Posted to Kalinaw News (May 16, 2021): Army clashes with CPP NPA Terrorists in Southern Iloilo



CAMP MONTECLARO, MIAGAO, ILOILO – Government troops conducting combat operations encountered 30 members of NPA Southern Front at about 9:46 in the morning on May 15, 2021 in Brgy. Alimodias, Miagao, Iloilo.

The 30-minute firefight, transpired between the operating troops of the 61st Infantry (Hunter) Battalion (61IB) and members of Suyak (SDG) Platoon, Southern Front, Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay under Joven Ceralvo, AKA Lex. Elements of the 61IB responded to the information given by the residents on suspicious individuals who were believed to be members of terrorist groups. ]

One soldier obtained multiple wounds due to a blast of an anti-personnel mine placed by NPA within their temporary lair. The said personnel is now in a medical facility in Iloilo for treatment. According to the report, he is now in a stable condition. Additional troops are now deployed in the area to continue scouring for enemy casualties and war materiel. Possible withdrawal routes are monitored as pursuit operations against fleeing NPA fighters are heightened.

According to Colonel Joel Benedict G Batara, Commander 61IB, with the help of the local populace to end the local armed conflict, Communist NPA has nowhere to hide.

[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/army-clashes-with-cpp-npa-terrorists-in-southern-iloilo/

Posted to Kalinaw News (May 16, 2021): 2 BIFF militants killed in a relentless military offensives in Maguindanao



Camp Navarro, Zamboanga City –Two members of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters were killed during an encounter with the military on May 16, 2021. According to Lieutenant General Corleto Vinluan, Jr., Commander, Western Mindanao Command, the troops of the Joint Task Force Central were conducting focused military operation when they encountered the terrorists in Barangay Mao, Datu Paglas, Maguindanao at about 6:00 a.m.

A firefight ensued which lasted for 10 minutes. The rebels believed to be members of BIFF-Karialan Faction led by Mohiden Animbang, AKA Karialan, were scampered in different directions. Major General Juvymax Uy, Commander, Joint Task Force Central said no casualty was listed on the government side while two enemies were killed during the clash. While scouring the encounter site, operating troops discovered two enemy foxholes believed to have been dug by the enemy a few months ago.

The troops also recovered the cadavers of the two slain terrorists, one bandolier with two long magazines for an M16 rifle with 50 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, two civilian backpacks with personal belongings, one broken handguard of an M16 rifle, and assorted foodstuff. The troops continue to scour the area. From January 2021 to date, 89 BIFF terrorists were neutralized, 41 were killed while 48 surrendered. In addition, the JTF Central also listed 56 firearms gains, 52 are high-powered and four are low-powered firearms.

[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/2-biff-militants-killed-in-a-relentless-military-offensives-in-maguindanao/

Posted to Kalinaw News (May 16, 2021): 3 Abu Sayyaf terrorists neutralize in a clash in Basilan

Camp Navarro, Zamboanga City – Three Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf members were killed in an encounter with the troops of Joint Task Force-Basilan on May 16, 2021.

Based on the report from the JTF-Basilan Commander Brig. Gen. Domingo Gobway, the troops encountered eight Abu Sayyaf members under Abu Sayyaf-Sub-leader Pasil Bayali at Sitio Kura-Kura, Barangay Baiwas, Sumisip, Basilan around 7:40 in the morning. A 30-minute firefight ensued after which the terrorists withdrew in different directions. The reinforcing troops linked-up with the engaged troops and recovered two terrorist cadavers and are still verifying the identification of the slain terrorists.

While the reinforcing troops were conducting clearing operations in the area, another armed confrontation ensued with the terrorists. The 15-minute exchange of fires resulted in the death of another Abu Sayyaf member and the recovery of one M16 rifle.

According to Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Jr., Commander, Western Mindanao Command, no soldier was hurt during the successive encounters. “We thank the active participation of the local officials and the community of their desire to end terrorism by providing us real time information for the neutralization of the terrorists.” For this year, 18 Abu Sayyaf Group members were neutralized in Basilan, four of whom were killed, 13 surrendered, and one was apprehended.



[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/encounter-with-the-troops-of-joint-task-force-basilan/

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (May 15, 2021): CPP says NTF-ELCAC/AFP coddling criminal paramilitary groups against IPs

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today denounced the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and its newly-installed “spokesperson for IP concerns” for “wasting people’s money in spreading outrageous lies against the CPP and NPA.”

This was in reaction to claims by the NTF-ELCAC spokesperson today that the New People’s Army (NPA) “brutally killed” 20 IPs in 2020 citing the death of Jumar Bucales as one of the incidents.

CPP Chief Information Officer Marco L. Valbuena said “the NTF-ELCAC is lying through its teeth and seems to be in a rush to propagate lies using its new mouthpieces.”

Valbuena clarified that Bucales is a known leader of the AFP-armed Magahat-Bagani paramilitary group. Along with three armed paramilitary troops, he was killed in armed battle with the NPA on October 4, 2020 in Lianga, Surigao del Sur. The Magahat-Bagani is a tool used by the 3rd Special Forces Battalion in combat and psywar operations against peasant communities.

“Bucales is not an innocent and helpless civilian, contrary to how he is being portrayed by the NTF-ELCAC,” added Valbuena.

Investigations have determined the widely known fact that Bucales and his armed band masterminded the bloody Lianga Massacre of 2015 in which three community leaders were murdered. Armed paramilitaries swooped down the village at dawn and successively killed Emerito Samarca, Executive Director of the ALCADEV community school, and Lumad leaders Dionel Campos and Datu Bello Sinzo.

Valbuena denounced the NTF-ELCAC and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for coddling criminal paramilitary groups to oppress indigenous peoples and drive them away from their ancestral lands.

“It is a gross insult to the Lumad communities, specifically those in Surigao del Sur, that the NTF-ELCAC and AFP coddled Bucales and made him appear to represent the interests of the Lumad people, when his paramilitary group is known to be a collaborator of big mining companies in attacking the Lumad community school and village organizations defending their ancestral land.”

Valbuena clarified that indigenous people (IP) paramilitary groups armed and supported by the AFP are legitimate military targets of the NPA. “The NPA is an army of peasants and minority people. It will continue to fight to defend their interests against land grabbers and big mining companies, plantations and destructive dam projects,” said Valbuena.

“For more than four years now, Duterte and his military cabal in the NTF-ELCAC have intensified their attacks against national minorities,” added Valbuena. He cited the massacre of nine Tumandoks in Tapaz, Capiz in December 30, 2020 and the arrest of 17 others, charging of Aetas under the terror law, and the murder of Dumagats in the recent Bloody Sunday in Southern Tagalong as among the recent cases.

“The regime continues to target national minorities as they defend their ancestral lands from entry of destructive dam projects, plantations, and multinational mining operations,” Valbuena ended.

https://cpp.ph/statements/cpp-says-ntf-elcac-afp-coddling-criminal-paramilitary-groups-against-ips/

Propaganda news story posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (May 15, 2021): What did Samarnons gain from RCSP?

In Western Samar, 11 villages of Calbiga, five in Pinabacdao, and five in Hinabangan have been under unabated Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) since 2019. During this period, the government funneled millions of pesos of funds into these villages for several projects which remain incomplete.

To create the illusion of development alongside its counterinsurgency campaign, the government and military implement various road and bridge projects, other projects under the PAMANA program and the local government, the National Greening Program, NTF-ELCAC’s livelihood projects, surrender program of the E-CLIP and several more.

But after two years, not one of the infrastructure projects was completed. Implementation is so slow that road projects remain at the buldozing stage. A temporary bridge made of wood was constructed in place of the planned cemented road project in Barangay Guinbanga, Calbiga. Residents lament that the funds allotted for the project were already pocketed as they remain unfinished.

The AFP is using the billions of public funds allotted for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC)’s Barangay Development Program (BDP) to further place villages under their rule. The implementation of BDP is tightly linked to the repression and abuses of the AFP against the masses. For example, barangays were told they will get ₱20 million each if officials and residents will agree to soldiers holding camp in their communities or if residents will “clear” their names or “surrender.” In some villages where nobody voluntarily surrendered, soldiers list names of chosen residents to surrender.

“Blood, death and disruption of our livelihood,” said Ka Ruben, a peasant, when asked on what RCSP operations has brought them.

Farmers in villages subjected to RCSP operations will never forget the murders of barangay chieftains in Daligan and Beri in Calbiga, the wife of Sinalangtan’s village chief, a peasant in Buluan and a youth from Minata, all perpetrated by the military. In Pinabacdao, two peasants were killed in Canlubo and another in Magdawat. Soldiers have also mauled and tortured peasants. “It’s hard for poor people like us that we can only benefit from government funds in exchange for a number of lives,” said Ka Ruben.

Soldiers of RCSP teams also promote gambling like cockfights and playing cards, illegal fishing by poisoning rivers and electrocution, illegal logging, abuse of women and impregnating minors.

Even peasants who were recruited to the CAFGU were forced to leave the service because they too are maltreated by the soldiers. The promised P35,000 salary became P6,000, which at times are paid 2-3 months later. They experience severe maltreatment, verbal abuse and disrimination.

“That’s why every time I pass by road and bridge constructions, I remember fellow peasants who were killed for these projects. No amount nor project can replace their lives.”

The promised development for peasants is a sham. “Prices of our products even plumetted and cost of transportation surged.”

“It is forever etched in my mind that only through struggle can poor people like me achieve genuine development and peace,” Ka Ruben ended.

https://cpp.ph/2021/05/15/what-did-samarnons-gain-from-rcsp/

Posted to the Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) Facebook Page (May 16, 2021): 3 ASG terrorists killed in an encounter with the military in Basilan

https://www.facebook.com/afpwestmincom/photos/pcb.2060269074115138/2060268914115154/

Posted to the Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) Facebook Page (May 16, 2021): 2 BIFF militants killed in a relentless military offensives in Maguindanao

https://www.facebook.com/afpwestmincom/photos/pcb.2060188560789856/2060188177456561/

Opinion piece posted to the Manila Times (May 13, 2021): Insurgency is propaganda war (By Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr.)

A LOT has been said about how unorthodox the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) has been in handling this fight against the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA). To some it is a total surprise, and they are definitely happy that finally the government is speaking up for them, for the misery and violence they have gone through the 52 years of the CPP’s armed struggle. To the vocal few, they are furious that the status quo has been disturbed because of the stubborn resolve of two NTF-Elcac spokespersons, now being accused of being “red-taggers,” to persevere in this approach. Never in the history of this country has the Filipino nation been so roused at seeing the CPP in such a frantic, if not chaotic mode, trying to deflect attacks by the government against all the fronts of the CPP, on all fronts, i.e., from the ground, underground and over.

To the initiated and to those who have been following the developments of the underground, they are convinced that the CPP is now in a defensive mode. At this point, they are the “reaksyonaryo.” And with the CPP actions come the reaction, wittingly or unwittingly, from the different sectors of society who have benefited for a very long time from the exploitation by the communists of our political situation. The decadence of our political institution is now showing its ugly face, as if to confirm what observers and netizens are saying that this communist insurgency of Jose Maria Sison has indeed succeeded in destroying one of the pillars of our democracy — the Senate.

Fifteen senators were asking for my head and they are willing to take the risk of defunding the NTF-Elcac because of an allegation we can easily disprove.

Red-tagging?

Of what import is this issue that the majority of the senators are willing to take the blow of our citizens for a childish act of taking back funds for long-delayed projects necessary to uplift the living conditions of our poor citizens in the farthest recesses of the archipelago? The Barangay Development Program is touted as the game changer in the government’s fight to win the hearts and minds of our neglected citizens, why, oh why would they withdraw it?

Read: The genocide that will never be

This insurgency has thrived because of our ignorance on how the CPP operates. We were oblivious of this “revolutionary dual tactics” and this duplicitous nature of this monster, that often we cheered for the activism of “idealists” who demonstrate their passion to defend freedom, human rights, etc, supposedly in a peaceful way but would end up dead with NPA rebels.

Indeed we have seen hundreds of young children die in the mountains, some captured by soldiers, or surrendered to the government, members of Anakbayan, Kabataang Makabayan, Gabriela, Gabriela-Youth, League of Filipino Students, College Editors Guild of the Philippines, National Union of Students of the Philippines, Karapatan, etc. Those who survived would tell us gruesome stories of rape and sexual exploitation, of murders, within the underground, of child pornography sponsored by CPP cadres for profit and for their foreign benefactors (I shall write more on this next time and let us see if you will not raise hell). Yet, the senators refuse to hear about it, in spite of the battery of committee hearings, and instead push for a bill criminalizing red-tagging. The Makabayan bloc in particular, refuses to acknowledge these things are happening, and would not accept the challenge to denounce the violence, in spite of their oath to abandon the armed struggle and pursue parliamentary struggle instead. Of what value is this party list law then?

Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna continues to question our actions of exposing them, accusing us of red-tagging, without presenting evidence. So, what do we call all those dead NPA rebels from the ranks of Jose Maria Sison’s front organizations? He expects us to present as evidence a dead body of an NPA clad in a Bayan Muna or Anakbayan t-shirt? He wants to stop the NTF-Elcac from effectively countering CPP-NPA propaganda lies, especially with the designation now of six more spokespersons for the task force to do counterpropaganda. We have challenged these Kamatayan bloc members to an open debate on several occasions so they may explain exactly what they mean with these lies but to this day they won’t face us.

If these young children getting killed are not evidence enough of their organization’s participation in the armed struggle, then what do we make of these latest video messages of Joma where he practically red-tagged 18 of his underground organizations belonging to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines? Yes, Joma named all of them, from the Kaguma of ACT, Makibaka of Gabriela, Lumaban of NUPL to RCTU of KMU, etc. Not me but Joma’s hubris gave away these underground allies of his.

Read: How the monster was born

The Kabataang Makabayan, for instance, is the CPP party group that is running all these youth front groups of the CPP. Many of these KM members from the CEGP, LFS, Anakbayan, Kabataan to NUSP not only have become political cadres of the CPP-NPA, but some have also advanced to the top, taking various roles in the CPP propaganda bureau. They are now in different media outfits as editors, columnists, research staff and desk officers of mainstream print, radio or television. These are the people who are responsible for twisting government officials’ statements. They are tasked with perpetuating this “red-tagging” narrative as an assault and a threat to the lives of those “red-tagged” for criticizing the government.

Amidst the controversy on that “stupid” remark I made of senators planning to defund the NTF-Elcac, these senators now want me to vacate my post so I can go back to my field of expertise and focus on fighting the armed group. Really? Is this how narrow our legislators think of this insurgency? Are they trying to distract me so I will abandon what I am doing?

I’m not indispensable as some of them think. In fact I am ready to go if asked to leave. But doing so now, when the enemy is clearly flinching, including those in Congress whom they have always relied on to harass the government when they are precariously hanging on by the cliff, would be a great disservice to the nation. It is tantamount to abandoning our people who have supported and trusted their government trying to end this communist scourge not later than yesterday. It might seem a cowardly act in some aspect, but as in a game of chess, sometimes the knight will make the sacrifice so the king can make its move. Checkmate.

Wrong.

Read: Sense of urgency, not stupidity, is the antidote to insurgency

This is propaganda warfare, folks. If for the longest time the government has waged this war ineffectively by simply focusing on the elimination of the armed group, this time it has acknowledged that the bigger part of the effort was to destroy, and not just to counter, its propaganda machinery.

To emphasize that the NT-Elcac fully understands what it is doing, it has identified and designated six other spokespersons to talk on social media affairs and sectoral concerns; local government affairs, the Barangay Development Program, and international engagement; international affairs, the peace process, and human rights concerns; mass media engagement and fact-checking; public affairs and information and youth concerns; and legal affairs and Indigenous Peoples’ concerns.

At long last, the government has hit the nail right on the head: Insurgency is propaganda war. It’s about, for one thing, eco development in the countryside. It is a battle for narratives, so the more spokespersons, the better chances to win. But should you choose decimation of armed combatants and their unarmed cadres, your Armed Forces of the Philippines is ready for it.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/14/opinion/columnists/insurgency-is-propaganda-war/872858/?fbclid=IwAR2fR-fv2yl7DHeT5qA8CKqsS3V1XLqooi0MCL1-wxcKECB_Fbd52sOJA8w

Opinion piece posted to the Manila Times (May 7, 2021): Sense of urgency, not stupidity, is the antidote to insurgency (By Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr.)

JOSE Ma Sison, the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has always referred to the government as a “reactionary government.” In many aspects, it is true because for the past 50 years that’s what the government has been doing. It reacts to every action the CPP does to its armed attacks, systematic radicalization of our children, infiltration of all sectors of the society, including the government and the legislative, to its legal mass actions. He has been very successful in blinding our society to the dangers of what the CPP and its alliances are posing, for each action they make right under our noses. Most of us are clueless that we end up even supporting them. Joma does this through duplicity and its “revolutionary dual tactics.”

This deception went on until the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), which virtually addresses all the different CTG (communist terrorist group) programs, particularly its propaganda machinery. Incidentally, this task falls on the lap of the NTF stratcom cluster and this is the reason why the NTF spokespersons have always been in the limelight for every issue that crops up, the community pantry being just one of them. The government, through its NTF-Elcac, is now at the forefront, proactively addressing possible crisis scenarios instigated by the CTG, even before the situation develops to a serious disaster. But what is the basis of our actions at the NTF-Elcac? Experience and foreknowledge.

This communist insurgency is a protracted one. The CPP-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) acknowledges that they cannot take down the government in a blitzkrieg operation. They have a long-drawn strategy to wear out government forces, exhaust all government resources, until they are ready to strike. To the uninitiated, especially to those comfortably enjoying the comforts of their offices in imperial Manila, no amount of explanation will make them agree that insurgency is a serious problem. To them it is irrelevant and is not worth their time and resources, in other words business as usual. The NTF-Elcac thinks otherwise, and we are joined widely with all the sectors and local government units, which have suffered so much already from the atrocities of these terrorist insurgents.

A key ingredient in the resolution of the protracted nature of insurgency smacks right in the word: urgency. That is to say, before the enemy is able to strike, we should be able to hit them first. This is what is happening with our Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police operations nationwide. A good 90 percent of our armed engagements with the NPA are government-initiated and intelligence-driven. This is the reason NPA members are surrendering in droves.

Read: Continuing saga of red-tagging and what it is not

Last April 28, 17 NPA members surrendered in Mindoro. They were followed by seven in Masbate last May 2. Recent news from Bukidnon states that 17 NPA rebels also surrendered to Army forces. This was preceded by the surrender of 20 in Sorsogon, 33 in Cagayan, and some 87 MBs (militia ng bayan) and SPLs (sangay ng partido sa localidad) in Rizal province. This is the trend everywhere in the country.

At the stratcom cluster, our aim is to be able to respond objectively to brewing issues and be able to explain to the people why we need to do it. While we acknowledge that the CPP is well advanced in the infiltration of our media, hence, all these bad and false narratives against all administrations after 1986, we are trying to play catch-up with a more robust and objective approach to address the many issues they are throwing at the government. Is it suppression of freedom of speech and of press? Definitely not, but this time we call out every fake report and effort to agitate people, especially at this time of the Covid-19 pandemic. If we need to expose these personalities and their connection with the underground, for people to better understand the duplicity of these fake advocates, then that’s what we will do — immediately. If we become unpopular because we appear to be unorthodox with the way we do it, then that’s the consequence we should be ready to accept.

Is this red-tagging? No, it is simply re-echoing how Joma identified all these front organizations, including the underground organizations that he exposed in his video message during the 49th anniversary of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). Other than the CPP, Sison identified the following as the member organizations of the NDFP Artista at Manunulat ng Sambayanan (Armas) — the underground organization operating the front organization Karatula; Revolutionary Council of Trade Union (RCTU) — the underground organization of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU); Kaguma of ACT; Kabataang Makabayan (KM) of the YS, including Kabataan, Anakbayan, CEGP, LFS, NUSP; Makibaka or Gabriela; Lumaban of NUPL; Christians for National Liberation (CNL) — running the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP) and the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP); and Bagong Hukbo ng Bayan (BHB) or NPA.

There were actually 18 organizations identified by Sison, all of these also appear in the NDFP website. So why is this important for us to know?

Read: Duterte urged to run for VP

I would like to explain that by sharing a significant development as far as the NTF-Elcac is concerned. Last Tuesday I was privileged to be invited to a “conversation” with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in their beautiful Caritas office in Tagaytay. It was initiated by our Military Vicariate Ordinariae, Bishop Oscar Florencio, in cooperation with the National Secretariat for Social Action-Justice and Peace (NASSA), which is under the direction of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Action-Justice and Peace. A lot of ground was covered, including the Caritas funding, human rights and EJK, red-tagging, the RMP and AMRSP, the infiltration of the Church through the CNL, the Tamondok issue, and environmental degradation.

The forum provided an opportunity to clarify issues, especially on how the left uses red-tagging as a defense mechanism to cover their illegal operations; why RMP’s funding was frozen; the identification of a few members of the CNL among the clergy who are unfairly dragging the Church; active partnerships with the government and Church/Caritas, which needed to be continued; and the active role the Church is performing now to help reach out to so many rebels who have now returned to the fold of the law. At the end of the forum, it was agreed that the NTF-Elcac will pursue its plan to institutionalize partnership with NASSA and the Diocesan Social Action Centers (DSACs) for them to be part of the task force at the regional, provincial and even municipal-level NTF-Elcac.

The government in the past did a lot of stupid things which enabled the CPP to perpetuate this conflict for 53 years now. Far from being perfect, the NTF-Elcac has managed to address these shortfalls with a lot of initiatives. Because of the alleged red-tagging, again, by the NTF-Elcac spokesman, of some organizers of community pantries, some senators are moving for the defunding of the NTF-Elcac’s barangay development program (BDP), if not realign the funds to other programs, thus delaying further the resolution of this conflict. Parallel to this, Sen. Franklin Drilon is in fact questioning the quick disbursement of some P10 billion for the BDP.

Now that the government is quick in providing the services that far-flung communities have been expecting; quick in countering propaganda of the CPP; quick in preempting attacks of the NPA terrorists; quick in destroying the CPP narrative; quick in preventing more foreign funding to the underground; hence resulting in the surrender of hundreds of NPAs; the dismantling of their organs of political powers (OPPs); and the impending collapse of these communist terrorist groups, suddenly we see all these efforts to gag the NTF-Elcac spokesman and defund the BDPs?

Read: Insurgency is propaganda war

What gives?

Has the coming election something to do with all these? Hah! the stupidity of this political conflict. People of the Philippines, unite.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/07/opinion/columnists/sense-of-urgency-not-stupidity-is-the-antidote-to-insurgency/870972/

From the Manila Standard (May 16, 2021): Commie hunter new Army chief (By Macon Ramos-Araneta)

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 16, 2021): CHR probes alleged fake ‘mass surrenders’ of NPA rebels in Bulacan (By: John Eric Mendoza)

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 16, 2021): Anti-Terrorism Act foes ask SC: Stop Esperon testimony (By: Marlon Ramos)

From the Philippine News Agency (May 17, 2021): Duterte leaves Bangsamoro transition extension to Congress (By Azer Parrocha)

From the Philippine News Agency (May 17, 2021): Enrile accepts Duterte's invitation to speak on WPS (By Azer Parrocha)

From the Philippine News Agency (May 17, 2021): Designation list not glorified red-tagging: NTF ELCAC exec (By Priam Nepomuceno)

From the Philippine News Agency (May 17, 2021): TESDA launches training in insurgency-cleared village in NegOcc (By Erwin Nicavera)

From the Philippine News Agency (May 17, 2021): Another MNLF camp ‘peacefully’ dismantled in Tawi-Tawi (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)

From the Philippine News Agency (May 17, 2021): Army exec cites local leaders for backing NTF-ELCAC (By Mary Judaline Partlow)

From the Philippine News Agency (May 17, 2021): 3 ASG bandits killed in 2 Basilan clashes (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)

From the Philippine News Agency (May 17, 2021): 2 BIFF gunmen slain in Maguindanao military offensive (By Edwin Fernandez)