It's been two months since the bombing of the cathedral in Jolo. Now there have been two more IED explosions this time in Sultan Kudarat and in Baguio. Last time there was a bombing in Sultan Kuradat was August 2018 and ISIS claimed responsibility.
"We will strengthen further the security measures in Isulan and other parts of the AOR. We will also exert our best efforts to apprehend the perpetrators and give justice to the victims," JTFC Commander Major General Cirilito Sobejana was quoted as saying in a statement.
Isn't this what the AFP says each time an attack happens? That they will strengthen security measures? Whatever strengthening measures they have taken it seems are not strong enough. Is CCTV one of those security measures? The bombing, from placement to explosion, was caught entirely on camera.
Those cameras appear to belong to the restaurant but did you know that IBM set up a CCTV system in Davao while Duterte was mayor?
IBM’s installation, known as the Intelligent Operations Center, promised to enhance authorities’ ability to monitor residents in real time with cutting-edge video analytics, multichannel communications technology, and GPS-enabled patrol vehicles.
The 2012 IBM deal was signed by Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte, who was Davao City’s nominal mayor at the time, while her term-limited father served as vice mayor; under Sara Duterte, the killings continued. The system, according to local news reports, was deployed in June 2013, just as Rodrigo Duterte was about to return to the mayoral seat he had already held for nearly two decades. The police command center, Sara Duterte told the Durian Post, “is now infused with IBM’s IOC technology,” allowing police to “shift from responding to critical events to anticipating and preventing them.”
In December, a local newspaper reported that the Philippines had secured a 20 billion-peso loan for the installation of thousands of surveillance cameras across Davao City and metro Manila in collaboration with a Chinese firm, an installation that would reportedly include a national command center and feature facial and vehicle recognition software. In a January interview on Filipino television, Epimaco Densing III, undersecretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, said that a goal of the project is to detect the faces of terrorist suspects and prevent crimes before they take place.
The idea of a pre-crime division of the police is disturbing to many but such fears might be unwarranted since it appears the these systems don't actually prevent crime or predict crime at all. CCTV also caught the explosion and identified suspects in the Jolo bombing but it did not prevent the attack from happening. In September 2018 PNP Chief Albayalade revealed some of these preventative measures being taken to prevent terrorism.
“What we can do only is to implement preemptive measures,” said Albayalde.
Part of the security measures, according to Albayalde, is to strengthen the intelligence in Mindanao and strategic deployment of policemen to reduce the capability of some groups to carry out attacks.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/09/02/pnp-afp-move-to-preempt-more-terror-attacks-in-mindanao-ahead-of-barmm-plebiscite/
The AFP had this to say after the recent blast in Sultan Kudarat.
“We intensified our intelligence operations to apprehend the perpetrators and to thwart further hostilities," said Major General Cirilito Sobejana, Joint Task Force Central Commander.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Arnel Dela Vega, Western Mindanao Command chief, condemned the attack and said "austere security measures are implemented by their forces."
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/690250/troops-tighten-security-after-blast-hits-isulan-town-in-sulu/story/
What it means to intensify intelligence operations or implement austere security measures is anyone's guess. Surely the PNP and AFP do not want to give themselves away but how much is there to give away in the first place? Certainly one way to increase security measures is to have proper training in order to be prepared for all eventualities. Such is the reason for the annual Balikatan exercises.
"In the same note, I also like to address the Filipino soldiers who shall be participating in 'Balikatan' 35-2019. I urge you to maximize and make the most out of this experience and opportunity to acquire knowledge and to apply the learnings into concrete outputs so that we could better perform our duties in serving our people and protecting our state," Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief-of-Staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr., said on Monday.
"All of us understand how threats on security constantly evolve, including the non-traditional security challenges at present. As we have this year's 'Balikatan', we will shoulder the load together to prepare for these scenarios and should a crisis or national disaster occur in the future, we will be ready," Madrigal said.
Preparation for any scenario will make the AFP ready to face the challenges are head. That is a farsighted policy and it is good. But it is not without detractors.
In Divine Reyes' report on Super Radyo DzBB, Casilao said, "This annual Balikatan exercises, annually reminds us of how it is useless for the Filipino people as obviously, it failed to enable the armed forces to defend the national territory from foreign aggressors."
"Filipino taxpayers have paid $11.6 million or about P600 million for these missiles, but they are unused against foreign aggressors, to uphold national sovereignty and territory," he said, asserting that it is apparent that Balikatan exercises was never designed against foreign aggression, but for counter-insurgency and facilitation of US military intervention.
However, according to GMA News Online's interview with the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Chief of Public Affairs Noel Detroyato, the conflict with China is exactly why they train themselves because they train for any eventualities.
Detroyato emphasized that trainings and exercises are a big part of preparing soldiers for any possible security issue.
He said, "Resources are never wasted on training... Kasi for us hindi naman pang giyera lang to. We are also the country's first line of defense kapag may calamities and other eventualities."
"Preparation for calamities, anti-terrorism is never a waste of money. It must be a continuous training," Detroyato added.
Detroyoato's comments are kind of a head scratcher seeing as the DND ceased urban warfare training since the AFP was not using the skill thus leaving them unprepared for the Battle of Marawi.
"It's a skill we used to have but we lost along the way because we didn't use it. We keep training our people in what we call the military operations in urban terrain, MOUT. But we seldom use it, we never use it, so we stopped teaching our people at the Marawi camp. So now we have to reacquire that skill plus the necessary equipment that goes with it.
https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2018/06/martial-law-no-ready-reserve-ammunition.html
Strangely enough this bombing maybe not be related to Islamic terrorism at all. It could be an attempt at extortion.
"Last week nagreport sa police station yung may-ari ng Carlitos Chicken dahil nakareceive sila through text messages ng extortion demand (Last week, the owner of Carlitos chicken reported to the police station becuase he received extortion demands through text) ," Rasco told Rappler.
Rasco added: "Ngayon, nag-text daw ulit, 'Natanggap niyo na ba?' (The suspects texted again, 'Have you received it?')"
It's unclear what the conditions for the extortion demand were, but police suspect the usual: money.
This doesn't mean, however, that cops will shut the door on a terrorism motive, given that 8 months ago, two consecutive bombs exploded in Isulan and were attributed to local terror groups. (READ: 2 deadly bombings in a month demonstrate ISIS tactics)
"Terror is always possible, but we're going for the probable motive, the extortion, because of the extortion demands," Rasco added.
We will have to leave it to the PNP to crack this case.
The second bombing was in Baguio and was the work of the NPA.
“In April 1, our operatives from the PNP and AFP were alerted after finding an IED which forced them to delay the hot pursuit operations. Upon continuing with their operation, another unexploded IED was again found by the government troops,” Lacuata explained.
“Last night, April 2, during the continuation of the hot pursuit operations, our troops failed to secure a planted IED which unfortunately exploded killing one and wounding nine of our government troops, and we are hoping that no other individuals would be added to the list of casualties,” Lacuata added.
Whoopsies! They forgot to secure the IED and it exploded. The NPA is of course still very active. They plant IEDs and they engage in firefights the with PNP and the AFP. The AFP recently recovered 52 kilos of landmines owned by the NPA.
The military said residents provided information that resulted in the recovery of the landmines.
The Philippine Army said New People’s Army rebels used landmines to augment the dwindling number of their firearms amid recent surrenders and arrest of NPA guerrillas.
At least 218 guns and 69 landmines have so far been seized in Eastmincom’s areas of responsibility this year.
Santos thanked concerned villagers for reporting the presence of NPA rebels in their areas.
The NPA also kidnaps people. But just to show their goodwill they also release their captives.
Lt. Col. Socrates Faltado, information officer of the Mimaropa Police Regional Office, said Peter Delos Santos, chairman of Barangay Malo in Bansud, and wife Ruth, and Rocky Boy Bueta, aka Ricky Capillo, were released at about 6 a.m. Saturday — or a few hours after they were allegedly abducted around 8 p.m. Friday in Malo.
Another man, Raymundo Malupa, a member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary, is still being held by the captors as of this writing.
Faltado said the alleged “extortion and kidnapping” was carried out by around 10 suspected rebels, one of them a woman, clad in military uniforms.
A report said Delos Santos is a known supporter of the incumbent and re-electionist Bansud Mayor Angel Saulong.
On Thursday, Saulong told police that, while conducting a campaign rally at Malo, he received a text message from the NPA demanding payment of a permit-to-campaign.
He said the rebels also threatened to harm the candidates running for the May elections campaigning in the area.
Turns out this not a show of goodwill. The NPA kidnapped these people and then extorted money form them which is why they were let go. In addition they are demanding campaign fees from the Mayor and threatening to harm other candidates. Will Saulong pay or will he end up dead?
Just how can the AFP and PNP finally eradicate the scourge of the NPA? They have landmines and high-powered weapons and an alleged network of assassins called the Sparrows who take out PNP officers and AFP troops regularly. How about fighting fire with fire?
President Duterte is urging the police and military to form their own hit squads to go after communist New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas, and to “learn the art of assassination.”
Duterte over the weekend expressed displeasure that the Communist Party of the Philippines, its political arm the National Democratic Front and the NPA have stepped up attacks against government forces.
“I’m addressing myself to the police and the military. I’ve been telling you: sparrow, sparrow, sparrow. Kasi kukunin talaga nila ‘yang armas na ‘yan. Para sa kanila, ‘pag makakita ng armas ‘yung NPA, hindi ka hintuan niyan hanggang… So you – sabi ko, learn the art of assassination,” said Duterte, apparently referring to the NPA urban hit squad Sparrow Unit, whose members seize the firearms of law enforcers.
This rhetoric from Duterte is nothing new at all. Last December he mulled the creation of a
Duterte Death Squad composed of civilians to fight the NPA. Lorenzana countered that soldiers would be better for the job and PNP Chief Albaylade said there had been no Sparrow units for three years. The thing to take note of here is that in five months time nothing has come of this projected death squad. Don't the PNP and AFP both have well trained snipers?
Despite everyone patting each other on the back over the BARMM and how a new era has dawned this week the MILF were up their old tricks again fighting agents of the Philippine government.
Amid promises to end the war in the new Bangsamoro entity, a fresh clash in Madamba, Lanao del Sur involving Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members and police commando forces has resulted to heavy casualties on both sides.
Col. Madzgani Mukaram, provincial police commander of Lanao del Sur said, said a law enforcement operation was conducted dawn today against murder suspects in Barangay Ilian of the said town.
“We brought five warrants of arrest for the suspects who killed a village official who just won last barangay election but we ended in heavy fighting,” Mukaram said.
Four of the suspects were killed after resisting arrest. Among them was Zanadin Macalatas Ameril, the main subject of the warrant. Two of his buddies who are also in the charge list for murder were killed – Usop Abdulaziz and Alican Usman.
According to Mukaram, Ameril was charged for killing his political rival after he lost in the recent Barangay election in July 2018. The victim was Edu Masalama of Barangay Tabaran.
Mukaram said while the troops were about to leave the area, a number of heavily armed relatives of the suspects blocked their way, including the police car, and pounded the policemen with grenade launchers and automatic fires.
He said an extended firefight ensued, starting around 1 a.m. until 10 a.m., resulting in the wounding of eight policemen and one still missing.
Von Al Haq, the military chief of the MILF, confirmed that the armed men the policemen engaged, including those killed, were their members and the area is a recognized MILF camp headed by Kumander Abu Haniff.
He said that the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities of both parties are conducting investigation on the matter. We want to know if there was coordination made,” Al Haq noted.
But Mukaram insist that there is no need for coordination since the area is not an MILF recognized camp.
A portent of things to come? A MILF member kills his political rival after he won the election and when the police come to arrest him he and his comrades open fire resulting in a nine hour firefight. Note how there is the assumption that the authorities are not allowed into MILF camps. They are sanctuaries as it were. If you are a MILF member and you kill your political rival just hide out in a MILF camp and wait for the eventual pardon which is part of the peace plan.
Remember peace means independence and only Moros are part of that plan.
In his speech, President Duterte referred to the inauguration of the BARMM as opening a new chapter in our history even as he said that the new autonomous region is envisioned “to address the injustices of the past and plot the new course towards a more promising future for Mindanao and the rest of the country.”
“This momentous event brings us a step closer to the realization of our decades-old dream of a peaceful region that is governed by the autonomous government that serves all Muslims, Christians, lumads, and other indigenous peoples, and every Filipino who also call Mindanao their home,” Duterte said.
It is high time, then, that the BARMM constituents – the Moros, the Christian Settlers and the Lumads – realized the imperative of rallying behind the leadership of the new regional government.
What used to be a mere dream for all of us, that is to have a regional government responsive to our needs, is now in our hands.
The key phrase in this opinion peace is "Christian settlers." That is exclusionary language. It says the Christians are foreigners and do not belong but while they are here they had better support and obey the new government. Calling the BARMM a fulfilment of a dream of regional government responsive to the needs of the people is outlandish as the ARMM was to fulfil this dream as well. But what happened? Typical Philippine corruption is what happened. How then can the BARMM succeed and its leaders not succumb to the temptations of corruption? By having the ruled monitor the rulers.
The interim Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Autononomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) wants residents to participate in the attainment of “moral governance” by “reporting the performance, or the lack thereof, of our regional and local officials.”
He spoke of many “wonderful plans” that were often unfinished. “In the evaluation and monitoring, we shall now involve our people in reporting the performance, or the lack thereof, of our regional and local officials,” he vowed.
But he did not say what mechanisms would be employed to involve the people in monitoring and reporting and to whom should they report.
Ebrahim said the government they were inaugurating was “founded on the sacrifices of the Bangsamoro” and “must be driven by our collective aspirations for the affirmation of our distinct historical identity, and the right to chart our political future through democratic process.”
Murad wants the people to report on the performance of officials. He wants the people to monitor the government and expose corruption if they see it. But he does not have a mechanism whereby they can do so. Also how would they even do this? How can they really monitor the government when much of what it does is done behind closed doors far from the people?
Note again his remarks about the BARMM being "founded on the sacrifices of the Bangsamoro" and that it must he driven by "our collective aspirations for the affirmation of our distinct historical identity and the right to chart our political future." How much clearer could he be that the BARMM is for the Bangsamoro people only and that they are ultimately striving for independence? How many ways do they have to say it before people actually believe it?
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