After the divesting twin blasts in Jolo the AFP Chief noted that the new anti-terror law and Proclamation 55 which placed the entire Philippines under a state of emergency are enough to fight terrorism. Now he says the AFP is looking to craft a memorandum to take full advantage of that proclamation.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/753944/gapay-afp-crafting-memorandum-order-geared-towards-a-more-comprehensive-proclamation-55/story/ |
The military is crafting a revised memorandum order, which aims to enforce a more comprehensive Presidential Proclamation No. 55 in the southern portion of the country, Armed Forces chief Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay said on Wednesday.
Under the said proclamation, Duterte placed the entire Mindanao under a state of national emergency due to lawless violence.
"Right now, we are crafting a revised memorandum order to implement Presidential Proclamation 55. In this time, it will be geared towards a more comprehensive and holistic approach in dealing with terrorism, not only in Mindanao but in the entire country," Gapay said.
Gapay said this would be submitted to the Office of the President. This would include the roles and support of local government units and other government agencies and sectors in fighting terrorism.
What this memorandum for implementation will entail remains to be seen but on has to ask, "What took so long?" Why wait four years to even attempt to utilize this proclamation to its fullest? If Proclamation 55 is enough to fight terrorism then why has it been practically neglected?
The new anti-terroism law still lacks implementing rules but the Senate says the Jolo suicide bombings fall under its purview.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1328129/senators-say-terror-law-applicable-to-jolo-blasts |
“The [law] is already effective so it can already be applied for the purpose of filing cases against the coconspirators and other living participants in the recent Jolo bombings,” Lacson said in a text message.
He, however, said the absence of implementation rules could have affected efforts to prevent the bombings, which killed 17 people and injured 75 others.
“What was probably missed by the law enforcement authorities was the opportunity to preempt or prevent the bombings,” he said.
The implementation rules could have guided the actions of the authorities in conducting electronic surveillance and helped them arrest the conspirators at the planning, preparation, recruitment or training stages prior to the actual bombing attacks, he said.
This is ludicrous. The law could have helped prevent the attacks by allowing electronic surveillance? Does Lacons forget that the perpetrators were under surveillance but the army unit on their tail was summarily executed by the PNP in Jolo? And who cares about charges being filed? What is wanted is Mundi Swadjaan dead or in custody at least. The only way to do that is grunt work in the jungle. The anti-terroism law is useless when it comes to actually catching terrorists.
Duterte has assured the AFP that they have his full support.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1329156/duterte-assures-military-of-full-support-vs-terrorism-following-jolo-blasts |
(As a Filipino, I will give you every support you need to complete your mission here in Jolo. I commit myself to work with you, my dear troops, to ensure that these terrorists will have no future in this country.)
Has there ever been a time when the AFP was not fully supported by the current administration whoever they may have been? The problem is not lack of support from the Palace or lack of money or supplies. The problem is the AFP who have conducted this 50 year war rather poorly. From making overly generous predictions about the terrorists being irrelevant to actually clearing areas of terrorists but then leaving them to be guarded over by LGUs to not properly acting on intel the AFP has consistently messed up time and time again.
All the modern weapons in the world will not help the AFP if their tactics allow the enemy to continue to flourish.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/02/20/afp-chief-wants-separate-procurement-system-for-military |
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Gilbert Gapay on Wednesday urged lawmakers to create a new separate defense procurement act to solve the slow roll-out of the military's modernization program.
Unlike other agencies, the military needs to buy "secret weapons" that cannot simply be published on the government's procurement website, Gapay told the Commission on Appointments.
"We want a separate defense procurement act so it would be faster than [RA] 9184" or the Government Procurement Reform Act," he said, when asked how he plans to solve the years-long delay in the implementation of the AFP's modernization program.
"These are secrets of the trade... If we publish these on PhilGEPS (Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System), burn down na agad secret weapons natin, our defense capability," he said.
Secret weapons? Like what? I guess that's a secret! The real secret weapon seems to be money. Provide enough money to bribe terrorists to surrender and eventually the insurgency will be no more.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114016 |
A member of the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) in Agusan del Norte said Tuesday they would like more surrenderers from the ranks of the communist New People's Army (NPA) through the economic programs under its Poverty Reduction, Livelihood, and Employment Cluster (PRLEC).Surrenderers receive cash and housing and training. It's a real boon for them. The AFP is banking on surrenderers to influence others to do the same.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114434 |
A top official of the Philippine Army in Agusan del Sur lauded the courage of former members of underground mass organizations of the New People’s Army (NPA) for abandoning the communist rebel movement.
In a statement Friday (Sept. 4), Lt. Col. Romel A, Goce, commanding officer of the Army's 26th Infantry Battalion, reiterated that the insurgency problem in Agusan del Sur is everyone's concern.
"Insurgency is not the sole responsibility of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) but it is a shared concern and responsibility of all government agencies and members of the society,” Goce said.
Goce issued the statement following the surrender of 46 members of the Magkahiusang Masa Farmers Organization (MAMAFAO)--an underground mass organization under the NPA's control--as well as 200 "mass base supporters" who yielded en masse in Barangay Maasin, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, on Sept. 1.
“Let us work together to end insurgency threats posed by the left-leaning organizations for lasting peace and development,” Goce said.
The pledge of support of the former NPA mass supporters, he said, will amplify the efforts of different stakeholders in addressing the socio-economic issues exploited by the NPA to influence "the minds of ordinary civilians, especially in remote areas and villages".
Defeating the insurgency is a shared concern and responsibility of the entire community. That includes terrorists like the MNLF.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114401 |
A ranking military official on Friday expressed appreciation for the contribution of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in sustaining peace in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Brig. Gen. Bagnus Gaerlan, 1st Infantry Division assistant commander, issued the statement after an MNLF official agreed to collaborate with state security forces to sustain the peace.
“We are fortunate, that we have a president (who) understands the situation here in Mindanao. We all hoped that all his peace programs (would) be attained before his term ends,” Gaerlan said.
Abubakar Taulani, co-chairman of the MNLF’s State Revolutionary Committee, has agreed to collaborate with security forces on the ground to sustain the prosperity and development of Western Mindanao.
Gaerlan also assured support for any peace-building efforts of the MNLF in their community.
The MNLF on Thursday completed a 20-day reorientation seminar for its defense force in Barangay Napulan, Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte.
Why would the AFP collaborate with a terrorist group like the MNLF? Why not collaborate with the NPA to sustain the peace? It would makes as much sense as collaborating with the MNLF.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113913 |
The Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) is implementing a PHP20-million road project in Dumingag town as part of its peace initiatives.
Zamboanga del Sur Gov. Victor Yu, the PTF-ELCAC chairperson, said in a statement Monday that the 3-kilometer road project is being implemented in the hinterlands Barangays Dilud and Saad in the municipality of Dumingag.
According to PTF-ELCAC, the barangays of Saad and Dilud used to serve as safe havens for the communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels but have recently been declared as "cleared" following a series of peace engagements through the Army's Community Support Program (CSP) and Retooled CSP (RCSP).
Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, commander of the Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion, underscored the importance of the road project for Barangay Saad residents in terms of basic services delivery.
"I know that many of the residents are victims of the wrong ideology and propaganda of the CPP-NPA,” Herrera said. “That is why your government officials, hand in hand with your soldiers, are earnestly doing our task to address this communist armed problem in accordance with the main priority of Executive Order 70 to end the communists and communism itself.”
EO 70, issued by President Rodrigo Duterte in late 2018, aims to institutionalize the "whole-of-nation" approach in addressing the communist insurgency in the countryside.
“Nowadays, it’s the right time for us to be one with the government. President Duterte launched this ELCAC project in order for us to invite our fellow Filipinos who are still suffering from the wrong ideology of the CPP-NPA-NDF, and help them surrender and receive the benefits of ECLIP, and also give them cash assistance to help them in beginning their new life,” Yu said.
"It's the right time for us to be one with the government?" Shouldn't the government be one with the people since the constitution says the government derives its legitimacy and power from the people?
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