Key Philippine Military and Insurgency-Related Events

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 1. 2021): Retired Army colonel gunned down in GenSan (By Richelyn Gubalani)

Google map of General Santos City

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Police have launched a deeper investigation into the killing here on Thursday of a retired Army officer-turned real estate developer.

Col. Gilberto Tuzon, city police director, said investigators are looking into possible angles behind the murder of retired Army Col. Elicardo Cabangal, 70, the owner of the homegrown Dragon De Oro Real Estate Development.

He said Cabangal was inside their house at 13 Sebastian St., Paradise Subdivision in Barangay City Heights when he was shot at close range by unidentified suspects around 12:09 p.m.

He said the suspects reportedly fled from the scene towards an undetermined direction onboard a silver-gray Toyota Avanza.

Cabangal sustained two gunshot wounds to his back and was declared dead on arrival in a nearby hospital, he said.

Responding scene-of-the-crime operatives recovered at the site two spent shells from an M16 Armalite rifle.

Tuzon said the manhunt operations are ongoing against the suspects in coordination with police and other law enforcement units in Region 12 (Soccsksargen).

“Our investigation units are currently gathering vital information and witnesses that could help determine the motive and the identity of the suspects,” he told reporters.

Cabangal is the first victim of gun-related killing this month in the city.

From January to June, a total of 27 shooting incidents were recorded in the city, mostly perpetrated by motorcycle-riding suspects.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145657

From MindaNews (Jul 1, 2021): Marawi siege veteran is new commander of 4th Infantry Division (By FROILAN GALLARDO)

Then Brig. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. at Kampo Ranao in Marawi City. MindaNews file photo by BOBBY TIMONERA

A veteran of the Marawi siege has been appointed as chief of the 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division (4ID), the unit mainly responsible for counterinsurgency in Northern Mindanao and Caraga Region.

MGen Romeo Brawner Jr. will assume command on Monday, July 5, at the Alcoseba Hall of the 4ID headquarters in Camp Edilberto Evangelista, this city.

Brawner will replace MGen Andres Centeno, who has assumed command of the Philippine Army.

“Only a few are invited and even the media presence is limited,” 4ID spokesperson Maj Rodulfo Cordero Jr. said.

Cordero said this is in line with the anti-COVID-19 protocols being practiced in Camp Edilberto Evangelista amid the surge of infections in the city.

Cagayan de Oro has been placed under modified enhanced community quarantine, the second strictest government quarantine measure due to the surge.

Cordero said Gen Cerilito Sobejana, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines will preside the turnover ceremonies on Monday.

Brawner used to be the spokesperson and deputy commander of the military task force Ranao fighting the ISIS-aligned militants who attacked Marawi City in 2017.

He later took over the command of the 103rd Infantry Brigade based in Marawi as the military launched operations to flush out the remaining militants.

A native of Kiangan, Ifugao province, Brawner belongs to Philippine Military Academy “Makatao” Class 1989.

He became the Commandant of Cadets at the academy after it was rocked by a hazing scandal in 2019.

He then became the AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Financial Management until his designation as 4ID commander. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)

https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2021/07/marawi-siege-veteran-is-new-commander-of-4th-infantry-division/

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jul 1, 2021): ‘General’ nabbed with guns, ammo (BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN)

The assorted high-powered guns and ammunition seized during an entrapment operation in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental Tuesday* NOCPPO photo

Assorted high-powered guns with ammunition were recovered from a retired police officer, who claimed to be a “general”, during an entrapment operation at Rizal Street in Brgy. IV, Hinigaran, Negros Occidental on June 29.

Demosthenes Fernandez, 58, of Villa Angela Subdivision in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City, was nabbed by combined forces from the Hinigaran police, troopers of the 2nd Negros Occidental Police Provincial Mobile Force Company, and intelligence operatives of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.

Fernandez, a widower, was apprehended after selling a 9mm Ingram automatic pistol to Maj. Jake Barila, Hinigaran police chief, the police said.

More firearms, including M16 and M14 assault rifles, a 40 caliber pistol, another 9mm Ingram automatic pistol, a .38 caliber revolver, and a 9mm pistol, assorted ammunition and magazines of the confiscated firearms, numerous identification cards, a PNP badge, and buy-bust money were seized by the police during his arrest.

Barila said the suspect introduced himself as General Fernandez, and had been texting and calling him about the illegal drug trade in Hinigaran.

The suspect later told him that he was selling an Ingram automatic pistol for P60,000, Barila said.

This prompted Barila to coordinate with the 2nd NOCPMFC for an operation, with him as the poseur buyer, he added. Fernandez is now detained at the custodial facility of the Hinigaran Police Station.

https://news.visayandailystar.com/general-nabbed-with-guns-ammo/

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jul 1, 2021): Military honors for fallen Negrense pilot (BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN)

Military honors being accorded to the remains of Air Force pilot, Maj. Eraño Belen, who died in a helicopter crash June 23 in Tarlac* 3ID DPAU photo

The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division accorded the late Air Force Maj. Eraño Belen with military honors when his remains arrived at the Bacolod-Silay Airport in Silay City, Negros Occidental yesterday.

The remains of Belen, a native of Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental, was flown in by an Air Force C-130 cargo plane.

Belen, valedictorian of the Philippine Military Academy Class 2010, and his wife live in Brgy. Alijis, Bacolod City.

He was among the six fatalities when a newly-acquired Philippine Air Force Black Hawk combat utility helicopter crashed during a night flight training in Capas town, Tarlac on June 23.

Belen will be buried on July 4 at the Heaven’s Gate Memorial Gardens in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, Maj. Cenon Pancito, 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson, said.*

https://news.visayandailystar.com/military-honors-for-fallen-negrense-pilot/

From the Mindanao Times (Jul 1, 2021): EastMinCom to have 5 new commanders (BY RHODA GRACE SARON)

THE Eastern Mindanao Command will soon get five new commanders when the change of command takes place next week.

This was after President Rodrigo R. Duterte approved the recommendation of the Armed Forces for the Philippines chief of staff, Board of Generals based on Republic Act 8186, identifying 10 generals and senior officers who are set to get appointed to key positions in the military.

Those who are set to get deployed to the EastMinCom, based on the letter of the President to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, are Major General Romeo Brawner Jr. as the new commander of the 4th Infantry Division based in Camp Edilberto Evangelista, Barangay Patag, Cagayan de Oro city who will replace Lieutenant General Andres Centino; Brigadier General Nolasco Mempin, 1003rd Infantry Brigade commander, will be reassigned as the new assistant commander of 10th Infantry Division; Colonel Consolito Yecla, Task Force Davao commander who will replace Mempin as commander of 1003rd Infantry Brigade; Colonel Darren Comia, outgoing chief of staff of the Civil Relations Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who will replace Yecla at the TFD; and, Colonel Adonis Ariel Orio, to be assigned as new 402nd Infantry Brigade commander under the 4th ID.

Brawner, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Makatao Class of 1989 was recently named as first deputy chief of staff for Financial Management, an office which was activated in December. He previously served as commandant of cadets of the PMA, commander of the 103rd Brigade during the liberation of Marawi City, and chief of AFP Public Affairs Office. He also served as spokesperson of EastMinCom.

Brawner said he will assume the new post on July 5.

A member of the PMA Bigkis Lahi Class of 1990, Mempin, who will serve his new post starting July 6, was assigned TFD commander in August 2017. He also served as chief of Governance and Strategy Management Office of the 10th Infantry Division (ID) and commander of the 78th Infantry Battalion under the 8th ID.

Yecla, of Banga, South Cotabato is a member of PMA Tanglaw-diwa Class of 1992, and served as secretary of the Joint Staff of the Armed Force of the Philippines (AFP).

Comia, who has yet to receive the formal letter, was also a former commander of the 16th Infantry Battalion and was designated as the assistant chief of staff for Civil-Military-Operations (CMO) of the 2nd Infantry Division.

Both Yecla and Comia are set to assume their new posts on July 8.

https://mindanaotimes.com.ph/2021/07/01/eastmincom-to-have-5-new-commanders/

From Rappler (Jul 1, 2021): Japan, Philippines to hold first joint air force exercises

The air-to-air bilateral training in humanitarian and disaster relief will take place July 5 to 8 at Clark Air Base

The air forces of Japan and the Philippines will hold their first-ever joint exercises next week, Japan's embassy in Manila said on Thursday, July 1, in a further sign of deepening defense ties between the two countries.

The air-to-air bilateral training in humanitarian and disaster relief, which Japan's embassy described as a "significant milestone" for joint defense cooperation, will take place from July 5 to 8 at Clark Air Base, formerly a US military facility in the northern Philippines.

The exercises will include a Japanese C-130H cargo aircraft and its personnel which together with Philippine airmen will simulate delivery of relief goods in isolated areas.

"Japan and the Philippines are both natural disaster-prone countries and there are so much we can share on disaster relief operations for saving lives," Major Mizuno Masaki, unit commander of the Japanese Air Self Defence Force, said in a statement.

US allies Japan and the Philippines have both been at odds with China over the conduct of its vessels and aircraft in the East and South China Seas.

The announcement comes as other allies of the United States take greater steps to preserve freedom of navigation and overflight in the region, including navy patrols, amid growing Chinese militarization.

Japan came to the aid of the Philippines after the devastation caused by super typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which killed over 6,000 people and left hundreds of thousands families homeless.

Japan and the Philippines signed an agreement to forge closer defence ties in January 2015, and the two countries has since conducted 17 joint naval drills.

Japan has also transferred defense and technology equipment that could help the Philippines' boost patrols in the South China Sea.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/japan-philippines-hold-first-joint-air-force-exercises

Opinion piece in the Manila Times (Jul 1, 2021): New rebel groups in Mindanao (By Ruben D. Torres)

IN my column last Friday, I wrote about the seemingly unending quest for peace in Mindanao. I wrote in part:

"Compounding the problems that threaten the fragile peace in Mindanao is the alleged dissatisfaction of a significant number of MILF combatants who feel that they have not benefited from the peace agreement."

Last Monday, Commander Jordan Salibo Tayuan sent me a letter to say that another rebel group is gaining adherents from the dissatisfied elements in both the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Jordan is in command of the 8th Infantry Division of the MNLF. Although he claims he still recognizes the leadership of Chairman Nur Misuari, it is becoming clear that his division is organizing and operating independently from the MNLF central command.

Only a few months after the peace agreement was signed by the government and the MNLF in 1996, I learned that some combatants were disillusioned and, in fact, had left this Muslim rebel organization. Those who did not accept the peace agreement and those who did not approve of Misuari running for governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, or ARMM, bolted out of the MNLF and joined the MILF.

With the disgruntled former MNLF and MILF combatants, Jordan now claims more than 12,000 followers in Sulu and Central Mindanao. He claims that there are still others wanting to join. Understandably, he did not mention in his letter how many and what kind of weapons his group now has. I have no independent verification of Jordan's claims even as I know of Jordan's organizing abilities.

In 2017, I met Jordan in Kuala Lumpur where I was attending the Asean Trade Union Council meeting. Over coffee, he told me some of his disagreements with MNLF Chairman Misuari but gave no hint that he was organizing a breakaway group. It is only in his letter to me this week that Jordan admitted that he is now leading an organization that is separate from both the MNLF and the MILF. Yet, he is still using the title "Commander of the 8th Infantry Division of the MNLF."

I am unaware of the name of his organization or its ideology. So far, he has not come out with any political agenda. He is, however, much concerned with the "violence being perpetrated by armed groups like the Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and Islamic State, which are getting support from other countries."

Commander Jordan gives an indication of his crusade against corruption and I quote: "Some politicians are just hungry for power and practice the culture of corruption that drains government coffers intended for development and livelihood of the hapless and marginalized sectors of society."

If it is of some solace, Jordan said in his letter that "our fervent hope [is] that our country will be in complete peace, harmony and prosperity"... and he "urges the government to come out with a comprehensive solution to the protracted conflict to bring all remaining remnants of all separatist groups."

He added, "My men in the 8th MNLF Infantry Division desire very much to attain peace and emphasize to them the beauty of living in a society free from fear of violence and persuade them with their families in peace and economic prosperity."

I salute Commander Jordan for advocating in a troubled region "peace, harmony and prosperity." Some may say that it is an anachronism for a commander of an infantry division of a rebel army to talk about peace, harmony and economic prosperity. It is not. Even rebels who are fighting for lofty ideals get tired of war.

The first time I met with the rebel leader Chairman Nur Misuari at the Davao Insular Hotel in September 1995 after more than 20 years of not having seen each other, I noticed he had rashes all over his face and arms. I asked him what caused the rashes. He told me he had traveled all the way from Sabah, Malaysia aboard his kumpit and his rashes were the result of getting wet by sea water and then the sun drying the skin. To meet me, he had traveled for more than two weeks crossing the Sulu Sea. I told him that being a rebel, one not only has to contend with the police and military but with nature as well. He agreed with me but added that at times nature can be crueler.

Misuari asked me if, having been a rebel myself, I had endured much hardship. Yes, I said, but compared to your more than 20 years of rebel life, mine was a just a small fraction. I was a rebel for only a few years, being the victim of the false prophecies of Karl Marx and Lenin, while he was fighting for justice for his people.

I recall the words of the wife of Nur Misuari, Loida, whom I met at that 1995 meeting. "You know, Ruben, we are tired of this more than 20 years of war." Her words gave me hope that the peace negotiations would be successful. Not only because a rebel's life is extremely difficult but because even rebels know that "every war must end in peace."

[Ruben Torres was labor secretary in the Corazon Aquino administration and executive secretary to former president Fidel Ramos. At present, he is the general secretary of the Asean Trade Union Council. His email address is labormattersph@gmail.com. Follow him @RubenDTorres4.]

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/02/opinion/columns/new-rebel-groups-in-mindanao/1805371

Posted to the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council Website (Jun 30, 2021): Asia Watch: Another kingpin down (By Michael Shannon)

Key militants killed in southern Philippines (Source: Joint Task Force Sulu)

Security forces in Southeast Asia retain an impressive capability to pick-off or jail leaders of jihadist groups, but emptying the well from which they emerge remains a more difficult challenge.

A nephew of the Islamic State (IS) leader in the Philippines and an Abu Sayyaf commander accused of beheadings were among four militants killed by security forces in a dawn raid on June 13 in the southern Sulu islands.

Among those killed was Al-Al Sawadjaan, a suspected bomb maker and the youngest brother of Mundi Sawadjaan, the Philippines military told local media. Both men are nephews of the Abu Sayyaf commander and IS leader in the Philippines Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan.

The Sawadjaans have been blamed for orchestrating bomb attacks in Jolo, Sulu’s main city, including a bombing in August 2020 that left 14 dead and an attack by two Indonesian suicide bombers at Jolo’s cathedral in January 2019 that killed 23 people.

The prized scalp claimed in the raid was Injam Yadah, an Abu Sayyaf militant notorious for a string of high profile abductions and beheadings. Yadah was accused of being involved in snatching eight Indonesian fishermen in waters off Malaysia in January 2020. Three were immediately released, one was executed in October 2020 and four were rescued by Filipino troops in March 2021. He was also linked to the kidnapping in 2015 of two Canadian tourists who were later beheaded after a ransom payment deadline passed.

The Abu Sayyaf is now believed to number about 200 militants, operating largely out of Sulu and the nearby island of Basilan. Although it is believed to be split into two factions, it remains under the nominal leadership of Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, who has not been heard from since last year.

There is speculation that Hatib died in a clash with the military, but his body has never been found, which raises questions about the apparent leadership void of IS-aligned groups in the region.

The killing of five Abu Sayyaf fighters in a shootout in the Malaysian state of Sabah in May points to a group under pressure – dispersing into small units, even crossing into foreign jurisdictions to evade the Philippines military. The gunfight in Beaufort, a district in western Sabah, occurred more than a week after police arrested eight Abu Sayyaf suspects and 29 others from the same area after a tip-off from Philippine authorities.

The Malaysian police operations illustrate the crucial role that cross-border and inter-agency intelligence sharing play in countering the activities of militant groups. In 2017, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia launched trilateral patrols aimed at preventing acts of piracy and kidnappings at sea along their common maritime boundaries.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Government’s drive to limit the influence of Islamist radicalism risks negative implications for democratic governance, argues a new report from the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC).

The report examines the trajectory of the campaign against extremism from its origins as a reaction to the mass mobilisation in 2016, which brought down the then Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (AKA “Ahok”) on spurious blasphemy charges, to the current drive against the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), an Islamist vigilante group.

The downfall of Ahok, a protégé of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, galvanised the President’s view that extremist Islamist groups had to be reined in. The banning of FPI and Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia, the largest and most visible of such groups, headlined a series of moves to deny “radical”, anti-democratic ideologies access to state institutions.

The IPAC report argues that the definition of radical is “overly broad” and could potentially include any government critics, with no appeal mechanism for those identified. The report also questions the involvement of the military in some aspects of the campaign, arguing it could signal a return to a more political role.

The downfall of the FPI has been striking. Once afforded a large measure of police and military protection for its vigilante-style attacks on “vice”, its excesses have prompted an increasingly hardline response from the Widodo Government.

Its firebrand Islamic cleric leader, Habib Rizieq, was sentenced in May to eight months in prison for encouraging people to attend mass gatherings in violation of COVID-19 protocols. Rizieq returned to Indonesia in November from self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia, pledging to lead a “moral revolution”, with the aim of consolidating hardline Islamic groups against the Widodo Government.

An estimated 50,000 supporters swamped him at Jakarta airport, while two other large gatherings brought things to a head. A clash in December between FPI members and police left six of Rizieq’s bodyguards dead, and Rizieq’s arrest followed soon after. By February, the FPI had been formally banned and most of the group’s top leadership was behind bars.

https://aijac.org.au/australia-israel-review/asia-watch-another-kingpin-down/

From the Voice of America Indonesia Service (Jul 1, 2021): Indonesia Belum Terima Notifikasi Soal Anak WNI yang Disiapkan Jadi “Pengantin” oleh Abu Sayyaf (By Fathiyah Wardah)

Juru bicara Abu Sayyaf Abu Sabaya, kanan depan, terlihat bersama kelompok ekstremis bersenjatanya. (Foto: AP)

Konsulat Jenderal Republik Indonesia (KJRI) Davao belum memperoleh pemberitahuan resmi dari pemerintah Filipina tentang bocah WNI yang disebut akan dipersiapkan oleh Abu Sayyaf untuk menjadi pengebom bunuh diri atau “pengantin”.

JAKARTA (VOA) —Surat kabar Manila Bulletin melaporkan bahwa operasi gabungan militer dan polisi Filipina terhadap kelompok Abu Sayyaf pada pekan lalu berhasil menyelamatkan seorang anak Indonesia, bernama Aisyah.

Dia adalah anak dari pasangan Rullie Rian Zeke dan Ulfa Handayani Saleh, pengebom bunuh diri gereja katedral di Pulau Jolo, selatan Filipina pada 2019.

Penyergapan dilakukan di Kota Patikul, Sulu. Dalam operasi tersebut anggota Abu Sayyaf bernama Sawi, yang berada di bawah kendali seorang pemimpin bernama Arnah Patit, berhasil ditembak mati.

Wilayah pesisir Kota Jolo, Provinsi Sulu, Pulau Mindanao di selatan Filipina, yang menjadi basis kelompok militan Abu Sayyaf, 31 Agustus 2016. (Foto: AFP)

Kepada VOA, Konsul Jenderal Indonesia di Kota Davao, Filipina Selatan, Dicky Fabrian, menjelaskan hingga saat ini pihak Konsulat jenderal Republik Indonesia (KJRI) Davao belum memperoleh pemberitahuan resmi dari pemerintah Filipina.

Dia menambahkan pihaknya mendapat kabar mengenai bocah Indonesia itu dari rilis terbuka yang diumumkan militer Filipina.

"Berbicara mengenai notifikasi resmi dari pemerintah Filipina, sampai hari ini belum ada ke kita. Kita dapat beritanya dari sumber terbuka bahwa ada WNI (warga negara Indonesia) yang ditahan atau diselamatkan oleh aparat keamanan Filipina atas nama Aisyah, perempuan, umur katanya 13 tahun," kata Dicky.

BACA JUGA: 9 Perempuan Terkait Abu Sayyaf Ditangkap di Filipina

Dicky mengaku belum memperoleh informasi apakah Aisyah yang diselamatkan aparat keamanan Filipina itu adalah anak Indonesia yang dipersiapkan oleh Abu Sayyaf untuk menjadi pengebom bunuh diri.

Menurut Dicky, KJRI Davao sudah mengirimkan permintaan akses kekonsuleran untuk menemui Aisyah, tetapi sampai sekarang permintaan tersebut belum dipenuhi.

Berdasarkan rilis dari militer Filipina, lanjut Dicky, Aisyah sekarang ini berada dalam perlindungan militer Filipina di Provinsi Sulu. Aisyah adalah adik dari Cici yang sudah ditahan pihak berwenang Filipina terkait kegiatan terorisme.

Polisi Filipina bersenjata mengawal warga negara Indonesia, Muhamad Sofyan ketika mereka meninggalkan rumah sakit di kota Jolo, Provinsi Sulu, di selatan pulau Mindanao pada 17 Agustus 2016, setelah dia melarikan diri dari para penculiknya, kelompok Abu Sayyaf. (Foto: AFP)

Kepada militer Filipina, Cici mengaku sebagai warga negara Malaysia. Namun, pihak keamanan merasa yakin Cici merupakan warga negara Indonesia.

Dicky menambahkan dirinya sudah bertemu Cici di Kota Zamboanga. Dia mengaku orang Indonesia. Dia membenarkan bahwa orang tuanya, yaitu Rullie Rian Zeke dan Ulfa Handayani Saleh, adalah pelaku bom bunuh diri di katedral di Jolo dua tahun lalu. Ibunya bernama Ulfa Handayani Saleh dari Makassar dan ayahnya bernama Rullie Rian Zeke, orang Padang.

Kepada Dicky, Cici bercerita bahwa ibunya mengajaknya bersama dua adiknya, Aisyah dan Abdullah, ke Filipina untuk bertemu ayah mereka. Cici sekarang ini berumur 17 tahun.

Mereka berempat pergi ke Filipina sekitar 2017 atau 2018 dan transit lebih dulu di Malaysia. Di negara jiran itu, Cici dipaksa menikah dengan pria Indonesia bernama Andi Baso.

Mereka berlima lantas pergi ke Filipina Selatan melalui jalur tidak resmi dan tiba di Jolo. Di sanalah Cici bersama ibu dan dua adiknya, Aisyah serta Abdullah, bertemu ayah mereka. Namun Cici dan suaminya, Andi Baso, tinggal terpisah dengan orang tua Cici. Ayah dan ibu Cici bersama Aisyah dan Abdullah menetap di lokasi lain.

Dengan alasan ingin mengambil uang untuk pulang ke Indonesia, orang tua bersama kedua adiknya pergi meninggalkan Cici dan suaminya. Itulah kali terakhir Cici bertemu mereka hingga mendapat kabar orang tuanya tewas setelah melakukan serangan bom bunuh diri di Jolo.

BACA JUGA: Dibantu Filipina, Malaysia Tangkap Militan Abu Sayyaf

Dicky mengaku belum mengetahui nasib Abdullah, adik bungsu dari Aisyah. Sebab di dalam rilis yang dilansir militer Filipina tidak disebutkan mengenai Abdullah.

Pengamat terorisme dari Universitas Indonesia Muhammad Syauqillah mengatakan pihak berwenang Indonesia harus mengevaluasi secara langsung tentang kadar radikalisme Aisyah sebelum memutuskan apakah akan dikembalikan kepada keluarganya di Indonesia atau tidak.

"Setiap warga negara Indonesia, apapun itu kebijakannya, perlu ada penilaian dari aparat keamananb kita, dalam konteks ini adalah BNPT (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme) dan Densus 88. Jadi perlu dinilai dulu (kadar radikalisme Aisyah) sebelum diputuskan langkah selanjutnya," ujar Syauqillah.

Pasukan Gabungan Sulu Filipina mengamankan kawasan di mana mereka bentrok dengan kombatan kelompok militan Abu Sayyaf di Provinsi Sulu, selatan Filipina, 31 Mei 2019. (Foto: AP)

Syauqillah menambahkan kasus yang menimpa Aisyah mirip sejumlah keluarga Indonesia lainnya yang mengajak anggota keluarga mereka ke Suriah untuk berjihad. Setelah ISIS jatuh di Irak dan Suriah, Filipina Selatan menjadi tempat baru untuk berjihad bersama keluarga seperti dilakoni oleh orang tua Aisyah.

Menurut Syauqillah, pelibatan keluarga dalam berjihad sudah berlangsung lama sejak era Jamaah Islamiyah. Namun, sekarang ini anggota keluarga, seperti istri dan anak, juga dilibatkan dalam lakukan serangan teror atau bom bunuh diri. [fw/ft]

https://www.voaindonesia.com/a/indonesia-belum-terima-notifikasi-soal-anak-wni-yang-disiapkan-jadi-pengantin-oleh-abu-sayyaf-/5949366.html

Posted to the Relief Web (Jul 1, 2021): Philippines: Mindanao Displacement Dashboard, May 2021 - Issue No. 81

Protection Cluster UNHCR

Posted 1 Jul 2021

Originally published 1 Jul 2021

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DISPLACEMENT OVERVIEW

As of the 31st of May, an estimate total number of 30,180 families (154,835 individuals) are currently displaced in Mindanao. Those displaced can be classified into three main groups, depending on the length of displacement:

Group A: 742 families (3,629 individuals) remain displaced out of 1,513 families displaced within the month;

Group B: 6,730 families (39,713 individuals) remain displaced, and have been protractedly displaced for more than 30 days but less than 180 days; and

Group C: 22,708 families (111,493 individuals) remain displaced and have been protractedly displaced for more than 180 days. Those classified under Group C are concentrated in five main areas:

Zamboanga City: 781 families (3,905 individuals) still displaced due to Zamboanga siege in September 2013.

Lanao del Sur 17,446 families (87,230 individuals) still displaced due to Marawi siege in May 2017.

Bukidnon: 224 families (927 individuals) still displaced due to armed conflict between Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and New People’s Army (NPA) since June 2018.

Northern Mindanao: 29 families (145 individuals) still displaced due to STS Vinta (Temblin) in December 2017, 14 families (62 individuals) still displaced due to Typhoon Falcon in July 2019. 96 families (480 individuals) due to AFP vs. NPA armed conflict in Iligan City in June 2020.

BARMM Island Provinces: 902 families (4,500 individuals) still displaced due to armed conflict and crime & violence since August 2017.

Davao del Sur: 1,436 families (5,344 individuals) and Cotabato province: 1,780 families (8,900 individuals) due to earthquakes.

In May 2021, an estimate total number of 1,513 families (7,479 individuals) were displaced in Mindanao due to natural disasters (5,310 individuals), armed conflict (1,654 individuals) and crime and violence (515 individuals).

https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/philippines-mindanao-displacement-dashboard-may-2021-issue-no-81

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 2, 2021): AFP nudges CHR to dig deeper into Absalons’ slay (By Lade Jean Kabagani)

Kieth Absalon (Photo courtesy of Facebook)

MANILA – The Armed Forces of the Philippines Center for Law of Armed Conflict (AFPCLOAC) has requested the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to conduct a lateral investigation on the Masbate incident that killed college football player Kieth Absalon and his cousin, Nolven.

Brig. Gen. Jose Alejandro Nacnac, Director of the AFPCLOAC, sent a request letter to CHR Chair Jose Luis Martin Gascon to probe the “abhorrent, despicable, and reprehensible” attack perpetrated by the New People’s Army (NPA) on June 6, 2021.

“As vanguards of HR and International Humanitarian Law, we ask that your office pursue justice for the Absalons and all victims of the most recent anti-personnel mine (APM) explosions and the protection of civilians against the use of APM by the NPA and CTGs (communist terrorist groups). We also solicit your assistance and support in the overall effort of the government to end local communist armed conflict,” stated the letter dated June 29.

Nacnac condemned the incident, saying the NPA rebels must be held liable for indiscriminate use of APM and attack on innocent civilians.

“The continued use by NPAs of anti-personnel mines and improvised explosive devices (IED) that kill and maim civilians and soldiers in wanton disregard and intentional violation of International Humanitarian Law is disturbing and should be stopped,” Nacnac said in a statement on Friday.

Nacnac noted the "civilian-combatant distinction is a cardinal principle" of international humanitarian law, "intended to minimize harm to civilians by keeping violence a matter for combatants".

Citing Section 14 of Republic Act (RA) No. 9851, or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity signed into law on Dec. 11, 2009, Nacnac said the communist leader orchestrating the violent attacks must also face criminal charges.

"In addition to other grounds of criminal responsibility for crimes defined and penalized under RA 9851, Section 10 thereof provides that NPA leaders like Joma Sison shall be criminally responsible as a principal for such crimes committed by subordinates under his/her effective command and control, or effective authority and control as the case may be, as a result of his/her failure to properly exercise control over such subordinates," Nacnac added.

"The liability of leaders of these CTGs for the harm and damage their subordinates had inflicted on non-combatants must not be left unpunished," he continued.

In May, the CHR vowed to investigate the 1,506 atrocities and IHL violations committed by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA and the National Democratic Front from 2010 to 2020.

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

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145818

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 2, 2021): Military assets deployed to aid towns near Taal Volcano (By Priam Nepomuceno)

A view of Taal Volcano in Batangas (File photo)

Military personnel, vehicles and equipment have been deployed to assist in several Batangas towns affected by Taal Volcano's unrest, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Friday.

AFP spokesperson Marine Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said two military trucks come from the 2nd Infantry Division and a towable fuel and forward deployed to the Philippine Air Force's 730th Combat Group in Nasugbu town.

"We have placed more personnel on alert and ready for immediate deployment. Communications equipment were also deployed," Arevalo said.

Other units of the Southern Luzon Command are on standby and ready to assist anytime, he added.

The AFP’s Joint Task Group Taal, led by Brig. Gen. Rommel Tello, is coordinating with local chief executives in monitoring the volcano, now under Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest).

Other military units were constituted as disaster response teams, including officer-led reservists with equipment placed on standby alert and prepositioned at the Fernando Airbase in Lipa City.

"We will continue monitoring the situation and the developments," Arevalo said. "We are prepared to assist and to assume the lead with the PNP when needed."

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145715

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 2, 2021): CTGs in Northern, Central Luzon on the verge of total collapse (By Zorayda Tecson)

INTENSIFIED SECURITY OPS. LT. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo B. Burgos Jr., chief of the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), said the communist terrorist groups in Northern and Central Luzon are on the verge of total collapse as the intensified security operations continue to gain grounds in the areas. Burgos made this statement on Friday (July 2, 2021) following the influx of surrenders from the ranks of the communist rebels and withdrawal of support by party members of the communist terrorist affiliated mass organizations all over Northern and Central Luzon. (Contributed Photo)

Communist terrorist groups (CTGs) in Northern and Central Luzon are on the verge of total collapse as intensified government security operations continue to gain ground in both areas.

Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo B. Burgos Jr., chief of the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), made this statement on Friday following the influx of surrenders from the ranks of the communist rebels and withdrawal of support by party members of the communist terrorist affiliated mass organizations all over Northern and Central Luzon.

Based on the record of Nolcom for the second quarter of the year, a total of 205 communist rebels have surrendered, along with 109 firearms.

Of the total surrenderers, 143 are New People’s Army (NPA) rebels while 62 are members of the Militia ng Bayan.

The most recent surrenderers are five communist rebels and one Militia ng Bayan on June 30, 2021 at Barangay Balagan, San Mariano, Isabela.

They yielded five firearms, 100 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, and 12 improvised explosive devices.

Likewise, 558 supporters from the different NPA-affiliated mass organizations expressed their withdrawal of support from the terrorist group.

These are in addition to the 12 communist rebels who were neutralized in an encounter and joint law enforcement operations for the period.

Burgos, in his statement, emphasized that they are at the “forefront in the campaign to end the local communist armed conflict in Northern and Central Luzon”.

He cited that around two to three communist rebels surrender to the government troops with a firearm being handed over daily.

He said that this is a clear indication that it is just a matter of time that the communist terrorist groups will be defeated.

“We will ensure to usher our brothers and sisters to enter a new life of peace and progress through the government’s E-CLIP (Enhanced-Comprehensive Local Integration Program). With these developments, I encourage the remnants of the communist rebels in Northern and Central Luzon to abandon their armed struggle, return to the folds of the law and live a peaceful and prosperous life with their families”, he added.

“As we have evaluated our gains, we will continue to build up our momentum in decimating the few remaining members of the communist terrorist group. We will not stop until the entire Northern and Central Luzon are declared free of insurgency," he said.

The CPP-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/1145800

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 2, 2021): Tips from locals lead to clash, recovery of NPA bombs (By Perla Lena)

THANKFUL. Major Cenon Pancito III, chief of the 3rd Division Public Affairs Office (3DPAO), on Friday (July 2, 2021) said the military is thankful to residents for giving them prompt information on the presence of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army in Sitio Tabiay, Barangay Buri in Tapaz, Capiz. The information led to an almost one-hour encounter on July 1, 2021. (PNA file photo)

Information from residents on the presence of the members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) rebels in Sitio Tabiay, Barangay Buri in Tapaz, Capiz resulted in an almost an hour encounter with government troops in the area and recovery of materials used to make anti-personnel mines (APM) on Thursday.

Major Cenon Pancito III, chief of the 3rd Division Public Affairs Office (3DPAO), on Friday said that what happened was a “classic example of the people and the Philippine Army working together”.

“There was really an encounter but our recoveries were the ones that they left behind in the area and most of which are really materials used in making anti-personnel mines,” he said in an interview.

No one was hurt among the government soldiers, Pancito added.

Those recovered include one APM, nine backpacks, six hammocks, 150 meters of electrical wire, a binocular, five liters of gasoline, a container filled with fertilizer, medical supplies, subversive documents, assorted food supplies, and personal belongings.

He added that they were thankful for the prompt information provided by residents, thus they were able to pre-empt any plans of the CPP-NPA against the government forces or any of their targets.

He said that it is an indication that the government is “winning the war against insurgency, against the CPP-NPA”.

Pancito added that the community support program (CSP) deployed in strategic areas of central Panay has ended on the second quarter of the year but the Philippine Army has left behind dedicated forces that will react immediately in case there are movements on the part of the CPP-NPA.

While there were no forces deployed specifically in Barangay Buri, yet they are also covered by teams deployed in the vicinity.

Buri is about a four-hour walk from the main road, which is about 10 kilometers away from the town proper.

Pancito called on the public not to worry when there are encounters at this time, instead, they have to be more afraid when they know that the area is part of the guerilla zone of the CCP-NPA and no encounter was recorded because it means the people “are sympathetic with the New People’s Army”.

“This time around it’s different. The people are the ones telling us that we should be there in the area to protect them,” he added.

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

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145824

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 2, 2021): Gov't troops discover Reds' arms cache in Mt. Province (By Liza Agoot)

WAR MATERIALS. Government troops discover an arms cache in Besao, Mountain Province on Thursday (July 1, 2021). Police Regional Office Cordillera information officer, Capt. Marnie Abellanida, said among those recovered were an M16 rifle, explosives, electrical wires, two-way radios, cellular phone, and other items. (Photo courtesy of PROCor PIO)

Joint troops of the Mountain Province police and Philippine Army (PA) discovered an arms cache of the New People's Army in Besao town, Mountain Province on Thursday, the Police Regional Office Cordillera (PROCor) said on Friday.

Capt. Marnie Abellanida, PROCor information officer, said that government forces recovered weapons and communication materials at the CTG facility in Barangay Gueday including an Elisco M16 A1 rifle with defaced serial number, 2.3 kilograms command-detonated explosives, and four one-kilogram command-detonated explosives. These items were brought to the 69th IB detachment based in Ilocos Sur for proper disposition.

The officer said other seized items include 100 meters of electrical wire, two Motorola radios, an Icom radio with charger, cellular phone, and electrical digital tester.

He said the arms cache was discovered based on information from a community member.

Abellanida added that the government is pursuing its various programs to end the local armed conflict.

"Seryoso po ang gobyerno sa kanyang kagustuhan na matapos na ang kaguluhan sa pagitan ng mga miyembro ng maka-kaliwang grupo at ng gobyerno (the government is serious in its aim to end the hostilities between the members of the left-leaning organization and the government)," he said.

He urged people who have been "lost" to avail of government programs and assistance as the administration pursues effort to end the decades-long insurgency.

"There are programs to help them change to a better and peaceful life," Abellanida said.

The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-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/1145745

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 2, 2021): 42 guns seized from NPA supporters in Sarangani (By Allen Estabillo)

Government troops seized 42 illegal firearms from suspected supporters of the New People’s Army (NPA) in focused military operations in Maitum town, Sarangani province on Thursday.

Col. Eduardo Gubat, commanding officer of the Army’s 603rd Brigade, said the firearms were confiscated by elements of the 38th Infantry Battalion (IB) from various personalities who are reportedly members of the NPA’s “Milisya ng Bayan”.

Gubat said the troops were operating in parts of barangays Batian and Zion in Maitum when they recovered the weapons, mostly homemade shotguns.

The “Milisya ng Bayan” unit, part of the support mechanism of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) - NPA, was under the Platoon West of Guerilla Front 73 (Musa) - Far South Mindanao Region, he said.

“Our troops are currently conducting dialogue with the villagers so that they will not anymore be deceived by the communist terrorist group,” Gubat said in a report.

He added that their units have been conducting clearing operations in the area, which is near the province’s boundaries with South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.

The confiscated firearms, he said, were brought to the 38IB headquarters in Barangay Kamanga, Maasim town for safekeeping.

Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, Joint Task Force Central commander, said in a statement the operation was a proactive measure to preempt the terrorist plots and criminal activities in the area.

“Our aggressive drive against terrorism and lawlessness (in these areas will) continue,” Uy said.

The CPP-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/1145770

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 2, 2021): 2 former insurgency-hit areas get electricity (By John Andrew Tabugoc)

EMPOWERING SUB-VILLAGES. Households in mountainous Sitio Natuyukan, Barangay Balite were energized by Cotelco on Thursday (July 1, 2021) under the Sitio Electrification Program in Magpet, North Cotabato. Municipal Administrator Jupiter Rubino (inset) and the Cotelco team cross the river for another energization activity in Sitio Kirundong, Barangay Kinarum of the same town. (Photos courtesy of Magpet LGU)

MAGPET, North Cotabato – The Cotabato Electric Cooperative (Cotelco), the province’s power provider, launched on Thursday afternoon the lighting of 143 households in two remote sub-villages here – both former encounter zones between government forces and communist New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas.

Jay Gonzaga, executive assistant of Mayor Florenito Gonzaga, and Jupiter Rubino, the municipal administrator and concurrent member of the Cotelco’s board of directors, led the separate onsite ceremonial switch-on before the recipients of the energization program in the adjoining areas.

“This is the promising mission of the Sitio Electrification Program (SEP), which is to bring electricity to the countryside to increase progress and attain sustainable development,” Rubino said.

The activity energized 60 households in remote Sitio Natuyukan, Barangay Balite, and 83 houses in Sitio Kirundong, Barangay Kinarum – both Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) communities on the hilly part of this town.

The beneficiaries only paid PHP117 with a free 30-meter drop wire, kilowatt meter, two bulbs, and a power outlet added with free-of-charge household installation.

As a counterpart, the local government unit offered the free issuance of building and electrical permits to reduce the burden of beneficiaries to comply with Cotelco’s prerequisite requirements.

“We will continue to grant options that could minimize your monetary requirements to avail (of) this significant project, such as this (electrification) for you,” Gonzaga told the beneficiaries in the vernacular.

According to Rubino, the Ubo Manuvu settlers have long been waiting to experience the benefit of electrification that could help their livelihood and respond to their students’ needs at home.

The villages were once a haven of insurgents due to their terrain and distance from the town proper.

Residents were often forced to evacuate to safer grounds due to atrocities.

“Now we can really see the benefits of electricity and it’s worth it after the long wait,” Danny Enoc, the leader of Sitio Natuyukan, said in Manobo language.

Rubino said the SEP would energize soon three other sub-villages here targeting 114 households in Sitio Bantaan, Bagumbayan; Sitio Tribal, Barangay Imamaling; and Sitio Malinao II in Barangay Magcaalam.

The SEP, a nationally-funded program under the National Electrification Administration, pursues rural electrification for countryside development.

The Cotelco has a total of 37 sitios (sub-villages) in the province to be energized under the program this year.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145709

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 1, 2021): DAR awards land titles to ex-rebels, over 600 farmers in Isabela (By Villamor Visaya, Jr.)

NEW LAND OWNER. Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones awards a certificate of land ownership to a beneficiary in Barangay Villapaz, Naguilian, Isabela on Thursday (July 1, 2021). More than 600 farmers received land titles in the province, including seven former rebels. (Photo by Villamor Visaya Jr.)

NAGUILIAN, Isabela – To give more Isabelinos land tenure, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary John Castriciones led the distribution of 670 certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) to as many farmer-beneficiaries, including seven rebel-returnees in this province on Thursday.

The CLOAs cover 840.6961 hectares of farms, said the secretary, who toured Villapaz village in this town and some areas in Jones and Delfin Albano for the distribution of the titles, along with farm equipment and support services.

The seven former rebels received a total of 15.4366 hectares of farmland, Castriciones noted.

Also distributed were 43 units of brand-new motorcycles with sidecars locally called "kolong-kolong", two units of multi-purpose vans and a farm tractor to farmers' organizations.

Castriciones also led the groundbreaking and memorandum-signing for 150 houses in the Balai Farmers housing project in Villapaz village here, among other activities.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, he said they have been working "triple time", "which led to many distributions of land titles during this period.”

Castriciones said they have been exerting more effort in land acquisition and distribution, assisting agrarian reform beneficiaries who need legal intervention through adjudication and mediation, and delivery of support services such as social infrastructure and local capability building, agri-business and rural development and access facilitation services.

Earlier, DAR also distributed 63 CLOAs to beneficiaries in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya; 12 CLOAs to beneficiaries in Furagui, Solana, Cagayan; three CLOAs to recipients in Padul, Solana, Cagayan; and 14 to beneficiaries in Baggao, Cagayan.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145669

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jul 2, 2021): 12 ex-rebels get P664K in cash aid (BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN)

More than P600,000 in financial assistance was recently given to 12 former New People’s Army rebels in Negros Oriental, under the government Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.

Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, assisted by Col. Leonardo Peña, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, and P/Col. Glenn Mayam, provincial police officer-in-charge, and a representative of the Office of the Presidential Adviser–Visayas, led the distribution of financial assistance to the 12 former rebels, five of whom used to be regular fighters of the NPA, while the seven others were Yunit Milisya members, on June 24 in Dumaguete City.

The former rebels surrendered to the 62nd Infantry Battalion.

ASSISTANCE

Lt. Col. Melvin Flores, 62IB commander, said the seven NPA para-military men received P15,000 each as immediate assistance, while five others got P65,000 each in livelihood assistance. Four of them also received a total of P234,000 for surrendering four .38 caliber revolvers and an M16 assault rifle, Flores said.

A total of P273,000 in firearms remuneration and immediate financial assistance was earlier given to 28 former rebels, who also surrendered to the 62IB in Guihulngan City. Fifty-six other former rebels also availed of P3 million in assistance from the Guihulngan City Task Force- ELCAC, he added. The former rebels also received P50,000 each from Degamo.

https://news.visayandailystar.com/12-ex-rebels-get-p664k-in-cash-aid/

Posted to the Palawan News (Jul 2, 2021): OP-ED: 75 Years of U.S.-Philippine Friendship (By John Law)

On July 4, 1946, President Manuel Roxas and U.S. High Commissioner Paul McNutt signed the Treaty of Manila, establishing the independence of the Republic of the Philippines. The document touted “the unity of American and Philippine ideals,” and heralded a “new era of the two Governments and peoples…bound as closely as ever by ties of friendship and mutual trust.” In his Philippine Independence Day message last month, President Biden reaffirmed this connection, saying, “Our people are forever connected through our deep bonds and shared sacrifices of valor, of family, and of friendship.”

These shared ideals were lyrically expressed 245 years ago in another Declaration, which proclaimed the inalienable rights, freedom, and equality of all persons. Our two democracies continue to be guided by this “unity of ideals” as we strive to fulfill those lofty goals and ensure prosperity, security, and opportunity for all. This Independence Day, I am heartened by the examples set by so many individuals in both countries whose efforts and accomplishments vividly embody those principles.

Both our nations celebrate and reward creativity, hard work, and entrepreneurial spirit. This is exemplified by the brilliance and ingenuity of tech executive Dr. Dan Lachica, who, after making his career in Silicon Valley, returned to the Philippines to help build a cutting-edge semiconductor industry back home. We see it in Fil-Am chef and Kora Bakery co-founder Kimberly Camara, whose desserts, inspired by Camara’s memories of cooking with her lola, now delight New Yorkers with Filipino flavors.

A further testament to our shared democratic principles are the growing ranks of Filipino-American leaders elected and appointed to public office in the United States. We are delighted when outstanding Filipinos find their experiences in the U.S. of value to their endeavors here, such as Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto, who was recently recognized by the U.S. State Department as one of 12 International Anticorruption Champions. Mayor Sotto was a 2018 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellow, through which he completed a professional residency in the United States at the Iowa Public Information Board, helping inform his impressive anti-corruption initiatives.

Justifiably renowned are the histories of bravery and sacrifice of Filipinos and Americans who fought side by side for freedom eight decades ago. Yet our defense ties are no mere relic of history. Year after year, our armed forces grow stronger, closer, and more interoperable through joint training and exercises. The U.S. military is further enriched by the contributions of Filipino-American service members such as Char McGinnis, recently promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force. Her promotion ceremony was held aboard the USS Missouri, the site of the Japanese surrender that ended World War II, in honor of her Filipino grandfather, a veteran of that conflict.

Those profound historic roots are constantly nourished by robust ongoing educational and scientific cooperation — investments to ensure our relationship continues flourishing in the future. We are excited by the successes of talented young people like Filipino scholar Farrell Eldrian Wu, who recently graduated from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a perfect 5.0 GPA, and Fil-Am NASA engineer Gregorio Villar III, whose work helped ensure the safe landing of the NASA Perseverance rover on the surface of Mars. The more than four million Filipinos in the USA, and more than 350,000 Americans living in the Philippines, knit our countries ever closer together and show that our peoples, literally and figuratively, are one family.

The U.S.-Philippine relationship is indeed “Thriving at 75.” These deep bonds and shared ideals give me confidence that, for generations to come, the United States and the Philippines will be “bound as closely as ever by ties of friendship and mutual trust.” Para sa mas matibay na samahan!

https://palawan-news.com/75-years-of-u-s-philippine-friendship/