In the final Operation Pacific Eagle report the US DOD indicated that the Philippines is incapable of handling the war against terrorism on their own. This week the US has come forward with a lot of much needed assistance to the Philippines.
US Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett on Wednesday met with Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary Cardozo Luna and senior Philippine military officials to reaffirm the United States’ steadfast military partnership with the Philippines, the oldest US treaty ally in Asia.
“From joint counterterrorism efforts to humanitarian support, the US and Philippines have a long history of working together to protect global security through regional stability,” Barrett said. “The US Air and Space Forces look forward to building on our strong relationship with the Philippine military through greater interoperability and training opportunities with the Philippine Air Force, as well as exploring where our nations can cooperate in the space domain.”
Lets take a look at this recent declaration of partnership and in particular the weapons systems sent to the Philippines.
The United States turned over yesterday a P710-million ($14.79 million) ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial System or UAS to the Philippine Navy to augment the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s maritime domain awareness and border security capabilities.
The ScanEagle UAS will provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to the AFP 71st Maritime Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance Squadron (71 MUARS) of the Philippine Fleet’s Naval Air Wing, which will operate the aircraft out of Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui, San Antonio, Zambales. The 71 MUARS is the AFP’s leading unit for unmanned maritime ISR operations.
Since 2015, the US has delivered more than P33 billion ($650 million) worth of planes, ships, armored vehicles, small arms and other military equipment to the Philippines, while training side-by-side with Filipino allies.
Apparently these drones will do reconnaissance over the SCS and keep the PHL informed about what is happening with China's island building. The Trump administration has also delivered precision-guided missile systems to help defeat the insurgency,
"We hope these precision-guided missiles and munitions will help the AFP protect Philippine lives in Mindanao and end the needless suffering imposed by ISIS-East Asia," O'Brien said, following his meeting with Locsin.
O'Brien added that the transfer of weapons underscores Washington's "enduring commitment" to its "critical alliance" with Manila, its longtime ally and former colony.
Upon receiving the weapons on behalf of the Philippine government, Locsin said the armed forces are looking forward to training on their use.
"These smart bombs will boost the capability of our armed forces in neutralizing identified or specific threats to national security, particularly in counterterrorism operations," Locsin said.
Noting that the US has been at the forefront of the fight against ISIS, O'Brien said Trump stands with Duterte as the Americans combat ISIS in Southeast Asia.
Precision-guided missiles to fight ISIS who hides out in thick jungles? And they do not know how to use them? Are they kidding?
The reality on the ground we have been told is that ISIS-East Asia is on the wan as members die and surrender. But even if that is not the case in what scenario would these missiles be used? It's jungle warfare and happens encounter by encounter. The AFP is not strafing ASG camps. Not to mention that the greater threat is not ISIS but the NPA.
The Philippine Army confirmed that a farmer’s group in Carigara, Leyte has been the source of new recruits of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the province.
In a report released on Tuesday, the Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade said members of Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Magsasaka (PKM) Balangay in Carigara has been recruited as cannon fodders, treated by armed rebels as expendable in the face of enemy fire.
“It was the prospect of financial assistance that enticed many local farmers including some barangay (village) officials to join Municipal Upland Farmers Association of Carigara (MUFAC), which now appeared as front for the underground PKM,” the army said in a statement.
MUFAC was renamed to appease a German church-based humanitarian agency, which have been providing funds in Leyte communities after super typhoon Yolanda’s devastations, according to the military.
There is a lot of info here and it remains rather unclear. What "German church-based humanitarian agency" has been providing funds since the Yolanda typhoon has been appeased by this farmer's group changing its name? We are not told. Probably Caritas Germany.
The priest said that the Church’s post-“Yolanda” response was implemented directly by Caritas Philippines, and bilaterally by Caritas Internationalis member organizations -- Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Caritas Switzerland, Caritas Italiana, Caritas Belgium, Caritas Germany, Development and Peace-Caritas Canada, Caritas Austria, and Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid (Cordaid)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1054836
What did this humanitarian group know and when did they know it? What other subversive groups are they wittingly or unwittingly supporting? Was MUFAC the original name of the farmer's group? If these farmers are being recruited as "canon fodder" then it would seem they are not very dangerous but just expendable nobodies. Of course not all NPA are like that. Some do pose a serious threat.
An armed encounter erupted Tuesday morning and is still ongoing between members of the New People’s Army (NPA) terrorist group and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at the mountainous area in this town.
In an interview, Brig. General Audrey Pasia, Commander of the 702nd Infantry Brigade, said they received a report from indigenous people of an alleged camp of the rebel group at Barangay Lawang Langka in this town.
“Soldiers requested for artillery fire support after finding themselves outnumbered against an estimated 40 heavily armed communist terrorists hiding in the mountains of Barangay Lawang Langka. Additional forces were flown in by helicopters to provide close air support and reinforce the engaged troops,” he said.
“The soldiers’ ability to decisively engage the enemies of the state despite the ongoing humanitarian missions brought about by the series of typhoons is a testament to our collective commitment and high state of readiness to serve our people and secure this part of our land,” Major General Alfredo Rosario, Commander of the 7th Infantry Division, said in a statement issued Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., AFP’s Nolcom chief, said he hopes the encounter will lead the few remaining NPA terrorists to choose peace over conflict, avail of government grants, and lead normal lives together with their families.
“The fact that we are now receiving real-time information is a loud and clear warning to the few remaining NPAs in this part of the country to put down their arms and return to the folds of law while they still can because our soldiers can, and will, hunt them down even up to the most isolated corner and crevices of Northern and Central Luzon,” he said.
Avail of government grants? That's a heck of a way to describe the bribery the government is offering to any surrendering terrorist irrespective of their background.
Now despite the story above that they were outnumbered against 40 heavily armed NPA fighters and had to call for reinforcements the AFP maintains that Panganisan is insurgency free.
The province of Pangasinan is still considered insurgency-free despite the sighting of members of the New People’s Army (NPA) that led to the ongoing pursuit operation in the mountainous terrain of this town, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Wednesday.
In an interview, Maj. Mico Magisa, public information officer of the AFP’s Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), said the encounter happening in the province does not necessarily mean that its insurgency-free status no longer prevails.
“Para sa perspective po namin, an encounter doesn’t mean na ang lugar ay hindi na insurgency free. Mas masasabi nga po natin na insurgency-free ang isang lugar kapag nagkaroon ng encounter lalo na kapag ang encounter na ito ay batay sainformation na binigay ng mga community (On our perspective, an encounter doesn’t mean that the area is no longer insurgency-free. We could, even more, say that it is insurgency-free if there is an encounter especially if this encounter was aided with the information given by the community,” he said, adding that an area is considered insurgency-free once the rebels lost their support in the area.
Magisa said public support is crucial to the movement of rebels in the area.
“The encounter on Tuesday is a testament that the people wanted the rebels out,” he said.
"An area is considered insurgency-free once the rebels lost their support in the area." How ridiculous is that? Now the AFP has two varying definitions of what insurgency-free means. 11 years ago insurgency free meant no reports of fighters in the area.
“Insurgency-free”, according to Luga, means that they have received no more reports of armed men in the province.
“Insignificant level. Wala na rito ang mga armed groups,” Luga said during the recent meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council held at the Capitol Social Hall.
https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2019/09/martial-law-insurgent-free.html
Does the AFP realize that for an area to declare the NPA persona non grata presupposes that there are NPA fighter in the area? A lack of support for the rebels means they are still around or else there would be no reason to issue statements of non-support.
Is the AFP stupid? Have they learned nothing after all this time!? No wonder it has been a 50 year war!! It's just another in a series of premature declarations of victory. Here is another premature declaration of victory from this past week.
Military and police officials said Friday the conviction of ranking Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army (CPP-NPA) officials Benito and Wilma Tiamzon on charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention is a victory for the victims of the communist-terrorist group.
In a statement, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson, Marine Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said the court decision is a victory for the many victims of the atrocities of the NPA, particularly the orders to conduct murder, arson, extortion, ambushes, bombing, and other activities they orchestrated.
"They were convicted 'beyond reasonable doubt' by the Regional Trial Court 216 of Quezon City for the crime of kidnapping and serious illegal detention," he said.
"They have violated the provisions of their temporary liberty (as consultants) when they refused to surrender after the peace negotiations failed. But the AFP will continue to hunt them down," Arevalo said.
"They can run. But just as justice has caught up on them with this conviction (kidnapping with serious illegal detention), we will nab them soon. By then, they will be back in jail to pay for the crimes they committed against our people through the many atrocities perpetrated by the NPA which acts they planned and orchestrated," he said.
"It is also another success story on the efficiency of our prosecutors and investigators who secured the validity of evidence presented during the trial. The court also helped make the justice system work with its verdict. Of course, it is also a manifestation of the sins committed by communist terrorists against our people," Usana said in a statement.
Here are some more details from Philstar:
The case stemmed from the kidnapping of Army Lts. Clarito Santos, Oscar Singson, Rommel Salamanca, and Abraham Claro Casis of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and of Sgt. John Jacob of the Philippine Narcotics Command in Quezon province on June 1, 1988.
Based on the Information or charge sheet filed on June 26, 1990, those kidnapped were kept under restraint for 75 days in Mauban, Quezon.
The Tiamzon couple were freed in 2016 after the Manila court allowed them to post bail to participate in peace talks between communist rebels and the government but President Rodrigo Duterte scrapped formal and back-channel negotiations in 2017.
The court in 2018 ordered the re-arrest of the Tiamzons and their co-accused Adelberto Silva following the termination of peace talks.
The Tiamzons have failed to appear since the Manila court ordered their re-arrest and their right to present evidence in the kidnapping case has since been waived. The case was submitted for resolution based only on prosecution evidence.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/11/27/2059848/court-convicts-tiamzon-couple-1988-quezon-kidnapping
This couple was convicted of a kidnapping which occurred in 1988. 28 years later the case had still not been resolved and they were set free in 2016 by Duterte to participate in peace talks which ultimately broke down. They have been on the run ever since and were convicted in absentia. The conviction is also not for "the orders to conduct murder, arson, extortion, ambushes, bombing, and other activities they orchestrated" but only for kidnapping and they have yet to be brought into custody. How is this a win for anyone? It's more of a display of the Philippines' slow and broken justice system.
