Last week the BOL was signed into law and the entire country and even the international community erupted into joy heralding the passage of this law as the dawn of a new peace in Mindanao and the Philippines because nothing says peace like creating a region to be run by a terrorist group.
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| https://www.philstar.com/business/2018/07/31/1838425/world-bank-signing-bangsamoro-organic-law-significant-milestone |
Duterte was so drunk on peace that he even held out his bottle to Abu Sayyaf.
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| http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1015352/rodrigo-duterte-abu-sayyaf-group-bol |
Duterte then announced his invitation to the Abu Sayyaf Group: “Iyong Abu Sayyaf, mag-usap na lang tayo. Ano bang gawain natin? Magpatayan tayong lahat? Ako, pwede niyo akong patayin maski saan. Anong makukuha ninyo?”
[You in the Abu Sayyaf, let’s just talk. What do you want to do? Do want us to just kill each other. You can kill me anywhere. But what will you gain by that?]
Abu Sayyaf responded to this plea in their own unique manner: with violence.
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| http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1016190/breaking-abu-sayyaf-behind-basilan-explosion-afp |
“Based from a conversation with Wesmincom commander Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, this person whose name or identity is not known yet is part of the group of Furuji Indama,” Armed Forces spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo.
How can the AFP make such a statement when they do not know the identity of the driver? It could be BIFF related for all we know. It could be any number of the terrorist groups in Mindanao.
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| ISIS connected terrorist groups in the Philippines |
But even though they are sure this bombing is the work of an ISIS related group, ISIS is absolutely not involved.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/08/02/1838931/afp-chief-isis-not-behind-basilan-blast |
The military yesterday dismissed claims that the Islamic State (IS) was behind the car bomb attack that killed 11 people in Basilan.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Carlito Galvez said the IS was claiming every terror attack as part of its propaganda to gain more support.
“They are claiming everything. Even what happened in Manila, they were claiming to have had a hand in it. They are doing it to heighten the support and to show that they are still there,” Galvez said.
He also discounted the possibility that the supposed suicide bomber in last Tuesday’s attack was a foreigner.
An anti-terror official, however, maintained the suicide bomber was a foreigner, bolstering claims and identifying the slain suspect as Abu Kathir Al-Maghrib, a Moroccan jihadist.
But some officials stressed it might be possible that the driver of the van was just a courier of the bomb.
“So it is not conclusive that it was a suicide bomber and it’s not conclusive the suspect was a foreigner,” Galvez said.
That is some great investigative work right there. An ISIS linked group blows up a truck bomb but ISIS is not involved. The suspect is positively identified as a Moroccan but the AFP Chief says it's not conclusive he was a foreigner. What difference does it make if the driver was a courier who was forced to ignite the bomb earlier than planned versus being a suicide bomber when he has been positively identified as a Moroccan and is working with an ISIS-linked group? The AFP is straining at a gnat and ignoring the weightier parts of this whole incident. The weightier parts being that terrorism continues in Mindanao and ISIS still has a presence in the Philippines despite martial law, the BOL, and every effort by the AFP to stem the tide.
What happened in Manila is another bomb exploding.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/08/03/1839289/probers-eyeing-reds-masbate-port-explosion |
Police are investigating the involvement of communist rebels in the explosion of an improvised bomb at the Masbate City port last Tuesday evening that resulted in the sinking of a motorized boat, injuring two crewmen.
Supt. Paul de Mesa Cabug, Masbate City police chief, said that the shattered PVC pipe used in making the improvised explosive device (IED) was similar to the pipes the police recovered from a rebel camp in Barangay Mabiton, Claveria, Masbate last July 30 and 31.
“It’s an isolated incident,” Arevalo said, adding that for now, military and police probers are still clueless as to the identities of the perpetrators.
PCG spokesman Capt. Armand Balilo yesterday said they are treating the matter as an isolated incident but the agency maintains strict security not only at the Masbate port but in all seaports in the country.
An isolated incident? With the NPA fighting the government for 50 years now what could possibly prompt him to say this is an isolated incident? After finding IED materials similar to the one that blew up this boat who's to say this is not the last bomb that will explode? An IED went off in Antipolo on the same day as the van in Basilan exploded.
Far from being an isolated incident this explosion is taking place in the context of failed peace talks and the NPA's plans to launch more attacks and overthrow Duterte. There is nothing isolated about it.
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| https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/31/suspected-ied-explodes-in-rizal-2-civilians-hurt/ |
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| http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1017040/pnp-says-recent-bombings-not-connected-to-each-other |
“Heightened alert, not full alert, in the sense that we are on top of the situation. This is not endemic, some incidents are not related,” Durana said in an interview with reporters inside his office at Camp Crame on Wednesday.
“Nakita niyo, if I’m not mistaken, hindi coordinated and it’s not a terror attack. NPA (New People’s Army) ‘yong iba, hindi rin ito ISIS as claimed by some,” he added.
Three different areas in the country have experienced attacks in less than a week. Ten were killed in Lamitan, Basilan on Tuesday, after a suicide bomber set off an explosive inside a van with women, children, soldiers and Cafgu members.
On the same day, an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in Barangay San Jose, Antipolo City, injuring two. Then on Wednesday night, another IED damaged a bridge and a boat at the Masbate City Port.
“Nothing to be alarmed, your police is on top of the situation […] but at the same time we want to be proactive that’s why even here in Metro Manila, nagkaroon po tayo ng heightened alert just to make us aware that there may be risks,” Durana explained.
I get what he's saying. One attack is NPA related and the other is Abu Sayyaf related. Having different perpetrators does not make these attacks unrelated. Think of them as cousins descended from the same stock. The connecting link here is the desire to overthrow the established order and erect their own. The NPA wants a communist Philippines and Abu Sayyaf wants what MILF has been given, a piece of the Philippines for their own Islamic State.
The BOL will not put an end to the search for autonomy by these terrorist groups.
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| http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/03/18/another-abu-sayyaf-car-bomb-afp-probes-reports-seeks-public-vigilance |
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday said it is looking into reports that the Abu Sayyaf group has deployed a "second van" that contains explosives similar to the one that went off in Lamitan, Basilan earlier this week, killing 10 people.
The military refused to give further details but said operations are now on-going against "persons of interest" to quell another possible attack.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday said it is looking into reports that the Abu Sayyaf group has deployed a "second van" that contains explosives similar to the one that went off in Lamitan, Basilan earlier this week, killing 10 people.
The military refused to give further details but said operations are now on-going against "persons of interest" to quell another possible attack.
The bomb that exploded and killed 10 people in Lamitan is easy to manufacture as it makes use of materials that can be bought in hardware stores, Dela Vega said.
"Kung may (if there is a) suspicious amount, large volume of these components are being purchased over the counter sa (at the) hardware store, they are not prevented from selling, but they must inform the security sectors," he said.
Department of the Interior and Local Government Officer-in-Charge Eduardo Año said another terrorist attempt may be prevented if the community will be more vigilant of movements in their territories.
"Tulad 'yung van na 'yun, kung vigilant 'yung ating mga tao sa community, nung pinipinturahan pa lang 'yun dapat nai-report na 'yan. 'Yung mayroon naglo-load ng anumang bagay sa loob, na-report na sana 'yan," he said.
(Like that van [that exploded], if people in the community were vigilant, when it was painted, that should have already been reported. At the time they were loading something inside the van, that should have already been reported.)
How nice of the AFP and DILG Chief, former AFP Chief Año, to blame the public for this attack. How about if the AFP were more diligent in their intel gathering this would not have happened?
Obviously attacks from Abu Sayyf does not mean Duterte is unwilling to talk with them. He will talk with any terrorist group. But it might mean they will have to forfeit a Lapu-Lapu medal.
Obviously attacks from Abu Sayyf does not mean Duterte is unwilling to talk with them. He will talk with any terrorist group. But it might mean they will have to forfeit a Lapu-Lapu medal.
Duterte then said he would award the ASG with the Order of Lapu-lapu should they comply with his request.
"Iyong mga Abu Sayyaf na gusto ng medalya ng Lapu-Lapu, sabihin mo pagbalik ko kasi ako ang maglagay rin sa kanila para tabla. Pero walang away ha? Totoo," he said.
[Translation: The Abu Sayyaf who want a medal of Lapu-Lapu, tell them when I return I will put them on myself. But I ask for no war.]
http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2018/07/28/Rodrigo-Duterte-Bangsamoro-law-Abu-Sayyaf-Group.html
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