Saturday, March 7, 2015

Another village chief shot in Agusan del Sur town

From ABS-CBN (Mar 8): Another village chief shot in Agusan del Sur town

AGUSAN DEL SUR -- Another barangay chairman in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur was involved in a shooting incident Friday.

Barangay Azpetia Chairman Ricky Antallan was waiting for a ride when he was shot by two unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen past 6 p.m. in Purok 10, Barangay Poblacion in Prosperidad.

He was able to run and cry for help but the gunmen followed and continued shooting him.

A 17-year-old vendor was also injured in the incident.

Both victims were rushed to the hospital. Antallan was later transferred to Tagum Regional Hospital in in Davao del Norte. He is now in critical condition.

Investigation on the incident is ongoing.

This is the second shooting incident in Prosperidad this week. On March 5, Barangay Santa Maria Chairman Gilbert Perez was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen, also in Barangay Poblacion.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/03/07/15/another-village-chief-shot-agusan-del-sur-town

Abu Sayyaf member arrested in Basilan

From GMA News (Mar 7): Abu Sayyaf member arrested in Basilan

A member of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group was arrested Saturday afternoon in a joint police-military operation in Basilan province.
 
Police and Air Force personnel arrested Abdullah Asalin at 2:20 p.m. at Valderosa St., Barangay La Piedad in Isabela City, GMA News stringer Peewee Bacuño reported.
 
The report, citing information from the Basilan provincial police office, said Asalin is the subject of an arrest warrant for kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom.
 
It added Asalin is now in the custody of the Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) police’s Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division.
 
He will be brought to Zamboanga City, the police added.
 

2 more BIFF members killed in Mindanao clash — military

From GMA News (Mar 8): 2 more BIFF members killed in Mindanao clash — military

Two more members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters were killed in another encounter with government troops in Mindanao Sunday morning, the military said.

Armed Forces of the Philippines public affairs head Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said the latest encounter occurred at 7:15 a.m.

"Marines kill 2 BIFF bandits, seized one M14 rifle and one M1 Garand, in another encounter at 7:15am today," he said.

He did not immediately give further details.

Earlier, Cabunoc said at least two BIFF members were killed in a firefight with government troops Saturday night.

He said one of the slain BIFF members wore a Special Action Force uniform.
Ranger Cabunzky @HaroldCabunoc94       
Marines kill 2 BIFF in a firefight at 10pm last night in S Saydona. 1 dead bandit wore SAF uniform. Troops Seized 1 60mm mortar, 1 M14 rifle

4 more BIFF men killed in Maguindanao clash

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 8): 4 more BIFF men killed in Maguindanao clash

Four more Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) men were killed in a series of encounters with pursuing government troops in Barangay Pusao, Shariff Saydona town, Maguindanao Saturday night, the military reported.

This brought the total number of BIFF dead since Friday night to 18.

Also recovered by the military following the 10 p.m. clash were four-high powered firearms.

Lt. Col. Willy Manalang, Marine Battalion Landing Team-8 commanding officer, said his troops engaged the group of Filipino terrorist Basit Usman.

"I sent a small-size patrol composed of the 63rd Force Recon Company led by Capt. Bernardo and the Special Operations Platoon 8 led by 1st Lt. Duliquez to track down the 20-man group of Usman. My troops surprised the enemy and engaged them in a firefight," he added.

Employing fire and maneuver, the troops overwhelmed the bandits, forcing them to flee in disarray after 15 minutes of heavy firefight.

Marines seized a 60mm mortar and one US M-14 rifle from the bandits.

Two of the four BIFF dead were left behind in the encounter site, one of them wearing a Special Action Force uniform.

"I believe that these bandits were among those who butchered the members of the 55th SAC (Special Action Company) in (Barangay) Tukanalipao (Mamasapano) last January. Despite their crimes, we will turn them over to the community leaders to be given decent Islamic burial," Manalang said.

As the troops followed the blood traces left by the elusive group of Usman, the blocking elements of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-6 engaged the bandits a kilometer away in the same village at around 7:15 a.m. Sunday.

Lt. Col. Armando Custodio, Marine Battalion Landing Team-6 commanding officer, said that his security elements led by 1st Lt. Aljun Salinas chanced upon 30 BIFF bandits, triggering a heavy exchange of fires.

"My troops were in a vantage position and we rained bullets on the bandits, causing heavy casualties on their side. We engaged them in a running gun battle that lasted about an hour, after which they fled carrying their wounded and dead comrades," he said.

Salinas and his men confiscated two high-powered firearms, including a US M-1 Garand Rifle and a US M-14 Rifle from the BIFF.

A notorious bomber, Usman, and five foreign terrorists are believed to be moving around the so-called "SPMS Box" in Maguindanao together with the group of Mohammad Ali Tambako, the leader of the Justice for Islamic Movement (JIM), a 30-man strong break-away group of the BIFF.

 http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=742408

Aide betrayed Marwan

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Mar 8): Aide betrayed Marwan

Informer slain by terrorist himself

It was the right-hand man of Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” who gave him away, according to a Catholic priest who has knowledge of the Special Action Force (SAF) operation against the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, on Jan. 25.

But Marwan’s aide did not live to collect the $6-million reward offered by the United States for the capture of one of Southeast Asia’s deadliest terrorists.

Marwan shot and killed him before he himself was shot dead by the SAF commandos in his hut in the middle of a cornfield in Tukanalipao village in Mamasapano, Fr. Eliseo Mercado, OMI, said.

“He was one of those immediately killed in the house of Marwan,” Mercado said in an interview in Tagaytay City, quoting his sources in the government and the Moro rebel movement.

It could not be determined as of press time, if Marwan’s betrayer was a member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

When he was president of Notre Dame University in Cotabato City from 1992 to 2002, Mercado was drawn into the peace process in Mindanao. He was also involved in interreligious dialogue and cooperation between Christians and Muslims.

Dr. Antonio J. Montalvan II, an Inquirer columnist, described Mercado as a “tried and tested barometer for Mindanao peace.”

Mercado did not identify Marwan’s aide, who he said became an asset of the SAF and the contact of US security forces.

He could not say, however, whether the aide was a member of the MILF before he linked up with the Malaysian-born Marwan.

According to Mercado, the aide had been staying with Marwan for some time and was with the bomber minutes before the SAF commandos barged into the hut at past 2 a.m. on Jan. 25.

“He was with Marwan to make sure that Marwan was in the house, because the house of Marwan was already being monitored the night before,” Mercado said.

At 2 a.m., the aide went out, presumably to meet with the assault team from the 84th SAF Seaborne Company headed by Supt. Raymond Train and led the commandos to the hut, where they found Marwan, who was awake, he said.

“Marwan [became suspicious] of his aide. Why was he going out early in the morning? And he was waiting for the return of the aide. When he came back with the SAF, Marwan was awake and he was able to shoot the informant,” he said.

Named in Senate probe

Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the committee on public order that led the Senate investigation into the Mamasapano clash, confirmed that resource persons gave the identity of the informant during the closed-door sessions.

“It will be stated in our committee report,” she said in a text message, without giving details.

The commandos shot and killed Marwan, cut off his right index finger, and sent the terse text “Mike One, Bingo” to Director Getulio Napeñas, then the SAF commander, to inform him of the success of the mission.

Marwan’s bodyguards staying with his Filipino deputy, Basit Usman, in another hut 30 to 40 meters away had been roused by the gunfire, Mercado said.

As they were exiting Marwan’s hut, the commandos came under fire from his bodyguards and Usman, who later escaped, he said.

“As they were getting out, lo and behold, the bodyguards of Marwan were waiting for them. That was the second firefight between Marwan’s group and the SAF,” he said.

At daybreak, the withdrawing SAF forces ran into rebels from the MILF and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and a gun battle that would last for 12 hours began.

Forty-four SAF troopers, 18 rebels and five civilians were killed in the clash.

Sources said Marwan trained his aide in explosives before the man was arrested for a bombing.

While in jail, he became an asset of the SAF. Then he went back to Marwan.

US monitoring

Marwan’s finger was given to US security forces who kept tabs on the mission to capture him, Mercado told the Inquirer.

Quoting sources in the government, Mercado said two members of the US military monitored the operation with Napeñas at the SAF tactical command post in Shariff Aguak town, Maguindanao.

The two Americans and Napeñas followed the operation from the departure of the 392 SAF commandos on the night of Jan. 24 to the raid on Marwan’s hideout in Mamasapano early on Jan. 25, Mercado said.

The three stayed long at the command post to monitor the gun battle between the SAF commandos and the Moro rebels, he said.

They monitored the fighting through “drone feed,” he said.

A drone that hovered over Mamasapano during the firefight was caught on cell-phone camera by a member of the assault team. It was believed to have originated from the US drone center in Zamboanga City.

In the afternoon of that Sunday, four more members of the US military arrived in a helicopter at the command post to check the bodies of slain troopers and the wounded, Mercado said.

“It was given to them,” Mercado said, referring to Marwan’s finger. “[T]hey carried it onto the helicopter, all six of them.”

The six Americans flew out of the SAF command post on the night of Jan. 25, bringing with them Marwan’s finger and their equipment, Mercado said.

“All of them evacuated. There were no traces anymore. The helicopter was there to obliterate any trace of the Americans. The main purpose was to extricate their personnel. Napeñas never mentioned that,” he said, referring to the testimonies at the Senate of Napeñas.

Ceasefire broken

Napeñas did not coordinate “Oplan Exodus”—the operation to take down Marwan and Usman—with the military or with the PNP officer in charge, Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, until after the mission had been launched.

By the time Napeñas called for military backup, it was already too late. The military organized a rescue mission, but could not attack the rebels because of the ceasefire between the government and the MILF.

Until the Mamasapano clash, the ceasefire had been holding since 2011. The government and the MILF signed a peace agreement in March last year.

Widespread public anger over the deaths of the 44 SAF commandos has delayed the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which would establish a new and bigger autonomous region for Muslims in Mindanao.

Passage of the proposed Bangsamoro charter had been planned for this month, but discussions in the Senate and the House of Representatives were suspended to give way to inquiries into the Mamasapano clash.

Now Congress is looking to pass the BBL by the close of the regular session in June, leaving a shorter transition period before the new Bangsamoro officials are elected in May 2016.

Proof of US role

The presence of the Americans at the SAF command post could be proof of direct US involvement in the operation, said Mercado, a faculty member of the Graduate School of Notre Dame University in Cotabato City, teaching peace and development studies.

“The Americans provided intelligence, network and use of drone, as well as information on the whereabouts of Marwan and [Usman],” he said, citing government sources.

Besides cutting off Marwan’s finger for DNA tests, the commandos also hastily took pictures of the body as the gunfire had roused the terrorist’s bodyguards, Mercado said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed that lab tests on the sample provided by the Philippine government matched DNA from Marwan’s brother Rahmat bin Hir, who is detained in the United States.

Poe confirmed that the matter of who received Marwan’s finger was tackled during the executive sessions.

“That was discussed. As to who handled and what was done with it will be in our committee report,” she said in a text message. “I cannot confirm also who discussed it with us in our executive session.”

Resource persons who provided information during the closed-door sessions included the resigned PNP chief, Director General Alan Purisima, Napeñas, military officials and two SAF survivors.

The Senate committees on public order, peace and finance wrapped up the inquiry after five hearings.

Police officials requested closed-door sessions when asked whether Marwan’s finger was turned over to the FBI.

US funding

An Inquirer source said the United States funded Oplan Exodus.

The Americans trained personnel of the 84th SAF Company at La Vista del Mar Resort in Zamboanga, where the operation was planned, the same source said.

Napeñas acknowledged the US military’s role in intelligence gathering, training of forces, use of equipment and monitoring of the operation.

He confirmed that there were US counterparts at the tactical command post who were monitoring the situation, and that the US military sent in aircraft to airlift the wounded SAF troopers the next day. He denied the United States played a role in the actual operation.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the United States was not involved in the counterterrorism operation in Mamasapano.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/677378/aide-betrayed-marwan

3 gold panners shot dead in Surigao; NPA tagged

From the Manila Standard Today (Mar 8): 3 gold panners shot dead in Surigao; NPA tagged

At least 30  suspected members of the New People’s Army shot dead three gold panners in Barobo, Surigao del Sur, the regional police office said.

The Police Regional Office-13 identified  the victims  as Reginald Ocol Resurreccion, 49, married; Chino Dahuya, 24, single; and Reynaldo Conde, all residents of Barangay Dughan in Barobo. The victims were shot one after the other, police said.

Another panner, Artemio Carrion Dahuya, 49, managed to escape but he was wounded during the massacre, the Surigao del Sur Provincial Police Office said.

The victims were preparing breakfast   at around 5:30 a.m. when 30 armed men wearing  bonnets fired at them, police said.

The survivor  was  100 meters away from the rest of his companions and said he saw gunmen with long firearms shot his three companions.

Dahuya  said he  hid in the grass but one of the gunmen shot him hitting him in the leg.  Dahuya said he fled and went to a barangay Official’s house to seek help.

Barobo municipal police investigators were still  investigating the incident.

Barobo  is some 100 kilometers away from Butuan City, Caraga Region’s capital, which  is known to be gold panning area.

The area has been the source of many conflicts, robbery,  hold-up incidents and killings that eventually earned for it the reputation as “killing fields” since massive gold panning activities started.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/03/08/3-gold-panners-shot-dead-in-surigao-npa-tagged/

Two former and incumbent AFP chiefs say “no to war”

Posted to the MILF Website (Mar 7): Two former and incumbent AFP chiefs say “no to war”

Two former and incumbent AFP chiefs say “no to war”

Two former and the incumbent chiefs of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed their disagreement to “all-out-war” to address Mindanao conflict.

In a recent peace forum organized by the academe and peace advocate groups held at Makati, former AFP chiefs Rodolfo Biazon and Emmanuel Bautista appealed for a peaceful resolution to Mindanao problem.

On the other hand, in an interview by Rappler, Gregorio Catapang, the current AFP Chief said, “It’s easy to call for war. I hope they’ll be the first ones willing to be called to active duty.

“I hope they’re the first ones to volunteer to be in the front lines. I don’t think they even know what kind of war they’re talking about,” Catapang added in the said interview.

Following the Mamasapano incident last January 25 where 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos perished in an encounter with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) forces, there were increasing number of people calling for all-out-war against the MILF.

Opinions demanding for military action against the Moro rebels have been surfacing in social media, television, print and radio.

The MILF forces were blamed for the death of the SAF members who executed a mission to serve warrant of arrest to Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” wanted for his commission of terroristic acts.

Bashers also call the national legislators to junk the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) whose deliberation was suspended by Upper and Lower Chambers to give way to investigation on Mamasapano encounter.

The draft BBL, crafted by members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, is the fruit of 17 years peace negotiation between the Philippine Government and the MILF.

The proposed charter is deemed to help address the decades of conflict involving the Moro secessionist groups in Southern Philippines.

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/764-two-former-and-incumbent-afp-chiefs-say-no-to-war

Groups to launch fact-finding mission in Maguindanao

From the Sun Star-Davao (Mar 7): Groups to launch fact-finding mission in Maguindanao

Progressive and civil society groups will launch relief and fact-finding missions in in Maguindanao affected by an all-out military offensive against rebel groups.

The groups include the Suara Bangsamoro, Panalipdan-Southern Mindanao, Kawagib Moro Human Rights Organization and the Ateneo de Davao University’s University Community Engagement and Advocacy Council (Addu-UCEAC).

Suara Bangsamoro spokesperson Jerome Aba, emailed a statement to Sun.Star Davao, saying: “By doing our own investigation, we can validate that the civilian populations in Maguindanao are victims of state fascism, as they have been deprived of access to basic needs.”

Kim A. Gargar of Panalipdan-Southern Mindanao, said in a separate statement the group will leave for Maguindanao on Tuesday and will be joined by Kawagib Moro Human Rights Organization, Suara Bangsamoro and other volunteer groups from Cotabato City and Davao City.

He said they are planning relief operations and psychosocial interventions for the displaced children in the war-torn areas.

Addu-UCEAC chair Romeo Cabarde Jr. has said they too will join the relief operation as well as stress debriefing programs for the displaced families.

The province of Maguindanao has been declared under a state of calamity after 11 of its municipalities were caught up in the offensive launched by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2015/03/07/groups-launch-fact-finding-mission-maguindanao-396271

Army holds artillery demo in Isabela

From the Sun Star-Zamboanga (Mar 7): Army holds artillery demo in Isabela



ZAMBOANGA. Army’s 8th Field Artillery Battalion troops hold an artillery demonstration during Basilan’s “Pakaradjaan Festival” Saturday. (Bong Garcia)

THE Army’s 8th Field Artillery Battalion (FAB) gave the public a firing demonstration in Isabela City, Basilan, as part of a festival marking the province’s 41st anniversary.

Captain Christian Agonos, said the demonstration aims to show the proper use of artillery during a combat mission.

“Now the public is informed that before we use artillery there should be complete data such as the enemy position,” Agonos said.

He said the demonstration is also meant to dispel accusations that soldiers fire artillery indiscriminately during a military offensive.

They fired a blank 105-mm howitzer round during the demonstration, which was held at the provincial capitol grounds.

The demonstration attracted hundreds of spectators, including government officials and employees and students, who had gathered for the anniversary celebration, dubbed as the Pakaradjaan Festival.

A grand parade from the athletic field to the provincial capitol grounds was participated in by delegates from the province’s two cities and 11 towns.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/local-news/2015/03/07/army-holds-artillery-demo-isabela-396233

Moro rebel leaders opt to snub voters’ registration, citing BBL

From the Manila Bulletin (Mar 8): Moro rebel leaders opt to snub voters’ registration, citing BBL

Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao – Apparently wanting to send a strong message to the government, the Central Committee of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) decided yesterday not to join the special registration of voters conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) here.

The MILF leadership cited the uncertain fate of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“When there is no BBL, there is no Bangsamoro government,” said MILF Vice Chairman for Political Affairs Gadzali Jaafar, who only showed up at the registration center to express the Central Committee’s sentiments.

Men and women from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) (L) combatants file their registration to qualify for voter identification cards in Sultan Kudarat southern Philippines, on March 7, 2015.  Hundreds of Muslim rebels lined up in the Philippines to register as voters, keeping faith with a 2014 peace pact that has been put in doubt by a clash that left 44 policemen dead.   AFP PHOTO / MARK NAVALES

Men and women from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) (L) combatants file their registration to qualify for voter identification cards in Sultan Kudarat southern Philippines, on March 7, 2015. Hundreds of Muslim rebels lined up in the Philippines to register as voters, keeping faith with a 2014 peace pact that has been put in doubt by a clash that left 44 policemen dead. AFP PHOTO / MARK NAVALES

“Ang buhay ng BBL ngayon ay 50-50 (fifty-fifty), so the Central Committee has decided to wait further until the enactment into law of the BBL,” he added.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chairman of the House Adhoc Committee on the proposed BBL, had earlier announced that the panel decided to scrap the unconstitutional provisions in the peace measure that would dilute the powers of six government bodies and agencies – the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Commission on Audit (COA), Commission of Human Rights (CHR), the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The scrapping of the unconstitutional provisions will dilute the proposed BBL crafted by peace negotiators from both the government and the MILF, something the secessionist group is against.

FROM BULLETS TO BALLOTS – Von Al-Haq, spokesperson of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), fills out a registration form for a Commission on Elections (Comelec) voter’s ID   that would allow him to vote in the upcoming 2016 elections.The symbolic registration of Al-Haq and hundreds of BIAF-MILF combatants was held yesterday at the group’s stronghold, Camp  Darapanan, in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao. (Alexander D. Lopez)
FROM BULLETS TO BALLOTS – Von Al-Haq, spokesperson of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), fills out a registration form for a Commission on Elections (Comelec) voter’s ID that would allow him to vote in the upcoming 2016 elections.The symbolic registration of Al-Haq and hundreds of BIAF-MILF combatants was held yesterday at the group’s stronghold, Camp Darapanan, in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao. (Alexander D. Lopez)

Rodriguez’s claim was disputed by Sulu Rep. Tupay Loong, chairman of the House Committee on Muslim Affairs, saying the ad hoc panel has not convened since last month.

While the MILF Central Committee snubbed the special registration, more than a thousand fighters and field commanders of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), the MILF’s armed component, came out and registered themselves as voters that will enable them to participate in 2016 elections.

BIAF spokesperson Von Al-Haq led his men during the registration process that was witnessed and supervised by top Comelec officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and central office. Unarmed combatants of the MILF, in civilian clothes, were seen lining up at the registration center.

Jaafar clarified that it’s only the members of the Central Committee who will not register during the special registration and field commanders and fighters were not barred from registering.

“They can register now,” Jaafar said.

Authorities expected more than a thousand fighters to come out and register during the special registration period.

Comelec Commissioner Al Parreño, together with Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) Chairman Henrietta De Villa and Comelec ARMM Regional Director Ray Sumalipao, personally witnessed the special registration of MILF fighters.

“I’m happy,” said Al-Haq, adding that the last time that he joined the elections was during the time of the late President Corazon Aquino.

Sumalipao lauded the efforts of the MILF and the support it provided for the realization of the special registration of voters.

He said that the special registration is the brainchild and joint efforts of both the government and MILF during the peace process.

“This is to show that we are sincere in attaining lasting peace in Mindanao,” he added.
Meanwhile, De Villa told the MILF fighters that they are making history as they decided to register and vote in 2016 elections.

“Registration is the most important part of the electoral process. It is the entry point to the right of suffrage and the responsibility to participate in creating a government,” De Villa pointed out.

The special registration was also witnessed by the members of the Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities from both the government and the MILF; members of the International Monitoring Team (IMT); and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

Meanwhile, Jaafar further said that negative statements of some senators and congressmen continue to hurt the Moro people of Mindanao.

The peace process was thrown into doubt on January 25 when MILF forces and other armed groups ambushed police commandos going after Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir, one of the world’s most wanted Islamic militants.

The fighting left 44 policemen dead and sparked a public backlash, causing Congress to suspend debates on the proposed self-rule law.

The MILF had already returned some of the dead commandos’ weapons and pledged to go after other militants sought by the Philippine courts, but rejected Aquino’s demand that it surrender those who took part in killings.

Rebel leaders said they would impose their own sanctions on those found at fault.
The Senate and the House of Representatives have since said they will resume discussions on the BBL which they said would likely pass by mid-June.

Al Haq said yesterday the high rebel turnout was proof they remained committed to the peace process.

“We’re very confident that the peace process will continue,” said Al Haq, adding he last voted in 1986 before becoming a full-time guerrilla.

http://www.mb.com.ph/moro-rebel-leaders-opt-to-snub-voters-registration-citing-bbl/

Palace: No peace talks with bandits

From the Manila Bulletin (Mar 8): Palace: No peace talks with bandits

Malacañang on Saturday said it is not open to dialogue with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), Justice for Islamic Movement (JIM) and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the goal of having lasting peace in Mindanao is not only for the MILF but for all the people in Mindanao.

Valte, however, said the government will not conduct any peace talks with bandits.

“If they will remain as a bandit group, that is what they choose. But to bring them to the peace table, I don’t think that is proper. “Let us remember the evolution of our peace talks with the MILF,” Valte added.

And because they chose an armed struggle, Valte said the military will continue its all-out offensive against the BIFF.

The offensive against BIFF has displaced 16,111 families in 59 barangays prompting the Provincial council of Maguindanao to declare a state of calamity in 12 of 36 municipalities in Maguindanao.

Valte said about 13,261 families are seeking refuge in 49 evacuation centers.  The government has released P16.6 million in relief assistance.

“Of course, we take care of them and of their needs by way of food and medical assistance when they go to evacuation centers,” Valte said.

http://www.mb.com.ph/palace-no-peace-talks-with-bandits/

Military captures 3rd BIFF outpost

From the Manila Standard Today (Mar 8): Military captures 3rd BIFF outpost

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines continued to battle the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters on Saturday with the number of soldiers wounded in clashes rising to 13 although the army has so far captured three camps and arrested four members of the extremist group.

Rebel casualties consists of seven dead and 13 wounded, AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said Saturday.

Among those wounded was a UH-IH “Huey” pilot who was hit by ground fire while providing cover fire to the troops he just inserted in the combat area.

Cabunoc said that another series of encounter took place Saturday but declined to give exact locations as operations are still ongoing.

Earlier, the AFP reported that nine troopers from the 6th Infantry Division’s Task Force Central were wounded while six members of the BIFF were injured following a firefight in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town, Maguindanao Friday afternoon.

The clash took place at 2 p.m. and ended early morning Saturday.

Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, said that those injured were immediately evacuated for treatment. None of the injuries suffered by government forces are life-threatening.

Troopers are still conducting pursuit and clearing operations as of this posting.

At 2:50 p.m. Friday, Task Force Central troopers conducting clearing operations in the boundaries of Barangays Dabunayan and Liab, Datu Piang town, and arrested four BIFF members identified as Aladin Panaydan, 22; Daud Balogat, 23; Ebrahim Oraw, 40 and Abdul Madalidaw, 33.

Also captured was the BIFF camp in the area.

Recovered from their possession were a .45 caliber pistol and one magazine containing six rounds of ammunition; one .45 Thompson sub-machine gun, improvised explosive device (IED) paraphernalia, four mobile phones and assorted war materials and documents.

“The capture of the camp only proves that the BIFF is involved in the manufacture of IEDs and is establishing strongholds in the different areas within the vicinity of the SPMS box. The current operation will greatly affect the BIFF as this is already the third encampment that has already been captured in less than a week,” Petinglay said.

Petinglay said two other BIFF camps in Mamasapano and Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao were captured, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

 At least 15 BIFF members were killed, three camps captured and three soldiers wounded in the week-long military campaign to neutralize the BIFF believed to be coddling Filipino bomb expert Basit Usman and five foreign terrorists.

About 45,000 civilians were also displaced in Maguindanao’s 11 towns.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/03/08/military-captures-3rd-biff-outpost/

2 unarmed soldiers shot dead by NPAs in Agusan Del Sur

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 7): 2 unarmed soldiers shot dead by NPAs in Agusan Del Sur

The Army is now conducting pursuit operations against the New People's Army (NPA) bandits who shot and killed two unarmed soldiers of the 26th Infantry Battalion at Barangay San Patricio, Lapaz town, Agusan Del Sur Friday morning.

The incident took place at 8:20 a.m.

26th Infantry Battalion civil-military operations officer 1st Lt. Krisnen Peter Sarsagat said the troopers, who are still to be identified pending the notification of their next-of-kin, had just finished their organizing for peace and development work, and were headed back towards their headquarters in Tacalogon town to get their subsistence allowance when gunned down by five rebels belonging to Guerilla Front Committee 88, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Command.

The soldiers, who were aboard a motorcycle, died on the spot.

Upon learning the incident, Lt. Col. Rolando Dumawa, 26th Infantry Battalion commander, immediately sent troops to go after the perpetrators and retrieve the remains of the two.

The remains of the two soldiers were immediately brought to the nearest funeral home in Agusan Del Sur and will be approved all the honors and benefits they deserved.

All necessary support shall be provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to the families of our fallen soldiers.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=742256

7 BIFF rebels killed, 13 soldiers hurt in Maguindanao clash

From Rappler (Mar 7): 7 BIFF rebels killed, 13 soldiers hurt in Maguindanao clash

The latest clash is part of the government's 'mandate to pursue armed lawless elements and terrorists' in Maguindanao, says the 603rd Brigade commander

SHARIFF AGUAK, Philippines – At least 7 Muslim rebels were killed in the latest round of battles between the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the government in Maguindanao, a military official said Saturday, March 7.

According to Army Captain Joan Petinglay, spokesperson of the 6th Infantry Division, the encounter started around 2:30 pm on Friday when soldiers fired howitzers in the remote villages of Datu Piang and Datu Saudi Ampatuan, where BIFF members were believed to be positioned.

The clash ended 2:00 am of Saturday.

Petinglay added that at least 13 soldiers were wounded in the battle, among them the co-pilot of a Huey helicopter deployed to airlift other wounded troopers. Brigadier General Edmundo Pangilinan, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, said the pilot was hit in his arm and right side of his body by a BIFF sniper.

“All wounded personnel only sustained minor injuries. They are already safe,” Pangilinan told reporters.

WOUNDED. Injured soldiers are seen inside Camp Siongco Hospital on March 7, 2015 in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. Photo by Jef Maitem/Rappler

WOUNDED. Injured soldiers are seen inside Camp Siongco Hospital on March 7, 2015 in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. Photo by Jef Maitem/Rappler
 
Pursuit of terrorists

Colonel Arnel Dela Vega, commander of the 603rd Brigade, said the latest encounter is still part of their "mandate to pursue armed lawless elements and terrorists" in the area.

“Based on the reports we got about their movements, there are indications that the key leaders, including Basit Usman, is still in Maguindanao,” he added.

BIFF spokesperson Abu Misri Mama confirmed that they engaged with the military, but he denied losing their members in the battle.

Since February 25, after the military ordered an all-out-offensive against the BIFF, 4 camps of the rebels were already overrun by soldiers. A total of 16 rebels have been killed since then.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Philippines estimates that the ongoing conflicts have already displaced over 75,000 people in affected areas.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/86090-biff-soldiers-maguindanao-clash

'No BBL better than a mangled BBL' - chief govt negotiator

From InterAksyon (Mar 6): 'No BBL better than a mangled BBL' - chief govt negotiator



Government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles at a Senate hearing on Mamasapano. (file)

The government’s chief negotiator to peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front cautioned lawmakers against deleting what they perceive to be unconstitutional provisions in the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law lest they mangle the measure beyond saving.

"No BBL is better than a mangled BBL, because that is repeating history, and it is stupid to repeat history. That's not the kind of difference that we wanted to make here," Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said at a forum in Makati City Thursday to discuss the effects of the January 25 Mamasapano incident on the Mindanao peace process.

Congress suspended deliberations on the proposed BBL, which would create a new autonomous homeland in accordance with the peace agreement between government and the MILF, after the clashes that broke out during the Special Action Force mission to get Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” left 44 police commandos, 18 MILF fighters and at least five civilians dead.

While lawmakers say they will resume discussing the BBL, they have also maintained that the proposed law will need to undergo substantial revision if it is to stand any chance of passage.

And Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez, who chairs the House of Representatives’ ad hoc committee tackling the BBL, has stood firm that some “unconstitutional” provisions would be removed.

However, at the Makati forum, Ferrer said: "A mangled BBL is the same history; no BBL, then let's look for other alternatives. We are still aiming for a good enough BBL (and) then we continue to work for the reforms later on."

At a separate talk to participants of a conflict reporting training sponsored by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Ferrer said the questioned provisions in the BBL “can be remedied. Maybe we can revise it, instead of deleting it.”

'Not dummies to be led'

But Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. disagreed with Ferrer.

"I don't think so. They may actually consider it like that from their point of view, but from our point of view it was not the case," he said, adding that he “was not happy” with Ferrer’s statement.

He also stressed that lawmakers are carefully scrutinizing the measure and that members of the House ad hoc committee have, in fact, had a chance to personally study the situation in other countries where autonomous regions have been created.

"They are not dummies who can be led around, of course, they also have a background on what things are," the Speaker said.

The 75-member ad hoc committee had so far held 36 public hearings and executive sessions on the BBL before suspending proceedings after Mamasapano.

Rodriguez said they would resume executive sessions on the BBL after the House receives a copy of the report of the board of inquiry on Mamasapano created by the Philippine National Police.

'Unconstitutional'

Among the provisions in the draft law that he said should go are:
  • The Bangsamoro auditing body which shall have auditing responsibility over public funds utilized by the Bangsamoro Government without prejudice to the power, authority, and duty of the national Commission on Audit to examine, audit, and settle all accounts pertaining to the revenues and the use of funds and property owned and held in trust by any government instrumentality, including GOCCs (Article V, Section 2, Number 7) 
  • The Bangsamoro Civil Service Office which shall develop and administer Bangsamoro government employees and officers without prejudice to the Civil Service Commission’s powers (Article V, Section 2, Number 8) 
  • The Bangsamoro Electoral Office which shall be part of the Commission on Elections (Article VII, Section 9) 
  • The Bangsamoro Police which shall be part of the Philippine National Police (Article XVI, Section 2) 
  • The Bangsamoro Commission on Human Rights (BCHR) which shall have investigatory and prosecutorial powers; In the performance of its functions, the BCHR may coordinate with the Commission on Human Rights (Article IX, Section 7)
  • The Bangsamoro Regional Police Board which shall be part of the NAPOLCOM (National Police Commission) and will perform the functions of the NAPOLCOM in the region (Article XVI, Sections 5, 6)

"If they don't revise it, we're going to scratch it," Rodriguez said.

Subsidiary bodies

However, government peace panel member Senen Bacani explained that the units to be created under the Bangsamoro government would only be "subsidiary bodies" of constitutional bodies and national agencies.

"The intent here is for these units to assist, to be part of, and not (be) independent of the constitutional bodies. There's no way that we want to replace the powers and functions and authority of these constitutional bodies," he said in an interview.

"If we need to reword (the provisions), then we would so that there would be no misinterpretation. The important thing is for the Bangsamoro to have subsidiary bodies to help them exercise good governance," Bacani added.

But Rodriguez said the functions of these bodies in relation to the Bangsamoro government should be clarified.

"Congress cannot intervene with the actuations and policies of COA and Comelec, for example. If they want, the executive can go to the commissions and be able to have some arrangements on how the operation will be done," he added.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/106369/no-bbl-better-than-a-mangled-bbl---chief-govt-negotiator

Malaysian ransom kapalit ng dinukot na parak

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Mar 7): Malaysian ransom kapalit ng dinukot na parak (Malaysian ransom in exchange for abducted policeman)

Pinalaya ng Abu Sayyaf ang dinukot nitong Malaysian policeman kapalit ng malaking halaga ng ransom sa lalawigan ng Sulu.

Nabatid na nitong Marso 6 pa pinakawalan si Kons. Zakiah Aleip, 26, matapos na magkabayaran sa bayan ng Indanan na kilalang kuta ng Moro National Liberation Front. Nitong Marso 7 ay nakabalik na sa Sabah si Aleip kasama ang mga Malaysian agents na sumundo sa kanya sa Indanan gamit ang speedboat.
Dinukot si Aleip noon June 12 ng nakaraang taon matapos na magsagupaan ang Abu Sayyaf ang ang grupo nito na ikinamatay ng isang Malaysian policeman. Naunang humiling ang Abu Sayyaf ng 5 milyon ringgits (P68.3 milyon) ransom kapalit ng kalayaan ni Aleip. 
Hindi pa matiyak kung magkanong ransom ang ibinayad ng Malaysia sa Abu Sayyaf, ngunit ayon sa ilang sources ng Mindanao Examiner regional newspaper ay tumulong umano sa negosasyon sina Mamih at Mandi Sangkulah, na parehong commander ng Moro National Liberation Front, at sila rin ang nasa likod ng paglaya noon ng mga Malaysian at Chinese nationals na dinukot ng Abu Sayyaf sa Sabah at dinala sa Sulu at Tawi-Tawi.
Nitong December ay pinalaya rin ng Abu Sayyaf si Malaysian fish breeder Chan Sai Chuin matapos ng 6 buwan pagkakabihag kapalit ang malaking halaga ng ransom sa grupo ng mga Sangkulah at sinundo rin ito ng mgfa Malaysian agents sa Indanan at saka dinala sa Sabah.
Agad naman sinakyan ng militar ang paglaya ni Aleip at pinalabas pa na dahil sa kanilang operasyon kontra Abu Sayyaf kung kaya't natakot ang rebeldeng grupo at isinuka ang kanilang bihag.
Hawak pa ng Abu Sayyaf si Japanese treasure hunter Katayama Mamaito, 68, na dinukot sa Pangutaran Island sa Sulu noon July 2010.
http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2015/03/malaysian-ransom-kapalit-ng-dinukot-na.html

MILF report sa ‘Mamasapano clash hindi ilalabas sa publiko!

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Mar 7): MILF report sa ‘Mamasapano clash hindi ilalabas sa publiko! (MILF report on the Mamasapano clash will not be released to the public!)



Taimtim ang pagbabasa ni MILF Vice Chairman and chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal sa Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper. Sinabi ni Iqbal na hindi magbibigay ng kopya ng ang MILF sa full report nito ukol sa Mamasapano clash sa pamahalaang Aquino, at maging sa Senado at Kongreso, ngunit ipapasa naman nito ang executive summary ng naturang report sa Malaysia-led International Ceasefire Monitoring Team. 

SULTAN KUDARAT – Walang sinuman sa labas ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front ang makakabasa ng full report nito  ukol sa madugong Mamasapano clash na kung saan ay 44 police commandos ang pinaslang ng mga rebelde sa Maguindanao province.
Ito ang tahasang pahayag ngayon Marso 7 ni MILF vice chairman at chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal at tanging executive summary lamang ang ibibigay nito Malakanyang, Senado at Kongreso.
Ngunit sinabi ni Iqbal na unang bibigyan nito ng executive summary ang International (Ceasefire) Monitoring Team na pinangungunahan ng bansang Malaysia. Ang IMT ay kinabibilangan rin ng bansang Japan, Indonesia, Brunei at suportado ng European Union at Estados Unidos.
At mula sa IMT, ipapasa naman ito sa pamahalaang Aquino sa pamamagitan ng government peace panel sa ilalim ni Miriam Ferrer. Bibigyan rin ng IMT ang pamahalaan ng Malaysia bilang facilitator ng peace talks sa pagitan ng MILF at Pilipinas.
“Internal ang full report ng MILF sa Mamasapano clash at ang tanging maibibigay namin ang executive summary. Sariling imbestigasyon ng MILF ito at hindi namin maaaring ilabas sa publiko,” ani Iqbal sa panayam ng Mindanao Examiner regional newspaper.
Ilalabas umano ng MILF, ayon pa kay Iqbal, ang executive summary sa susunod na linggo at tinatapos pa umano nila ang nasabing ulat. Magbibigay rin umano ito ng kopya sa Mindanao Examiner.
“This (executive summary) contains the substance of the MILF probe and I want to reiterate that what happened in Mamasapano on that fateful January 25 was a violation of the ceasefire agreement by the Philippine government because there was no prior coordination with the MILF as far as the SAF (Special Action Force) operation was concerned,” ani Iqbal.
Umabot sa 44 SAF commandos ang nasawi sa nasabing labanan matapos na maka-enkuwentro nito ang malaking grupo ng MILF at Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters sa Barangay Tukanalipao sa bayan ng Mamasapano. Pinasok ng SAF ang nasabing lugar at napatay ng mga commandos si Malaysian bomber Zulkifli bin Hir, ngunit ang hideout nito ay sakop naman ng MILF 105th Base Command at inakala ng mga rebelde na sila ang target ng sikretong operasyon.
Dahil sa naganap, nabalam ang Bangsamoro Basic Law sa Kongreso at hinarang rin ito ng maraming mambabatas at ngayon ay nanganganib na maudlot. Ang BBL ay siyang batayan ng bagong Bangsamoro autonomous government na siyang ipapalit sa Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Dapat ay maipasa ito bago mag-recess ang Kongreso ngayon Marso, subali’t sa bagong timetable ay hahabulin ito sa Hunyo at kung hindi ay malabo na itong matupad sa termino ni Pangulong Aquino dahil kailangan ng isang taon bago ito maratipika sa isang plebisito.
Naniniwala namam si Iqbal na maipapasa ang BBL sa kabila ng maraming grupo at mambabatas ang kumukontra rito. “Let’s hope for the best,” ani Iqbal. “The BBL is not for us, it is for our people and the future of the Bangsamoro and their children and for the peace that we have longed for.”
 
http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2015/03/milf-report-sa-mamasapano-clash-hindi.html

Killing Marwan in Mindanao

From the Institute of Policy Analysis of Conflict (Mar 5): Killing Marwan in Mindanao



Summary

The Philippines government cannot afford to divorce counter-terrorism operations from the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Among the many tragedies of the operation against Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan in Mamasapano on 25 January 2015 was that police saw his capture as so critical that they failed to use existing mechanisms to coordinate with the MILF. The resulting disaster, in which 44 police Special Action Forces (SAF) and eighteen MILF fighters died, has set back a peace agreement nearly two decades in the making.

Killing Marwan in Mindanao, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC), shows that Marwan, while dangerous, was not the world-class terrorist he was made out to be, and that he and his associates did not trust the MILF because of past experience of betrayal.

“Marwan’s career shows clearly how MILF leaders rejected foreign jihadis, cooperated with security forces in expelling them and understood that their presence compromised the peace process”, says Sidney Jones, IPAC director. “They have not always been able to prevent individual commanders from providing refuge, but the message was clear that terrorists were not welcome.”

The new report examines Marwan’s activities in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, drawing in part on testimonies of Indonesians who knew him in Mindanao.  All agree that he was never a member of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), as has often been claimed. He was a senior member but not the head of Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM) and ran its Selangor branch. Marwan and many of the Selangor members were radicalized through contact with Malaysia-based JI members but were never inducted themselves, because JI did not want to be seen as poaching from Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS).  KMM’s leadership was largely composed of young PAS members who had studied in Pakistan and India.

Marwan  arrived in Mindanao in 2001, not 2003 as some reports have suggested. He had no role in the 2002 Bali bombings and his bomb-making skills were rudimentary, acquired mostly in Ambon, Maluku, during the communal fighting there. His expertise was more in sharp-shooting, but his tendency to panic made him unwanted in battle. One of his former associates described him as “a little snake who has been blown up into a dragon.” He unquestionably aided and abetted terrorist attacks, but these associates say he was never a leader.

There are many reasons why his reputation soared, including the bounty on his head and his ability to elude so many operations that targeted him. But even had he been the master bomber that his image suggested, it would have made sense to coordinate counter-terrorism and peace-making.

“If Marwan had escaped yet again, there would have been another chance to capture him”, says Jones. “It is not clear there will be another chance for peace if this one collapses.”

Full report: http://file.understandingconflict.org/file/2015/03/IPAC_17_Killing_Marwan_in_Mindanao.pdf

http://www.understandingconflict.org/conflict/read/38/Killing-Marwan-in-Mindanao

2 unarmed soldiers shot dead by NPA rebels

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Mar 7): 2 unarmed soldiers shot dead by NPA rebels

Communist guerrillas executed two soldiers in Agusan del Sur on Friday as the New People’s Army (NPA) gears up for its anniversary this month.

Lt. Col. Rolando Dumawa, commander of the Army’s 26th Infantry Battalion, said Privates First Class Rene Lasaga and Vick-Aron Milan, who were both under his command, were heading back to their post on a motorcycle after doing marketing chores on Friday when flagged down at an NPA roadblock in San Patricio in La Paz town.

Dumawa said the two soldiers, who were not armed and wore civilian clothes, were questioned and frisked at the roadblock.

After finding out they were soldiers, the rebels shot them at close range, he said.

“They suffered bullet wounds in the heads and at the back of their bodies,” Dumawa said.

The Agusan del Sur incident was the latest atrocity blamed on the NPA in Eastern Mindanao area.

On February 27, NPA rebels also ambushed an army vehicle in San Agustin in Tagum City.

One insurgent was killed and three soldiers were injured in the brief clash that ensued following the ambush.

Lt. Col. Rey Anthony Tumaliuan, commander of the 46th Infantry Battalion, said the NPA was trying to “project strength” as its anniversary nears.

The NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, will be celebrating its 46th anniversary on March 29.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/677339/2-unarmed-soldiers-shot-dead-by-npa-rebels

Commandos from Marines Force Recon Company subdue BIFF guards hand-to-hand

From InterAksyon (Mar 7): Commandos from Marines Force Recon Company subdue BIFF guards hand-to-hand



Marines in training. Inset shows Force Recon men practicing Pekiti Tersia Kali, from the Filipino Martial Arts album of Pinterest user Kwame R. [https://www.pinterest.com/pin/437975132485280060/]

Reports reaching Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Headquarters in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City indicated that a platoon from the Philippine Marines Force Recon Company employed hand-to-hand combat against their adversary in Maguindanao recently.

The task of the Marine commandos was to locate lairs behind enemy lines used by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) at various sites scattered in four municipalities of Maguindanao Province.

Under cover of darkness and applying stealth methods, a team from Force Recon Company under the control of the 6th Marine Battalion Landing Team crawled their way toward a suspected BIFF outpost and caught the enemies off-guard at around 3 a.m. Friday (March 6) in Barangay Liyab, Datu Piang, Maguindanao.

Four of the Marines disarmed the bandits using their close combat skills honed from the home-grown martial arts called Pekiti-Tirsia Kali.

No shots were fired in the operation.

The Marines confiscated one Remington caliber .45 M1911a1 pistol, a Thompson caliber .45 submachine gun, various bomb making materials and four mobile phones.

Lt. Col. Armando Custodio, commanding officer of Marine Battalion Landing Team 6, identified the captured suspects as: Aladin Panaydan, 22; Daud Balogat, 23; Ebrahim Oraw, 40; and Abdul Madalidaw, 33.

Pekiti-Tirsia Kali is one of the oldest home-grown martial arts in the Philippines, based on the traditional blade art called Kali that is said to have originated in Borneo.

Contemporary Pekiti-Tirsia Kali refers to a family system that goes back at least four generations, starting with the clan of Norberto Tortal of Panay Island, further developed and improved in the 1930s by his grandson Conrado Tortal, and now headed by Leo Tortal Gaje Jr, the grandson of Conrado Tortal.

Pekiti-Tirsia Kali is a system taught to the elite Force Recon Philippine Marine Battalion.

The elite Philippine Army Scout Rangers and Philippine National Police Special Action Force are said to have also adopted Pekiti-Tirsia as part of their rigorous training program.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/106445/commandos-from-marines-force-recon-company-subdue-biff-guards-hand-to-hand

9 soldiers slightly injured in Maguindanao clash with BIFF after capture of rebels' camps

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 7): 9 soldiers slightly injured in Maguindanao clash with BIFF after capture of rebels' camps

Nine soldiers were slightly wounded when government forces and Moro bandits clashed in a remote village of Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao on Friday until Saturday dawn, officials said.

The clash also led to the fall of two Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters camp in the villages of Dabunayan and Liban, both in Shariff Saydona.

Capt. Joann Petinglay, speaking for the 6th Infantry Division, seven soldiers were initially hurt during the fierce fighting.

As they were being transported on board a military ambulance to Camp Siongco, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao for treatment, the BIFF set off a roadside bomb which injured two more soldiers.

The fighting Friday erupted about four hours after government forces captured two BIFF positions and found in abandoned huts ammunition for assorted firearms, materials for fabricating roadside bombs, improvised bombs, bullets and other documents about the BIFF's plot to launch bombing on civilian communities to divert military action.

Earlier in the day, the Army captured BIFF gunmen, identified as Aladin Panaydan, 22, Daud Balogat, 23, Ebrahim Oraw, 40, and Abdul Madalidaw, 33, while trying to escape advancing government forces. Panaydan was slightly wounded.

Petinglay said the captured rebels have been turned over to the police for filing of appropriate charges.

"We condemn the attack on ambulance carrying wounded infantrymen," Petinglay said, adding that the Army ensured the wounded BIFF will be given medical attention.

"Your Army treats wounded enemies, the BIFF bomb wounded soldiers," she lamented.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=742296

(Update) Soldiers wounded in Maguindanao clash with BIFF now at 13, rebel dead at 7

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 7): (Update) Soldiers wounded in Maguindanao clash with BIFF now at 13, rebel dead at 7

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced that the number of soldiers wounded in Friday's series of clashes with members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) has now climbed to 13.

Rebel casualties consists of seven dead and 13 wounded, AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said Saturday.

Among those wounded was a UH-IH "Huey" pilot who was hit by ground fire while providing cover fire to the troops he just inserted in the combat area.

Cabunoc said that another series of encounter took place Saturday but declined to give exact locations as operations are still ongoing.

Earlier, the AFP reported that nine troopers from the 6th Infantry Division's Task Force Central were wounded while six members of the BIFF were injured following a firefight in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town, Maguindanao Friday afternoon.

The clash took place at 2 p.m. and ended early morning Saturday.

Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, said that those injured were immediately evacuated for treatment. None of the injuries suffered by government forces are life-threatening.

Troopers are still conducting pursuit and clearing operations as of this posting.

At 2:50 p.m. Friday, Task Force Central troopers conducting clearing operations in the boundaries of Barangays Dabunayan and Liab, Datu Piang town, and arrested four BIFF members identified as Aladin Panaydan, 22; Daud Balogat, 23; Ebrahim Oraw, 40 and Abdul Madalidaw, 33.

Also captured was the BIFF camp in the area.

Recovered from their possession were a .45 caliber pistol and one magazine containing six rounds of ammunition; one .45 Thompson sub-machine gun, improvised explosive device (IED) paraphernalia, four mobile phones and assorted war materials and documents.

"The capture of the camp only proves that the BIFF is involved in the manufacture of IEDs and is establishing strongholds in the different areas within the vicinity of the SPMS box. The current operation will greatly affect the BIFF as this is already the third encampment that has already been captured in less than a week," Petinglay said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=742281

Off Subject/Of General Intelligence Interest: CIA faces sweeping reorganization

Off Subject/Of General Intelligence Interest posted to the Philippine Star (Mar 7): CIA faces sweeping reorganization



In this Dec. 11, 2014 file photo, CIA Director John Brennan speaks during a news conference at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va.  AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File
Director John Brennan has ordered a sweeping reorganization of the CIA, an overhaul designed to make its leaders more accountable and close espionage gaps amid widespread concerns about the U.S. spy agency's limited insights into a series of major global developments.

Brennan announced the restructuring to the CIA workforce, including a new directorate devoted to boosting the CIA's computer hacking skills. He said the move comes after nine agency officers spent three months analyzing its management structure, including what deputy CIA director David Cohen called "pain points," organizational areas where the CIA's bureaucracy does not work efficiently.

Briefing reporters with Cohen at CIA headquarters this week, Brennan said the changes are necessary to address intelligence gaps that the CIA is not covering. He lamented that there is often no single person he can hold accountable for the spying mission in any given part of the world.

"There are a lot of areas that I would like to have better insight to, better information about, better access to," Brennan said. "Safe havens, denied areas. Whether because we don't even have a diplomatic presence in a country, or because there are parts of countries that have been overrun and taken over by terrorist groups and others."

The changes Friday come against a backdrop of evidence that the CIA's focus on hunting and killing terrorists since the Sept. 11 attacks has led to an erosion of the espionage and analytic capabilities the agency built during the Cold War. The CIA, along with other U.S. intelligence agencies, wrongly assessed the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in 2002 and failed to anticipate the rapid collapse of Middle East governments during the Arab Spring in 2011, among other shortcomings.

The agency's greatest public success of recent years — the 10-year effort to locate and kill Osama bin Laden in 2011 — may have taken longer than it should have, according to evidence made public in the recent Senate report on CIA interrogations. Internal CIA surveys have cited bad management and bureaucratic frustration as factors in driving talent away from the agency.

Under Brennan's reorganization, the CIA would break down the wall between the operations and analytical arms, a system that typically has required the case officers who recruit spies and run covert operations to work for different bosses, in different offices, than analysts who interpret the intelligence and write briefing papers for the president and other policymakers.

The new plan would blend practitioners of those separate disciplines into 10 centers devoted to various subjects or areas of the world. There are a handful of such centers at the moment, including the Counter Terrorism Center, where analysts and operators have worked side by side for the last decade targeting al-Qaida with espionage and drone strikes.

Under the new plan, each center would be run by an assistant director who would be responsible for the entire intelligence mission within that jurisdiction, including covert operations, spying, analysis, liaison with foreign partners and logistics.

The system of CIA stations, headed by a CIA station chief, will remain in place, Brennan said. Most stations are in U.S. embassies, and various CIA case officers in embassies may be working on different missions for different centers.

The changes do not require congressional approval and will be undertaken within the CIA's current budget, CIA officials said.

Critics of a blended approach have raised concerns that combining analysts with operators could compromise the objectivity of the analysts, who are tasked with coldly interpreting intelligence in which they have no stake. It may be harder for an analyst to cast doubt on a source recruited by a case officer he knows personally, the theory goes.

http://www.philstar.com/world/2015/03/07/1431060/cia-faces-sweeping-reorganization