Tuesday, December 8, 2015

6 killed in Cotabato clash

From ABS-CBN (Dec 8): 6 killed in Cotabato clash

At least six people were killed when suspected guerrillas clashed with armed Christian settlers in the southern Philippines on Tuesday in a feud over land, police said.

At least 30 armed men, suspected to be from a Muslim rebel group, descended on the southern town of Tulunan on Mindanao island and began harassing Christian farmers at noon, said Senior Inspector Ronnie Dillera, the town police chief.

The Christians fought back, triggering a gunbattle that lasted about three hours and left three villagers and three Muslim gunmen dead, he added.

The clash was an offshoot of a dispute over a 10-hectare (25-acre) lot between Christians and Muslims in the area, the police chief added.

Although the Philippines is largely Catholic, there is a significant Muslim minority which counts the southern region as its traditional homeland.

Christian settlement in the south has led to violent clashes with Muslims over the years including a Muslim insurgency that has claimed over 100,000 lives since the 1970s.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/12/08/15/6-killed-in-cotabato-clash

ARMM gov't pushes for 'peace zones' via infra projects

From the Philippine Star (Dec 9): ARMM gov't pushes for 'peace zones' via infra projects



Engineers Don Loong (right) and James Mlok of ARMM’s public works department inspect the thickness of concrete poured on a section of a farm-to-market road in the conflict-stricken town of Saidona in Maguindanao. Philstar.com/John Unson

The government is rebuilding into “peace zones” former bastions of extremists groups by concreting farm-to-market roads for rebellious peasants to realize that economic activities are the best antidotes to the innate poverty they so detest.

Even local forces of the ideologically distinct Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which have separate peace compacts with MalacaƱang, are now helping protect road projects in former bastions of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao province, aware it will benefit all sectors.

Among the road projects being implemented now by the Department of Public Works and Highways of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DPWH-ARMM) in areas rocked by military-BIFF hostilities early this year is a vital P20 million worth farm-to-market artery linking the Nabundas and Datu Kilay Districts in Saidona town in the second district of Maguindanao.

The road, now being concreted by DPWH-ARMM via the office of engineer James Mlok, chief of Maguindanao’s 2nd District Engineering Office, straddles through oft-flooded spots, impassable during rainy days.

Mlok and ARMM’s regional public works secretary, engineer Don Mustapha Loong, are both optimistic the ongoing concreting of the Nabundas-Datu Kilay road can be completed as scheduled owing to the cooperation of local folks and MILF forces in the area in securing construction workers.

Despite the potentials of the agricultural lands traversed by the road, local peasant families remain impoverished owing to the nagging domestic security problems and the absence of arterial linkages needed to hasten their delivery of farm products to markets in towns nearby.

Among the local MILF leaders helping secure the costly infrastructure projects of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman in Saidona and nearby Datu Piang, Datu Saudi, Mamasapano, Salibo and Mamasapano towns, all in the second district of Maguindanao is cleric Wahid Tundok.

The BIFF once had enclaves in the six towns, where costly infrastructure projects are now being implemented by the Hataman administration in support of the normalization agenda of the ongoing peace overture of President Benigno Aquino III with the MILF.

In Maguindanao’s oldest town, Datu Piang, local members of the MNLF have periodically been displaying force along strategic sections of two roads being concreted by the ARMM government, the Poblacion and Ligawasan roads, to help the police and military ward off saboteurs.

Lekieh Angas, a senior MNLF leader in Datu Piang, said they want the concreting of the two thoroughfares, interconnecting Moro villages to the municipal center, to proceed unhampered by security issues.

The Hataman administration has allocated P180.8 million for the concreting of the Datu Piang Poblacion and Ligawasan roads, drawn from the ARMM’s 2015 infrastructure budget.

“This road concreting thrusts will benefit all people in our municipality. In reciprocation, we will help protect it from people with bad intentions,” Angas said.

He said the road projects will help address poverty and the feeling of neglect among Moro communities, the two most pressing factors that condone rebellion.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/12/08/1530468/armm-govt-pushes-peace-zones-infra-projects

Gunmen burn P20-M road-building equipment in South Cotabato

From the Philippine Star (Dec 8): Gunmen burn P20-M road-building equipment in South Cotabato

Gunmen set on fire late Monday some P20 million worth of road-building equipment of a firm involved in a road project in South Cotabato’s hinterland Lake Sebu municipality.

The heavily-armed arsonists, some of them wearing ski masks, arrived past 8:00 p.m. Monday at the makeshift equipment depot of the Gemma Construction Company in Barangay Lamfungon west of Lake Sebu, herded workers at one area and burned a bulldozer and two excavator backhoes using kerosene and dry coconut palms.

Mayor Antonio Fungan, chair of the Lake Sebu municipal peace and order council, had told reporters the construction outfit is building a road designed to interconnect peasant enclaves in Barangay Lamfungon.

Barangay Lamfungan is adjacent to mountain ranges where New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas are holding out.

The mayor said local police probers are yet to establish the identities of the gunmen behind the arson attack.

The NPAs in South Cotabato are known for their propensity in sabotaging government infrastructure projects and burning of costly equipment of construction companies if “protection money” is not paid on their behest.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/12/08/1530473/gunmen-burn-p20-m-road-building-equipment-south-cotabato

CPP leaders’ trial set

From the Manila Bulletin (Dec 8): CPP leaders’ trial set  
A Manila regional trial court has set the trial for the murder cases filed against suspected leaders of Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), husband and wife Benito and Wilma Tiamzon tomorrow (Dec. 10) that will include initial presentation of evidence for the prosecution. The hearing coincides with the celebration of International Human Rights Day.

The accused couple’s co-counsel, Attorney Jobert Pahilga said experts from the crime laboratory have placed markings on about 60 pieces of bones, skulls included, that were recovered by authorities along with  t-shirts, blouses and pieces of underwear in a mass grave that was discovered in 2006 in Inopacan, Leyte.
 
The Tiamzons were arrested in March 2014 in Cebu for cases of multiple murders and frustrated murder.

Authorities say Benito is the chairman of the CPP-NPA while his wife, Wilma is the secretary-general of the group.

The Tiamzons are currently detained at the Camp Crame custodial center.

Manila RTC Branch 32 will hear the murder and frustrated murder charges of the Tiamzons together with other individuals whom Pahilga described as ‘ordinary farmer leaders’ who were dragged into the cases: Dario Tomada, Oscar Belleza, Norberto Murillo, and Bernabe Ocasla who were arrested ahead of the Tiamzons and are detained at the Manila City Jail.  Interestingly, the hearing coincides with the celebration of International Human Rights Day.

Militant groups converged at the Manila city hall early yesterday morning and demanded the release of the Tiamzons and other individuals whom they consider as political prisoners.

http://www.mb.com.ph/cpp-leaders-trial-set/

Radical Islam in Asia: The Arc of Al Qaeda and ISIS

From The Diplomat (Dec 8): Radical Islam in Asia: The Arc of Al Qaeda and ISIS (by

Insight from Audrey Kurth Cronin

The Rebalance authors Mercy Kuo and Angie Tang regularly engage subject-matter experts, policy practitioners and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into the U.S. rebalance to Asia. This conversation with Professor Audrey Kurth Cronin – Director of the International Security Program at George Mason University’s School of Policy, Government and International Affairs, frequent advisor to senior U.S. policymakers, and author of numerous publications, such as How Terrorism Ends: Understanding the Decline and Demise of Terrorist Campaigns and Ending Terrorism: A Strategy for Defeating Al-Qaeda is the 23rd in The Rebalance Insight Series.

In Foreign Affairs (April 2015), you posited that ISIS is not a terrorist group. Briefly explain the different goals and strategies of Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

ISIS and Al Qaeda both engage in terrorism, have similar long-term goals, and were once aligned, but they differ in key ways that are vital to fighting them. Terrorist groups like Al Qaeda generally have only dozens or hundreds of members, attack civilians, do not hold territory and cannot directly confront military forces. ISIS boasts some 30,000 fighters, holds territory in both Iraq and Syria, maintains extensive military capabilities, controls lines of communication, commands infrastructure, funds itself, and engages in sophisticated military operations. It is not a “terrorist group”; it’s a pseudo-state led by a conventional army that also seeks to inspire acts of transnational terrorism.

Al Qaeda thinks of itself as the vanguard of a global movement mobilizing Muslim communities against secular rule. It is playing a long game. The establishment of a so-called caliphate is a distant, almost utopian goal; educating and mobilizing the Muslim community comes first. It seeks to train violent mujahedeen, exclusively men, to act on behalf of that community.

ISIS has already declared a “caliphate” and is attracting a large number of foreigners (men, women and even children), drawn by the potential to build a society that follows strict Muslim rules now. It is unconcerned about popular backlash. Its brutality – videotaped beheadings, mass executions – is designed to intimidate foes and suppress dissent. It appeals to people who are yearning for personal power. It is the most effective employer of targeted social media propaganda we have ever seen.

Is Asia the next theater for ISIS to expand its caliphate beyond the Middle East? If so, what is the strategic relevance of Asia or key Asian regions to ISIS?

No, Africa is the next major theatre for expansion. ISIS has expanded by developing affiliates in North Africa (especially Libya) and West Africa, where Nigeria’s Boko Haram recently pledged allegiance to the group.

But there is significant risk to Asia. A global competition is underway in the so-called “jihadist” movement: ISIS are persuading some existing Al Qaeda affiliates or splinter groups to shift their allegiance to them. It’s the current “hot brand.” In Asia, they succeeded in attracting former al-Qaeda-linked affiliates such as the Philippines’ Abu Sayyaf (although that group still pursues its own agenda). According to the head of Indonesia’s national counterterrorism agency, Islamic State may also be training fighters in Poso, a port town on the northeastern coast of Central Sulawesi.

What about the threat of foreign fighters from Asia?

ISIS’ mythical concept of a caliphate has drawn tens of thousands of gullible outsiders, including from Asia. Small numbers of foreign fighters have traveled from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia, sometimes bringing along their families. Estimates vary widely; however, the largest numbers apparently come from Australia (between 100-250 people) and Indonesia (between 30-60).

For Asia, the danger lies in what militarily-trained ISIS foreign fighters will do if they return to their native countries, as well as whether those who have been prevented from traveling will carry out attacks at home. A powerful element of the Islamic State’s message is to goad people into violence wherever they are. Unfortunately, terrorist attacks in Asia are virtually inevitable.

What countervailing forces and social conditions in Asia could mitigate ISIS incursions?

In the short term, three things are important. First, countries must strengthen their border controls, increasing both domestic and international cooperation in policing and intelligence. Second, they must increase regional cooperation to counteract ISIS’ financing and the movement of weapons. Third, they must monitor potential risks at home, meaning both returned foreign fighters and those just inspired by ISIS. Although national perspectives can differ markedly (e.g., China’s Uighur problem is as much about a fear of separatism as it is terrorism), there is no substitute for good intelligence and regional cooperation, within the rule of law.

That does not necessarily mean treating returnees as criminals. The “caliphate” is a brutal Wahhabi Sunni Arab empire led by an Iraqi. As the truth unfolds, many foreigners are now trying to flee ISIS. Well-publicized testimonials from defectors could be a powerful counterterrorism tool. Also, efforts to counter ISIS messaging through social media, such as Malaysia’s new counter-messaging center, are vital.
In the longer run, ISIS is trying to polarize societies. Governments must address the conditions that contribute to radicalization, including discrimination, unemployment and ignorance. 

What emerging, over-the-horizon challenges of violent radical Islamism in Asia will the next U.S. president likely confront?

The U.S. will be concerned about violence against Americans and American businesses in Asia, a destabilizing blow to an Asian ally or a partner, and the creation of sanctuaries for recruitment or radicalization to violent extremism, including by ISIS. Moving forward, regional efforts such as the recent discussions on extremism held during the ASEAN meetings in Kuala Lumpur and the upcoming January 2016 conference on deradicalization in the ASEAN region will be crucial to reducing the threat of ISIS in Asia for everyone.

[Mercy A. Kuo is an advisory board member of CHINADebate and was previously director of the Southeast Asia Studies and Strategic Asia Programs at the National Bureau of Asian Research. Angie O. Tang is Senior Advisor of Asia Value Advisors, a leading venture philanthropy advisory firm based in Hong Kong.]

http://thediplomat.com/2015/12/radical-islam-in-asia-the-arc-of-al-qaeda-and-isis/

Army joins Human Rights Consciousness Week commemoration

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Army joins Human Rights Consciousness Week commemoration
 
The 8th Infantry Division (8th ID), Philippine Army joined on Tuesday the commemoration of the National Human Rights Consciousness Week.

The celebration anchored on the theme: “Karapatang Pantao: Igalang, Ipagtanggol, at Isakatuparan” was spearheaded by Major Gen. Jet B. Velarmino 8th ID commander.

It was attended by the officers, enlisted personnel and civilian employees of the Command.

Brig. Gen. Demy Tejares, assistant division commander, 8ID, PA as Human Rights Officer, led the troops in the reading of Panata sa Karapatang Pantao during the program.

“As we pursue our sincere commitment, I am very aware and respectful of the role of every “Stormtroopers” to the society and various stakeholders’ effort to broaden people’s awareness on their human rights,” Maj. Gen. Jet B. Velarmino said.

“It is our duty and mandate to protect and put an end to this impunity and cultivate a culture of respect to human rights in all levels of our Command,” Velarmino added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835971

Troops arrest ammunition courier of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Troops arrest ammunition courier of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu
 
Government troops have apprehended an ammunition courier of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in the province of Sulu, a top military official announced Tuesday.

Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, Joint Task Group Sulu commander, identified the arrested ASG ammunition courier as Makin Mukan, 41, a resident of Barangay Kabuntakas, Patikul, Sulu.

Arrojado said the troops from the Army’s 35th Infantry Battalion arrested Mukan in a checkpoint around 8:40 a.m. Monday in Barangay Latih, Patikul.

Arrojado said the troops seized from Mukan six rounds of caliber 40 millimeter grenade launcher ammunition.

He said the arrest of Mukan came after they received information that a courier is set to transport ammunition to the ASG in Patikul.

He said Mukan was detained and coordination has been made with the police for the filing of appropriate criminal charges against the latter.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835523

Security guard killed in NPA attacks in South Cotabato town

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Security guard killed in NPA attacks in South Cotabato town

A private security guard was killed while several village watchmen were reported wounded in separate attacks by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) men in a remote village in Lake Sebu town in South Cotabato on Monday night.

Lt. Col. Ronald Jess Alcudia, commanding officer of the Army’s 27th Infantry Batttalion, said Tuesday an undetermined number of rebels stormed a base of a private construction firm working on a government road project in Sitio Lamsuging, Barangay Lamfugon in Lake Sebu at around 9:30 p.m. Monday and burned three heavy equipment.

He said another group of rebels, who were believed to be members of the NPA’s Front 73, staged another attack near the site and “executed” a still unidentified security guard.

Citing reports from the field, he said the rebels initially attacked the base of the Koronadal City-based Gemma Construction in Sitio Lamsuging and attempted to burn several stationed heavy equipment.

He said members of Lamfugon’s barangay peacekeeping action team (BPAT) and several civilian volunteers resisted the attack but were eventually overpowered after running of ammunition.

The rebels eventually succeeded in torching three heavy equipment, which comprise two back hoes and a bulldozer, he said.

The official said several BPAT members and barangay tanods were reportedly wounded in the attack but they were still validating the matter.

In the second attack, Alcudia said Lake Sebu town officials confirmed that a security guard was killed by the rebels.

He said the incident happened near the boundary of Barangays Lamfugon and Ned in Lake Sebu.

Town officials reported a second victim resulting from the attack but was still unconfirmed as of Tuesday morning.

“These are separate attacks and our investigation with the (Lake Sebu) police is currently ongoing,” Alcudia said.

The official said they were specifically determining whether the attacks were coordinated or staged by a single group.

He declined to give details regarding their counter-operations but noted that pursuit operations are currently ongoing against the attackers.

The attack on Monday night was the second since July for Gemma Construction, which was contracted by the Department of Public Works and Highways for a road widening project in the area.

The firm’s project engineer was killed in the July incident that led to the temporary suspension of the project.

The company later agreed three months ago to resume the road project following the deployment of police and military personnel in the area.

Local residents also volunteered to assist the security operations to facilitate the project’s completion.

“This is another setback for the project rest assured that we’re doing everything to address this problem,” he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835538

3 hurt in N. Cotabato grenade attack

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): 3 hurt in N. Cotabato grenade attack

MATALAM, North Cotabato -- Three persons were hurt before dawn Tuesday at a funeral parlor along Barangay Kibudoc here.

Chief Insp. Sonny Leoncito, town police chief, identified the victims as Jeffrey Onoc; 23, Bernie Cristobal, 34; and Benito Samillano, 49; all local residents.

Leoncito said the victims were at the wake of a relative inside the Collado Funeral Home situated along the area around 1 a.m. when a lone attacker rolled a fragmentation grenade towards them.

The blast inflicted serious injuries to the victims who were immediately brought to the hospital.

Leoncito described the incident as an “isolated case” amid rumors of a terroristic attack perpetrated towards this town.

"The victims had a quarrel with another group a few hours before the grenade-throwing incident that is why we are eyeing personal grudge as motive behind the attack,” he said.

Leoncito said his men are still tracking down the group behind the attack who had fled following the incident.

On Dec. 4, four persons were also hurt in a grenade attack at the town proper here.
 

Army, PNP hunt down suspected NPAs in burning of construction equipment in S. Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 9): Army, PNP hunt down suspected NPAs in burning of construction equipment in S. Cotabato

Police and military forces have launched a joint manhunt against suspected New Peoples Army (NPA) guerillas who torched three heavy equipment of a road construction company in an attack that also left two security guards guards killed and five others wounded.

Supt. Jose Briones, South Cotabato police provincial director, said pursuit operations are still ongoing in the borders of Lake Sebu and Surallah towns, both in South Cotabato.

Mayor Antonio Fungan of Lake Sebu said the burning of equipment in Sitio Lamsuguing, Barangay Lamfugon occurred at past 9 p.m.

George Cardos, chief security head of Gemma Construction, said about 20 heavily armed men barged inside the construction site and poured gasoline on parked heavy equipment then set them on fire.

Cardos said the suspects ordered the security guard to lay down after disarming them of low caliber firearms and burned the equipment.

Other guerrillas fired at other security guards, leaving four of them injured. Their guns were taken by the attackers.

Cardos said the armed men were chanting communist slogan as they leave the area while the two backhoes and a bulldozer were blazing.

The communist guerrillas have been mulcting the construction company which ignored the demand, he added.

Fungan said Gemma Construction was working on a nationally-funded road project from Barangay Upper Sepaka, Surallah to Barangay Lamfugon, Lake Sebu, all in South Cotabato.

Clearing operations were still going on with bomb experts inspecting land mines left by the armed men.

The Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion have deployed government forces in the construction site to prevent similar attacks in the future.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835902

NPA rebels flee after a 20-minute firefight with Army; leave behind IED in Comval town

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): NPA rebels flee after a 20-minute firefight with Army; leave behind IED in Comval town

MAWAB, Compostela Valley Province – The New Peoples Army’s (NPA) belonging to Guerilla Front 33 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) left behind one AK-47 rifle, one improvised explosive device (IED), two rifle grenades and six backpacks after a 20-minute firefight with the government troops on Monday afternoon, here.

In a statement sent by Capt. Rhyan Batchar, chief division public affairs office of the 10th Infantry Division, the interception of the firearm and IED is the result of the encounter between the 25th Infantry Battalion (IB) and the rebel group at the Sitio Bagtok, Brgy San Vicente, Montevista here.

Batchar further added that the troops acting on the reported presence of an armed group in the said barangay engaged in a 20-minute firefight and there was no casualty among the soldiers while the NPAs were believed to have suffered casualties.

MGen Rafael Valencia, 10ID Commander, lauded the bravery of the soldiers of 25IB.

"We are committed to serve and secure the people and we will not hesitate to use legitimate force against the NPAs who use violence to achieve their discredited political objectives," MGen Valencia concluded.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835715

OPAPP constructs roads worth PHP56M in conflict areas in Mindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): OPAPP constructs roads worth PHP56M in conflict areas in Mindanao

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) has constructed farm-to-market roads worth PHP56 million in northern Mindanao’s conflict areas in 2015.

Lealyn Ramos, regional director of the Department Agriculture (DA), said the program is carried out through OPAPP's “Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan” (PAMANA).

In 2015, PAMANA constructed farm-to-market roads (FMRs) in the municipal towns of Bacolod, Kauswagan, Munai, Sultan Naga Dimaporo and Tangcal, all of Lanao Del Norte, Ramos said.

She said the DA is the only implementing agency of the OPAPP through its peace-building program known as PAMANA.

The road construction project is only one of the OPAPP projects.

Ramos said OPAPP identifies the possible towns and villages, which could become the beneficiaries of the PAMANA program.

In 2016, DA-10 is expected to implement a total of PHP63 million worth of FMRs. This time, several villages in Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental are the recipients of the projects, Ramos said.

PAMANA extends development interventions to inaccessible and strife-torn communities in the region to make sure that development is not denied in these areas.

A complementary track to peace negotiations, the program is anchored on the Aquino administration’s strategy of winning the peace by forging strategic partnerships with national agencies.

These national and regional agencies promote convergence, deliver basic services and address regional development challenges in conflict-affected and vulnerable areas.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835759

Maiden missions of attack AW-109E helicopters likely to be against Abu Sayyaf

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Maiden missions of attack AW-109E helicopters likely to be against Abu Sayyaf

The newly-acquired AgustaWestland AW-109 "Power" attack helicopters of the Philippine Air Force could have its baptism of fire conducting strikes against Abu Sayyaf Group brigands in Mindanao, a military official said.

"If the operation will call for it, yes we will do the same role that the MG-520s (other PAF attack helicopters) are doing in Mindanao," PAF chief-of-air staff Major Gen. Galileo Gerard Kintanar said.

The attack aircraft will make their first operational deployment in Mindanao by second quarter of 2016.

Kintanar said all six newly-commissioned attack helicopters will be initially based at Danilo Atienza Air Base, Sangley Point, Cavite and will be utilized in internal security operations (ISO).

Danilo Atienza Air Base is the headquarters of the PAF's 15th Strike Wing, the Air Force's primary ground attack unit.

"Some of them will be deployed in Mindanao. That is where the aircraft is needed for ISO and hopefully all of them will be deployed by early 2017, so in 2016 we see the initial deployment of a couple of them by the second quarter and as we train more pilot to operate and fly them, all of them will be flying in deployment area by 2017," Kintanar said.

The first PAF attack AW-109s were commissioned last Aug. 17 while the remaining six were formally accepted for PAF service last Dec. 5.

The Philippines signed an eight-unit attack AW-109E order with AgustaWestland in 2013 for PHP3.44 billion.

Kintanar said the eight attack AW-109s will remedy the dwindling number of MG-520 attack helicopters primarily used for close-air support missions.

"Definitely it will significantly increase our capability for close-air support as the (PAF) commanding general (Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Delgado) said we only have a dozen of the MG-520 so this is a welcome addition of capabilities, what is important is it has more capabilities to speak of, it will be able to carry more and it can operate at night," he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=835610

NPA weapons, equipment seized in Compostela Valley clash

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): NPA weapons, equipment seized in Compostela Valley clash

Assorted New People's Army (NPA) weaponry were captured after a 20-minute firefight with 25th Infantry Battalion troopers in Montevista, Compostela Valley Monday afternoon.

In the encounter that took place 2 p.m., an undetermined number of NPAs were believed to have been wounded and killed, said 10th Infantry Division spokesperson Capt. Rhyan Batchar.

Recovered from the encounter scene were an AK-47 automatic rifle, an improvised explosive device, two rifle grenades and six backpacks.

Batchar said 25th Infantry Battalion troopers were conducting security patrols in the area in response to reports of NPA sighting when the encounter took place.

No government troopers were hurt in the engagement at Sitio Bagtok, Barangay San Vicente, Montevista, Compostela Valley.
 
Pursuit operations are still ongoing as of this posting.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=835663

President Aquino renews call for BBL bill approval

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): President Aquino renews call for BBL bill approval

President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday met with lawmakers headed by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to reiterate the importance of the immediate passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

The Chief Executive met with the lawmakers around lunchtime to urge the latter to "...seize the historic opportunity..." of enacting the measure and ensure long-term peace in Mindanao, said Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. in a statement.

Among those who were present during the meeting are House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II and Cabinet members led by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.

The PCOO chief said President Aquino stressed the need for the immediate passage of the measure given higher threats from global terrorism and radicalization.

"The President urged the members of Congress to rise to the challenge of being able to “change the narrative”, referring to the cycle of violence and poverty that has stalled peace and progress in Mindanao," he said.

Coloma said the President cited the projected gains of the measure and one of these include giving the people the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.

"He cited the gains achieved by the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) in attracting new investments amounting to PhP9.8 billion in the period from 2011 to 2014," he said.

The PCOO chief said the President, during his recent trip to Vatican and Italy, was asked by European leaders about the BBL "and he pointed out that the BBL provides a template for peace building that may be considered by the international community."

The proposed BBL was submitted to Congress in September 2014 after representatives of the government’s peace panel and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in March of the same year.

It received flak after the "misencounter" between members of the police’s elite force and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members on January 25, 2015, which led to the death of 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF).
 
However, the Aquino administration maintains that passage of the BBL is necessary to ensure a long-term peace and growth in Mindanao.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=835855

8th ID joins commemoration of Nat'l Human Rights Week

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): 8th ID joins commemoration of Nat'l Human Rights Week

The Catbalogan-based 8th Infantry Division on Monday joined the rest of nation in the commemoration of National Human Rights Consciousness Week.

This year's theme is: “Karapatang Pantao: Igalang, Ipagtanggol, at Isakatuparan”.

Major Gen. Jet B. Velarmino, commander of the 8th Infantry Division, spearheaded the event which was also attended by the officers, enlisted personnel and civilian employees of the unit.

Brig. Gen. Demy T. Tejares, 8th Infantry Division assistant commander, acting as human rights officer, led the troops in the reading of "Panata sa Karapatang Pantao".

“As we pursue our sincere commitment, I am very aware and respectful of the role of every 'Stormtroopers' to the society and various stakeholders’ effort to broaden people’s awareness on their human rights,” Velarmino said.
 
“It is our duty and mandate to protect and put an end to this impunity and cultivate a culture of respect to human rights in all levels of our Command,” he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=835836

Six dead as clash erupted between armed farmers in border of North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Six dead as clash erupted between armed farmers in border of North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces

Six persons died on Tuesday after two warring groups engaged in an intense firefight at the border of this town and adjacent municipality of Columbio in Sultan Kudarat province.

Insp. Rolando Dillera, Tulunan police chief, initially identified three of the six fatalities as Loloy Lumacad of Barangay Kanebong, Columbio town; and also Renato Tadiaque and Anthony Camiring, both from Barangay Maybula, Tulunan.

Responding authorities have also recovered from the encounter site along Maybula, a farming village here inhabited mostly by Ilonggos and B’laan natives, three unidentified bodies of Moro farmers who died during the clash.

Dillera said the conflict was triggered by the stealing at dawn Tuesday of a carabao owned by a certain Fernandez in Sitio Saban, Maybula, by two still unidentified minors from adjoining Columbio town.

Fernandez pursued the rowdy juveniles and manhandled them before taking back his farm animal.

Shortly thereafter, however, a group of Moro natives from Columbio town attacked him but survived after getting help from other Ilonggo farmers in the area.

Around 7 a.m. Tuesday, a firefight broke out after armed Moro natives attacked Maybula village.

As the Maybula clash was raging, an offshoot encounter also sparked between Ilonggo and Moro natives in Barangay Kanebong of adjacent Columbio town in Sultan Kudarat province.

Dillera said a deep-seated animosity has long existed between Ilonggo and Moro farmers in the villages of Maybula and Kanebong, both situated in the boundary of Tulunan and Columbio towns respectively.
 
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Tulunan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has recorded 64 families or nearly 300 individuals as having fled the warzone.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&sid=&nid=0&rid=835862

Police hunting down suspects in North Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat border armed skirmishes

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Police hunting down suspects in North Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat border armed skirmishes

Police authorities in Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato have conducted a joint operation in hunting down two men who attacked a farming village in the boundary of two provinces Tuesday.

Sr. Supt. Danny Reyes, Sultan Kudarat provincial police director, said his office had been coordinating with the office of Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum, North Cotabato police director for the deployment of peacekeepers in the village of Maybula, a border barangay between Tulunan, North Cotabato and Colombio in Sultan Kudarat.

Reyes, citing reports from Colombio PNP, said about 20 armed men fired at farmers and village watchmen in Sitio Saban, Barangay Maybula, Tulunan.

The attackers apparently came from Colombio side, he said.

"We are still investigating, we are sending peacekeepers to prevent similar incidents in the future," Reyes told reporters.

A Church-run Radio DXND in Kidapawan City reported that the clash erupted at about 11 a.m. when gunmen attack a group of farmers, triggering a three hour firefight. Three of the farmers were killed and were identified by the villagers.

Responding police men also recovered three bodies of the attackers who were not residents of Barangay Maybula. Village defenders helped in fighting the attackers until the police arrived.

Reyes said the attacked was triggered by land dispute involving two groups of farmers claiming ownership of a vast track of lands.

Government agencies were tapped by the local governments of Tulunan and Colombio to settle amicably the land ownership issue.

The clash also sent about 50 families to abandon their homes and proceed to the village center of Maybula. It was now clear if there were evacuees on the side of Colombio town.
 
The local social welfare office have been attending to the needs of the affected families in Tulunan, local officials said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=835849

Rebels raid construction site, kill 2 in Southern Philippines

From the Mindanao Examiner (Dec 8): Rebels raid construction site, kill 2 in Southern Philippines

Communist rebels raided a construction firm and killed two security guards and wounded 5 others in South Cotabato province in southern Philippines, police and military said Tuesday.

The attack late Monday on Gemma Construction in the village of Lamfugon in Lake Sebu town also destroyed at least four bulldozers and backhoes.

The gunmen, all members of the New People’s Army, also rigged the area with improvised explosives to delay soldiers and policemen from pursuing them, but armed militias clashed with rebels.

It was unclear if any of the militias or rebels were killed or wounded in the fighting as authorities have to release a detailed report of the daring raid. The company is currently working on a government dam project in the area.

The motive of the raid is unknown, but previous attacks on other companies were due to its failure to pay so-called revolutionary taxes.

There was no immediate statement from the rebel group which is fighting for many decades now for the establishment of a separate Maoist state in the country.

http://mindanaoexaminer.com/rebels-raid-construction-site-kill-2-in-southern-philippines/

The rapid rise of the death cult of ISIS: How the jihadi extremists are extending their reach by recruiting terror groups in the jungles of South East Asia and forming sleeper cells in Africa

From the Daily Mail (Dec 8): The rapid rise of the death cult of ISIS: How the jihadi extremists are extending their reach by recruiting terror groups in the jungles of South East Asia and forming sleeper cells in Africa

In the past two years, dozens of groups operating across the globe have sworn loyalty to the barbaric extremists

It includes jihadis in Uzbekistan, the Philippines and low-lying Russia, while sleeper cells have been formed in Africa

Many of the groups have been operating for decades and are responsible for kidnappings, bombings and extortion

Aside from their brutality they have one common goal - the establishment of an Islamic state governed by Sharia law


The full scale of Islamic State's influence can today be laid bare as it's revealed dozens of terror groups worldwide have pledged their allegiance to the barbaric extremists.

From militia lurking in the jungles of the Philippines to sleeper cells training in the deserts of Libya, a vast array of groups are now claiming to be operating under the jihadis' notorious black and white banner.

It is clear the groups have little in common except their desire to establish their own kingdoms governed by a traditional interpretation of Sharia law. But they are united by one other common principle - they will do anything to realise their goals.


It's believed more than 40 international groups have pledged their support to ISIS and its ruthless leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (pictured)

It's believed more than 40 international groups have pledged their support to ISIS and its ruthless leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (pictured)

Many of the rebel groups operating worldwide have sent fighters to battle with ISIS forces (pictured) in the Middle East, while others simply operate as a symbolic partner

Copy linMany of the rebel groups operating worldwide have sent fighters to battle with ISIS forces (pictured) in the Middle East, while others simply operate as a symbolic partner


Among the atrocities to be attributed to these groups is the use of child soldiers, suicide bombings, gangland-style warfare, kidnappings and extortion.

Frighteningly, the vast majority of them have pledged their allegiance to ISIS either this year or in 2014, suggesting the group is enjoying a rapid growth of influence.

In total, a staggering 42 international rebel groups are believed to have offered support or pledged affiliation to ISIS and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, according to the Global Terrorism Index, published last month by the Institute for Economics and Peace.

Some, such as Saudi Arabia's Supporters of the Islamic State in the Land of the Two Holy Mosques, may be little more than rag-tag groupings of people inspired by the ISIS banner. 

But others, such as Nigeria's Boko Haram or the Philippines' Abu Sayyaf, have been operating independently for many years and are among multiple well-established groups to swear loyalty to the organisation.

The degree to which these groups are linked to ISIS also varies - many have little more than an offer of support or symbolic association. Others are thought to have sent fighters to the Middle East, or are groups established by the jihadis that essentially operate as sleeper cells.

Dr Christina Schori Liang, a senior fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, told MailOnline ISIS had simply fostered a brand which was so effective other terror groups wanted to be associated with it.

She said: 'They appear to others to be very high performance and this increases their legitimacy. If one market dries up they always have others they fall back upon and other terrorist groups can see that.

'It offers these groups global recognition that they are part of one of the most effective terrorist organisations in the world. It's just the idea that they're part of a greater social movement.'

Using methods Dr Liang said were akin to a successful start-up company, ISIS has created its own markets - such as its illicit oil trade - while also spreading itself further to tap into other revenue.

Dr Liang said she feared ISIS and its vast array of affiliates would soon extend beyond their symbolic and ideological ties to start operating like a multinational company.

She explained: 'It's kind of like a mafia organisation. Everyone has their own business and if they co-operate more I can see them extending their businesses to one another - so it could enrich them even further.

'I think of ISIS as always looking for new markets. They may not necessarily get into the [other groups'] market, but will take a piece of the cut.'

Africa 



ISIS supporters in Africa include Boko Haram, the deadly Islamic militants operating in Nigeria who made headlines for the mass abduction of schoolgirls in 2014.

Such is the scale of terror the group inflicts on the country's north-east, Boko Haram was recently named as the deadliest terror group operating today.

Although this requires discounting the estimated 20,000 battlefield deaths caused by ISIS, in terms of sheer acts of terror and wholesale slaughter, the group takes top spot.

Led by the mysterious Abubakar Shekau, the group pledged allegiance to ISIS in March this year. It has been suggested the brutal leader died several years ago but his profile is purposely kept alive as part of the Boko Haram 'brand'.

The group earned notoriety when it kidnapped several hundred schoolgirls from the city of Chibok, in the country's north-east. They were forced to convert to Islam and marry members of Boko Haram as slave brides.

Although the Nigerian army has this year recaptured much of the territory seized by Boko Haram in its six-year campaign to carve out an Islamic state, the militants have recently struck back with a surge of deadly raids and suicide bombings.

Some of its latest attacks occurred last month when a string of suicide bombers - now believed to have been children as young as 11 - blew themselves up, killing more than 40 people.

At the weekend, three female suicide bombers attacked a busy market on an island in Lake Chad, leaving at least 27 people dead and 90 injured.

A video posted online in January this year purported to show the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, issuing a warning to the Cameroon government

A video posted online in January this year purported to show the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, issuing a warning to the Cameroon government

The group carries out near-weekly attacks across north-east Nigeria, the latest of which was a series of suicide bombings perpetrated by children

SHARThe group carries out near-weekly attacks across north-east Nigeria, the latest of which was a series of suicide bombings perpetrated by children

Boko Haram received notoriety last year when it kidnapped several hundred schoolgirls (pictured) from the city of Chibok

Boko Haram received notoriety last year when it kidnapped several hundred schoolgirls (pictured) from the city of Chibok

Further north, ISIS-inspired splinter cells have been established in Egypt - where ISIS claimed to have destroyed the Russian Metrojet airliner over the Sinai province. Similar operations are thought to be operating in Tunisia, which has suffered three attacks this year, and Libya.

To the east, Sudan's longstanding Islamic group Al-Attasam belKetab wa al-Sunna announced in July last year it would endorse ISIS.

The organisation broke with Sudan's Muslim Brotherhood in 1991 to establish a stricter Islamic movement. It is another of many groups to have once been aligned to Al-Qaeda, only to switch allegiance as ISIS gained in prominence.

However, ISIS-inspired groups are no longer limited to north African countries. In Mali the rebel group Al-Murabitoon was said to have declared its support for ISIS in May 2015.

This group was formed by the fearsome one-eyed Algerian Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who was battle-hardened in the wars against the Soviets in Afghanistan and then against the U.S.-led forces.

However - there remains some dispute about the authenticity of its allegiance after its declaration of support, which consisted of a radio recording, was rejected by Belmokhtar a few days later.

It is likely there is a rift within the organisation and Belmokhtar's branch of the jihadis may still remain loyal to Al-Qaeda. The organisation claimed responsibility for the Bamako hotel attack last month that left 22 dead.

South East Asia 



Just this week, ISIS released a recruitment song in Mandarin aimed at Chinese nationals. However, it's not entirely clear who the song is directed at.

Insurgents within the country's ethnic Uyghur population, who are thought to have joined ISIS in the past and are among the country's 20million-strong Muslim population, do not speak Mandarin.

One of the more far-reaching groups to join the ISIS ranks in recent months is Abu Sayyaf - a small, mobile and deadly terror group which has formed a terrifying reputation within the long-standing Philippines insurgency.

Active across the country's south, they are only one of many rebel groups attempting to carve out an independent Islamic province in the area.

The group is responsible for atrocities that include kidnapping, rape, extortion and drug trafficking and murder, and in July last year the group pledged allegiance to ISIS. It, like its Middle Eastern compatriots, specialises in kidnapping.

Abu Sayyaf militants are believed to be currently holding nine different hostages, including a Dutch man kidnapped three years ago, two Malaysians and a town mayor.

However, unlike ISIS, which routinely kills those it has taken captive, Abu Sayyaf takes a more practical approach to its kidnappings. They are carried out purely for financial gain, and the terrorists will happily spend several years drawing out negotiations in order to secure a ransom.

In 2004, the group was found to be responsible for the bombing of Superferry 14 - a passenger ship departing the country's capital of Manila. Some 116 people were killed in the attack, and to date it remains the Philippines' worst terrorist atrocity. 

Although it has been classed as a terrorist organisation by a host of Western countries, Abu Sayyaf treads a fine line between ideological rebellion and criminal enterprise.

Meanwhile, the Bangasamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, led by Ameril Umbra Kato, was formed in 2010 when it broke away from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

It too, like a handful of other groups in the area, wants complete autonomy in the country's south for a new Islamic state. Its leader and founder Kato died earlier this year from health-related issues - just months after the central government launched an operation to arrest him.

They were said to have pledged support to ISIS in August 2014.

Abu Sayyaf militants wearing bandannas and camouflage fatigues rest in the jungle armed with explosives and machine guns

Abu Sayyaf militants wearing bandannas and camouflage fatigues rest in the jungle armed with explosives and machine guns

In 2002, Abu Sayyaf militants took U.S. missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham hostage from a resort in Palawan, in the country's west. A year later, Filipino army troops conducted a rescue operation in which Mr Burnham was killed

In 2002, Abu Sayyaf militants took U.S. missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham hostage from a resort in Palawan, in the country's west. A year later, Filipino army troops conducted a rescue operation in which Mr Burnham was killed

Members of the breakaway Muslim separatist group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters stand guard on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. The group pledged its support to ISIS in August 2014

Members of the breakaway Muslim separatist group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters stand guard on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. The group pledged its support to ISIS in August 2014

The group's leader and founder Ameril Umbrakato (third from right) died earlier this year from health-related issues

The group's leader and founder Ameril Umbrakato (third from right) died earlier this year from health-related issues

Mujahideen Indonesia Timor (pictured), a rebel group operating in Indonesia, is thought to be the first in the country to swear loyalty to ISIS

SHARE PICTURE Mujahideen Indonesia Timor (pictured), a rebel group operating in Indonesia, is thought to be the first in the country to swear loyalty to ISIS

Other groups in the country to have declared support for the Middle Eastern jihadis include Ansar al-Khilafah in the Philippines and Ma'rakat al-Ansar.

Next door, Indonesia's feared Abu Wardah Santoso - the leader of the self-declared Mujahideen Indonesia Timor - remains his country's most wanted man. According to local media, his group is believed to be Indonesia's first to swear loyalty to ISIS and is responsible for killing civilians and several of the country's anti-terror officers.

The third major terror organisation in the area linked to ISIS is Jemaah Islamiah - the group responsible for the 2002 Bali Bombings which killed 202 people.

While it has refrained from openly swearing loyalty or allegiance to its Middle Eastern counterparts, authorities believe the two organisations have close links and there may be up to 200 Indonesian or Malaysian members operating in Syria and Iraq.

Formed in Malaysia in the 1990s while its founders were seeking refuge from the Suharto dictatorship, it has a history of fostering operational links with other jihadi groups within the region.

The Middle East 
 

Unsurprisingly, ISIS enjoys far reaching support closer to its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq. This includes affiliates in Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The strength of many of these groups is difficult to determine, and some may be small clusters of ISIS-inspired jihadis, rather than organised terror cells. 

However, its reach also extends much further north - to the lower reaches of Russia, where Islamic insurgencies battling Putin have switched over to join ISIS's global enterprise.

ISIS in the Caucasus Province was created in June this year and lies in south-west Russia, amid a brewing insurgency Putin has battled for years in and around Chechnya.

Some have stated it is no surprise a group has been formed in the region. While it has a history of Islamic insurgency, ISIS is known to cherish the ferocity of the Chechen fighters within its ranks and they are considered prized recruits among the battalions fighting in Syria and Iraq.

Similar to some of the ISIS operations underway in north Africa, it appears to have been established solely as an ISIS cell and was not in existence in a different form prior to this.

However, its leader Rustam Asildarov was recruited from Vilayat Dagestan - a jihadi group created during the Second Chechen War.

It lays claim to areas surrounding Dagestan, Georgia and Chechnya, as well as a handful of provinces in Russia's south that stretch up to Sochi where the 2014 Winter Olympics were held.

To its east in northern Afghanistan and Pakistan lies a group named the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

Operating in the far northern reaches of the countries, and originally emanating from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the group in previous years has been closely allied to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

But this changed midway through 2015 when its leadership publicly switched its allegiance to ISIS.

It is the first Central Asian jihadi group to declare its allegiance to ISIS, though it is not clear if it is the same group referred to as 'ISIS in the Kohrasan Province'.
 
This is the moment the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, now based around Afghanistan and Pakistan, publicly swore allegiance to ISIS
This is the moment the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, now based around Afghanistan and Pakistan, publicly swore allegiance to ISIS

While its formative years in the 1990s were focused on establishing an Islamic state in Uzbekistan, it has since spread south to combat Pakistani authorities and Western forces in Afghanistan.

The group was designated a terrorist organisation by the U.S. more than a decade ago for its links to Al-Qaeda and due to several high profile kidnappings.

It made headlines after taking a group of Japanese scientists hostage in 1999, and the following year four U.S. mountain climbers were captured. They later managed to escape.

Since 2012 it has been headed by Usman Ghazi when he succeeded a commander killed in a US drone strike.

In recent years the group has been linked to suicide bombings and several gun battles with authorities throughout the Central Asia region, while it also stands accused of drug smuggling. Last year it claimed responsibility for the attack on Karachi airport in Pakistan which killed 39 people.

Early this year, it released a video showing a beheading. Their victim was believed to have been one of 31 people they took hostage from a bus in Afghanistan.

Groups allied to the jihadis have also surfaced in the Gaza Strip - where their main target remains Israel. The Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem was formed three or four years ago.

Compared to many other organisations, it declared its support for ISIS relatively early, in February 2014. Six months later, it had been designated a terrorist organisation by the U.S. for its rocket and IED attacks on Israel.

And in Saudi Arabia, a shadowy group calling itself Supporters of the Islamic State in the Land of the Two Holy Mosques has sworn its allegiance to ISIS.

Though Saudi Arabia has been subjected to ISIS-inspired attacks, it remains unclear how organised the group is, and whether it has received official backing from ISIS
 
Last year the group claimed responsibility for the attack on Karachi airport in Pakistan, which killed 39 people
Last year the group claimed responsibility for the attack on Karachi airport in Pakistan, which killed 39 people

Originally emanating from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan was another group to have once been aligned to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda

Originally emanating from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan was another group to have once been aligned to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda
 
 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3344717/The-rapid-rise-death-cult-ISIS-jihadi-extremists-extending-reach-recruiting-terror-groups-jungles-South-East-Asia-forming-sleeper-cells-Africa.html