heretofore largely professional army experienced creeping politicization as it became involved in internal policing, local elections, and civic action programs. AFP politicization underwent an exponential increase during Ferdinand Marcos’s two decades in power. Upon proclaiming martial law in 1972, Marcos relied on the military as his regime’s principle enforcement agency.

Simultaneously, American policymakers became ever more committed to maintaining control over sprawling air and naval installations at Clark Field and Subic Bay. These bases provided crucial logistical, refurbishment, and repair services during the Vietnam War. Washington’s interest in Clark and Subic only deepened after the fall of Saigon as planners formulated a Pacific rim strategy deploying naval and air forces to contain expanding Soviet influence in a united communist Vietnam. In the Philippines, nationalist critics, heavily concentrated in elite intellectual circles, viewed the bases as a manifestation of American neo-colonial control. As fixed territorial installations utilized to serve the strategic interests of a foreign power, Clark and Subic did indeed infringe on Philippine sovereignty.

American attachment to the bases came to override all other concerns. As Marcos began to lose control of the country to communist insurgents in the 1980s, American officials cast about for ways to retain their strategic foothold without a dictatorial regime. By that point, forces calling for democratic change were too strong to be denied. Beneath the dramatic events that led to the 1986 People Power revolution, however, quieter steps were taken to guarantee established Philippine-American military linkages. The Pentagon and State Department lent extensive support to an AFP faction led by General Fidel Ramos. This faction aligned with President Corazon Aquino (1986-1992) to beat back a series of attempted coups led by more radical officers throughout the 1980s. Direct military rule through a national junta did not serve its interests. The Ramos group exercised AFP prerogatives indirectly through an extensive network that drew support from associates in Washington, Manila, and various Philippine provinces. As AFP chief of staff (1986-1988), secretary of national defense (1988-1991), and president (1992-1998), Ramos established greater coherence over the military and lessened its proclivities for extraconstitutional change. A combination of nationalist sentiment and declining U.S. interest led to the closure of American bases in the Philippines by 1992, but Ramos was instrumental in initiating the negotiations that led to 1999’s VFA. Continual training, joint exercises, and weapons transfers institutionalized AFP-U.S. efforts to maintain interoperability. Efforts at interoperability were further consolidated during the Arroyo (2001-2010) and Aquino III (2010-2016) administrations.

Duterte has been blindsided by these realities. During his first year in office, Duterte directed most of his energies toward prosecuting, and building popular support for, a securitized drug war. His neglect of campaign promises to devolve greater autonomy to Muslim areas of the southern Philippines contributed to the 2017 siege of Marawi city. AFP commanders requested U.S. assistance without informing the president of their intention to do so beforehand. Navy SEAL operators soon deployed to provide advice and technical assistance. Most recently, Duterte’s efforts to build popular support by scrapping the VFA and attacking establishment oligarchs diverted attention away from dealing with COVID-19. He has had to back down yet again.ADVERTISEMENT

U.S.-AFP linkages are firm, yet they require careful management. Massive and indefinite deployment of American military forces to the Philippines is not a sustainable proposition given understandable nationalist sentiments. Greater emphasis must be placed on temporary rotational deployments that can be backed up by greater intervention should the need arise. In addition, the cultivation of human relationships and personal connections between Philippine commanders and their American counterparts are essential. Although the Philippines does not possess the financial wherewithal to purchase advanced American weaponry, the U.S. defense establishment surely possesses the means to train more Filipino officers. This must not be construed as a neo-colonial relationship wherein Philippine forces are viewed as an appendage to American power. Such interactions should be presented as an outside power modernizing and supplementing the defensive capabilities of a medium-sized state eager to preserve its territorial integrity. Beneath the volatile pronouncements that typify electoral political systems, policy-level initiatives on both sides must remain consistent and predictable.

[Mesrob Vartavarian holds a B.A. and M.A. in history from UCLA and a Ph.D. in history from Cambridge. He has published numerous articles in academic journals and is a regular contributor to Forces of Renewal Southeast Asia (FORSEA).Vartavarian is currently a visiting fellow at Cornell University’s Southeast Asia Program.]

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's agreement to give a U.S. military pact its second chance despite distaste for Washington shows his relations with China are chafing after four years, analysts believe.

Duterte’s foreign secretary announced June 3 that the Philippines would extend a Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States at least until late 2020. The government said in February it would end the 21-year-old pact that lets American troops freely access the Philippines for joint exercises. Washington sees the Southeast Asian archipelago as a strategic spot in case of any conflict in East Asia.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin told a news conference last week that “heightened superpower tensions” in Asia motivated his government to retain the agreement.

Role of South China Sea

China, which has Asia’s biggest military and a maritime sovereignty dispute with the Philippines, grew as a threat in the first half of the year, scholars in the region say. Beijing let a fishing fleet sail near a Philippine-occupied South China Sea islet, sent a survey vessel to a part of the same sea claimed by Malaysia and prompted the U.S. Navy to carry out four “freedom of navigation operations.”

“All contributed to the perception that it’s not a good time to be letting down the guard, so to speak,” said Jay Batongbacal, international maritime affairs professor at University of the Philippines.

China claims about 90 percent of the sea, overlapping parts of a Philippine exclusive economic zone. The U.S. government, a former Philippine colonizer, says the South China Sea should stay open internationally. Manila and Washington also abide by a mutual defense treaty. More than 100 Chinese vessels had surrounded Philippine-held islets last year. In 2012 navy ships from the two countries got locked in a standoff over fishery-rich Scarborough Shoal.

Duterte surprised world leaders and his own citizens in 2016 by laying aside the maritime sovereignty dispute to pursue a new friendship with China. China reciprocated with pledges of billions of dollars in aid and investment, including 150,000 COVID-19 testing kits and 70,000 N95 facemasks offered last month.

The Philippine president has railed against U.S. influence in his country. He resented U.S. criticism of the deadly Philippine anti-drug campaign under ex-president Barack Obama and the revocation in January of a U.S. visa for former Philippine police chief Ronald Dela Rosa. Dela Rosa, now a senator, was key to the drug campaign marked by extrajudicial killings.

But Duterte trusts the U.S. military over China’s armed forces, said Alexander Huang, strategic studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan. Ordinary Filipinos as well as senior military personnel prefer the United States to China as an ally.

“To the very basic Philippine interest, they will not give the People’s Liberation Army access to their facilities,” Huang said. “And the United States would not allow that.”

COVID-19 a factor

In the event of a conflict, Philippine troops would need backup especially now as they help the national police handle COVID-19, Batongbacal said. U.S. troops could enter the Philippines only with special permission if the visiting forces agreement ended.

The Philippines may have extended the agreement as a negotiating tool, said Stephen Nagy, a senior associate professor of politics and international studies at International Christian University in Tokyo.

Duterte may ask visiting U.S. troops to offer more training or bring certain assets, he said. Former U.S. Cold War foe China may step in with more help too as a counterweight, he said.

“Maybe this reversal is just a way of trying to get a few more concessions out of the United States, or maybe they really are worried about China,” said Derek Grossman, senior defense analyst with the RAND Corp. research institution in the United States. 

Domestic variables in the Philippines may also be a factor. Several lawmakers challenged Duterte’s decision to unilaterally abrogate the VFA without Senate input. The senators filed a petition before the Supreme Court, which may trigger a constitutional crisis if heard and sour executive-legislative ties. If the high court favored the upper chamber’s plea, a Senate vote could overturn the president’s decision. Duterte obtained Congressional support to extend martial law in Mindanao thrice, got a swift approval of his request for emergency powers to deal with Covid-19, and just secured passage of a controversial anti-terror bill. He may not want to estrange such crucial backing, especially if he still wants the body to pass measures he deems urgent in his remaining two years.

In sum, while the China factor certainly looms large in any effort to update the alliance, domestic variables in both the Philippines and United States were probably just as important in the decision to suspend the VFA cancellation.

[This article was published at Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative]

GOVERNMENT troops have recently rescued a child combatant recruited by the Daesh-inspired Dawlah Islamiya operating in the hinterlands of Lanao del Sur, officials said.

The Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade said in a statement the child combatant, alias Jamal, 17, was rescued by the troops of the 55th Infantry Battalion in Madalum, Lanao del Sur.

The 103rd Infantry Brigade said Jamal was then fed and sheltered and later taken to the Balindong District Hospital for a medical check-up.

After the check-up, Jamal was placed under the care of the Madalum Municipal Government through Vice Mayor Sultan Isman Sarangani, Sr., who is also the representative of the Madalum Inter-Agency Task Force in Ending Local Armed Conflict.

“The rescue of alias Jamal is a welcome development for peace and order situation in the province. He is still young. I hope alias Jamal will not waste this second chance given to him to follow the right path,” the 103rd Infantry Brigade quoted Sarangani as saying.

The brigade said that Jamal revealed he was recruited by the Dawlah Islamiya a few days before the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan in March this year.

During his stay with the group, he together with other newly recruited child combatants were regularly taught about radical teachings to Islam and were also taught to conduct atrocities such as making bombs. (SunStar Zamboanga)

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1859906/Zamboanga/Local-News/Troops-rescue-Dawlah-Islamiya-child-combatant

“Tauli voluntarily returned to the fold of the law to the 503rd INfantry Brigade (503rd IB) led by Bgen Henry DOyaoen under the 5th infantry Division,” NTF-ELCAC claimed in a press statement,

It alleged that Tauli was providing shelter to high-ranking officers of the communist rebel group. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., vice chairman of the NTF-ELCAC, helped Tauli to return to Baguio City.

Tauli, however, said in a Baguio press briefing that she only came to the military to clear her name and disprove the allegations against her.

The Batil-ang Peypeyan clan in Mountain Province, where Tauli belongs, also belied the accusations against her.

“We stand by our Manang/Auntie/Lola Annie. We vouch for her integrity as a good-standing member of the community and as a contributor to its constant progress. We call for an end to all false accusations against her immediately,” the clan claimed in a social media post.

Tauli is the sister of Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, the former United Nations special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/13/20/70-year-old-former-activist-disputes-military-claim-she-sheltered-rebels

Lawmen have arrested a communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebel in an intelligence-driven law enforcement operation in Zamboanga del Sur, an official announced Saturday.

Brig. Gen. Jesus Cambay Jr., Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) director, identified the NPA rebel as Jimmy Tumbale Montisan, 44, an active Militia ng Bayan and communist terrorist group courier.

Armed with an arrest warrant, Cambay said authorities nabbed Montisan around 5:20 p.m. Friday in Purok 3, Barangay Tiwales, Lakewood, Zamboanga del Sur.

Cambay said Montisan has a standing warrant of arrest for act of lasciviousness with recommended bail of PHP36,000 issued by the court of Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay.

He said Montisan, despite facing a lighter charge, is an active member of the communist NPA as validated by the intelligence services of the police and military as well as the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

He said Montisan was placed under the custody of Buug Municipal Police Station in Zamboanga Sibugay for proper disposition.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1105789

During the historic ceremony, Tan emphasized the important role of Tausugs in peace-building efforts.

“Sa lahat ng estratehiya ng pamahalaan sa pagsugpo ng terorismo, ito ang pinaka-epektibo. Matutulungan ninyo ang inyong pamilya lalo na ang komunidad sa pagpapanatili ng kapayapaan. Huwag kayong magpagamit sa kasamaan at gawin sa tama ang inyong sinumpaan,” he said.

The class name MAKUSUG (Muslim at Kristiyano, Unang Susulong Upang Gapiin ang Terrorismo sa Sulu) Class composed of 217 men and 20 women - all Tausugs – underwent rigid training and discipline under the tutelage of Colonel Wendell Basat.

Basat said the class name reflects the soldiers' commitment in maintaining peace in Sulu, also called Lupah Sug.

“The military profession knows no religion. Muslims and Christians alike are truly committed in preventing lawlessness in Sulu,” he said, adding, the new soldiers are now members of the 11th Infantry Division.

He said for four months, the recruits had undergone various skills training such as Marksmanship, Field Survival, Land Navigation, Map Reading and Field Training Exercises with the aim of equipping them with the best military disciplines and principles.

Their graduation, he said, pushed through despite the pandemic while maintaining the necessary health protocols throughout the ceremony. No visitors had been allowed to attend the ceremony as part of the quarantine guidelines imposed by the Sulu Task Force on Covid-19 and the Department of Health.

Vinluan also said they endeavored to prioritize residents of Sulu in its recruitment for both regular and special enlistment of candidate soldiers.

“The purpose is not only to help their families but at the same time to enable the Tausugs become one with the Armed Forces of the Philippines in sustaining peace in their homeland,” he said.

He encouraged the new privates to become productive soldiers. “Huwag ninyong kakalimutan lahat ng naituro sa inyo ng 11DTS (11th Infantry Division Training School) at lakasan ang loob sa lahat ng hamon ng buhay. Kayo ay magiging kaagapay na sa pagsasakatuparan ng ating misyon upang makamit ang tunay na kapayapaan at kaunlaran dito sa ating bayan,” he said. (Zamboanga Post and Mindanao Examiner)

http://mindanaoexaminernewspaper.blogspot.com/2020/06/tausug-makusug-class-soldiers-pride-of.html

The mayor said some of the returnees were not able to bring their firearms but signified to surrender them in the next few days.

Fedoc said they initially provided the former rebels with food packs and other essential supplies.

He said the local government will assist the enrollment of the returnees into the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program so they can avail of financial, livelihood and other support packages from the government. (MindaNews)