Immediately after the Jolo bombing the AFP and PNP shifted into high gear and set about to decimate Abu Sayyaf. An annual ambitious goal always just within arms reach but never yet realised the AFP swore this time would be it. They would finally destroy Abu Syyaf.
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| https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/02/03/philippine-army-vows-to-crush-abu-sayyaf-in-sulu/ |
This declaration came on the heels of days of fighting Abu Sayyaf in the jungles and Duterte's order to crush them by "whatever means." Two days after issuing that order Duterte also gave the go-ahead for the AFP to conduct airstrikes.
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| https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2184428/philippine-military-launches-air-strikes-against-abu-sayyaf |
President Rodrigo Duterte’s “directive is to crush the Abu Sayyaf,” Lorenzana said. The military has been receiving reports of a possible terrorist attack in the province as early as August last year, he said.
The decision to conduct airstrikes is an abrupt about-face from earlier statements Duterte made against using this same tactic on the NPA.
President Rodrigo Duterte said the government can easily bomb rebel positions but had not done so to spare civilians and other non-combatants.
“Nakikita kayo sa drone, helicopter,” (You are visible to drones, helicopters) the President said Wednesday in a speech in Dimasalang town in Masbate province.
“Maraming tumutulong … Israel, USA,” (Many are assisting us … Israel, the USA) he also said.
“Gusto nila na titirahin kayo diyan sa taas. Ako lang ang tiga-pigil. Sabi ko, huwag na,” (They want to hit you from the air. But I stop them. I tell them ‘Don’t.’) Duterte added.
“The waging of war, kinokontrol ko ‘yan, lalo na paggamit ng bomba. Kasi alam mo pagka-bomba, bomba. Kung i-landing diyan ‘yang isa, ubos tayo dito lahat. Eh paano ‘yung mga civilian?” (I control the waging of war, especially in the use of bombs. With bombs, land one here and we’re all goners. Now, how about civilians?) he said.
“Kung wala lang civilian, medyo matagal na sigurong malinis ito. Hulugan ko na lang ng bomba,” (Had there been no civilians, this would have long been over. I’ll just bomb them.) he said.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1071410/duterte-its-easy-to-bomb-npa-camps-but
Duterte may control the waging of war in the Philippines but as he admitted he is getting a lot of assistance especially from the USA. Coincidentally just as the airstrikes were taking place training exercises between the USAF and PAF were wrapping up.
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| https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/02/05/paf-usaf-wrap-up-air-exercises/ |
According to the United States Embassy in Manila, the BACE-P was conducted from January 21 to February 1 and provided an opportunity for U.S. Air Force F-16s and PAF FA-50s fighter aircraft to practice “interfly training” and conduct subject matter expert exchanges including intelligence, flight line, and maintenance operations.
With such joint training and exchanges, Mendazo said he sees a “stronger alliance in the future and brighter days ahead for the two countries.”How much stronger can the alliance get when despite Duterte's public disdain for the USA they keep sending aid in the forms of money and weapons and training as well as doing much of the legwork when it comes to intelligence?
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1084109/palace-welcomes-us-intel-support-vs-terrorism |
Malacañang on Monday welcomed the United States (US) government’s commitment of over P300 million intel support to the Philippines.
“We welcome the United States’ commitment in fighting terrorism. This shows that our military alliance with the United States remains strong,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.
“We need all the help as every member-country in the United Nations needs the assistance and cooperation of each other to combat and crush terrorism,” he added.
Every member-country in the UN should assist each other to combat terrorism? What happened to:
Why even bring the UN into the picture in the first place? The Philippines is receiving help from the US as part of their mutual defence treaty. The UN has nothing to do with it.
“Fuck you UN, you can’t even solve the Middle East carnage… couldn’t even lift a finger in Africa… shut up all of you.”
https://globalnation.inquirer.net/139888/now-duterte-launches-attack-on-un
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| http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/02/07/ISIS-Philippines-emir-Hatib-Hajan-Sawadjaan.html |
The U.S. report said that ISIS-P is still active in Mindanao, with approximately 300-500 fighters but its activities remain limited to the Sulu archipelago. It noted that the terror group was unable to expand its areas of operation and influence in the last quarter of 2018, noting the weakening of ISIS operations worldwide.Translation: despite billions in intel funds the AFP is woefully lacking in intelligence gathering skills and equipment. But they aren't fully in the dark. See above where Lorenzana notes they had been receiving threats in the area since August last year. And don't forget about the fact that the DND and the Palace knew about the impending Marawi siege at least month before it happened. In both of these cases the problem is that the AFP did not act on this information and that concurs with this report from the US.
It said the AFP still needs extensive help from U.S. when it comes to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). In the report, the U.S. Special Operation Command Pacific said the AFP has "limited ability to collect information on a target and provide that intelligence to a unit on the ground to act on it" due to lack of assets and "institutional problem, using its limited ISR assets for live tracking of active operations to provide a semblance of battle tracking for friendly and suspected enemy elements rather than strategic threat analysis."
The AFP need not worry about the US leaving anytime soon. They were helping out in Jolo even before the bombing. Operation Pacific Eagle is in full swing.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/683768/lorenzana-us-troops-aiding-phl-army-in-fight-vs-terrorism-in-mindanao/story/ |
"They helped us immediately...they were first to rescue our assets also, to bring [our] wounded to Zamboanga," Lorenzana said.
Aside from giving assistance to the wounded soldiers, the US has also helped by relaying intelligence reports on possible terror threats to its Philippine counterpart.
"They have been helping us track these terrorists even before the bombing [in Jolo]," Lorenzana said.
Singapore and Indonesia also warned the Philippine government about possible terror attacks prior to the Jolo blasts, he said.
Intelligence reports from three countries and still the bombing happened? Why? This is another situation that deserves a thorough investigation as to who know what when and what was done about it and how was it able to happen? But there probably will not be an investigation just like the DND and Senate refuse to investigate the failures and lapses which led to the Marawi siege.
The second BOL plebiscite came and went without a hitch expect for all the bombings and explosions which preceded it.
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| http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/02/05/explosions-before-bangasamoro-plebiscite-mindanao.html |
Four explosions have been reported on Tuesday, a day before the Bangsamoro second plebiscite.
Speaking to CNN Philippines, Lanao del Norte Governor Imelda Dimaporo said that she suspected that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were behind the explosions in the two Lanao towns.
Dimaporo said she thought "the MILF under Commander Bravo" was behind the bombings, adding that the group was in Lanao del Norte for a peace rally backed by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
Dimaporo is against the inclusion of six towns in her province in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Commander Bravo has denied these charges but just take a look at this guy:
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1083592/dimaporo-to-milf-leader-respect-lanao-del-norte-no-vote |
With the results of the Feb. 6 plebiscite indicating that the six towns proposed for inclusion in the Bangsamoro region will stay with Lanao del Norte, Gov. Imelda Dimaporo has this message to a ranking leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who had campaigned for the inclusion: “Respect the will of the people.’’
Dimaporo, who had led calls for a no vote, said she was willing to meet with Abdullah Macapaar, also known as Commander Bravo and the chief MILF figure in northwestern Mindanao.
“I call on Commander Bravo to respect the will of the people,” Dimaporo said in an interview after the canvassing results were announced here on Thursday.
Bravo, who has about 10,000 armed followers, denied the allegations.
Funny that not everyone wants to be part of the BARMM. Funny that Commander Bravo looks like a cartoonish cowboy from a dystopian future but he is actually part of a dystopian present! Funny that this man has 10,000 armed followers and yet the Comelec cannot verify if there were armed groups attempting to influence the vote.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1082393/comelec-verifying-reported-presence-of-armed-groups-during-bol-plebiscite |
“There are some places where there are persistent rumors of armed men coming in to the territories supposedly, allegedly, MILF fighters,” Comelec spokesperson Jimenez said in a press briefing.
“We are trying or verifying these rumors,” he added.The plebiscite is over and now it is time for these armed men, MILF fighters, to take the reigns of power and lead the region to its destiny. The MILF will need the best of the best for this duty. They will need Commander Bravo.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/07/19/milf-taps-renegade-commander-to-join-new-bangsamoro-government |
A renegade commander who once led bloody attacks following an unsuccessful attempt at self-rule in the southern Philippines is now being considered to help govern the country’s new autonomous region for its Muslim minority.
Abdullah Macapaar, also known as Commander Bravo, was among 41 individuals the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) nominated to the interim government for the Bangsamoro, said Ghazali Jaafar, the group’s vice chairman.
“We’re giving him a chance to prove to the people that he is not that harsh, that he is not uncontrollable,” Jaafar told ABS-CBN News.
“As a matter of fact, he follows orders from the leadership of the MILF.”
Macaapar was one of two rogue MILF commanders who raided communites in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte in 2008 after the Supreme Court halted the signing of an agreement, which many feared would give rise to a Mindanao sub-state.
Seeing as Commander Bravo follows the orders of MILF leadership it can be assumed that anything he does or says comes from the top. But before Commander Bravo or anyone else can take a position on the ruling transition council there is one tiny matter which must be taken care of. Amnesty.
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| https://www.luwaran.com/news/article/1725/gov---t-to-fast-tract-amnesty-for-milf-fighters |
Amnesty will be granted to thousands of fighters of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as among the immediate steps in healing the wounds of conflict brought about by 40 years of revolutionary war waged by Moro rebels that started in 1968.
“We're trying to fast track the amnesty, but you know the amnesty has to be concurred with by Congress, so we're working on that,” Undersecretary Nabil Tan told ANC’s Early Edition on Wednesday.
Around 10 MILF commanders are still facing criminal cases for “common cases” in connection with the Mindanao conflict, he told ABS-CBN News.
Some 35,000 to 40,000 combatants may be covered by the amnesty, he said, based on the list earlier submitted by the MILF.
The amnesty will provide MILF combatants with a “clean slate,” said Benedicto Bacani, executive director of the Cotabato City-based Institute for Autonomy and Governance, said the report by ABS-CBN News.
Perhaps these combatants will have a clean slate when it comes to the justice system as all their cases will be tossed but they will still be criminals, combatants, terrorists at heart. The actions of the past will not be wiped away and those they have killed will not return to their loved ones from the dead. Will we be hearing from those families?
One thing for sure the public will never hear about is the fundamentally religious nature of the conflict in Mindanao when it comes to the Muslims. Less so for the NPA obviously.
Bismillah?
One thing for sure the public will never hear about is the fundamentally religious nature of the conflict in Mindanao when it comes to the Muslims. Less so for the NPA obviously.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1083760/logger-killed-in-basilan-for-failing-to-say-quran-verses |
Armed men believed to be Abu Sayyaf members shot dead a logger on Saturday morning in Maluso town in Basilan province for being unable to say Al Fatihah, the first seven verses of the Quran.
The men, who were carrying M16 rifles, took seven loggers – five men and two boys – who were hauling coco lumber in Sitio Camp Alih in Barangay Abong-abong, according to Insp. Robert Jay B. Bacalangco.
“They were held and asked to recite a Muslim prayer, those who could not recite was shot in the head, those who were able to recite were freed,” Bacalangco said in Filipino.
1 In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
2 Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,
3 The Beneficent, the Merciful.
4 Master of the Day of Judgment,
5 Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help.
6 Show us the straight path,
7 The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.
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