Mindanao has been under martial law for two years now and apparently it's getting on Mayor Sara Duterte's nerves. Why should Davao remain under martial law? The city is quite peaceful. All the violence is in Western Mindanao. That's why she is lobbying for a partial lifting of martial law.
OFFICIALS OF Davao City, the hometown of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, have called for the lifting of the Mindanao-wide martial law declaration, citing its adverse impact on tourism as well as investments.
“That (exception from Martial Law) would be very good because there are countries like Japan that hesitate to send tourists here,” City Tourism Operations Officer Regina Rosa B. Tecson said Monday. Ms. Tecson was echoing the call of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio during the Davao Investment Conference 2019 last week.
"We had the opportunity to talk to Japanese tourism associations and they said that one factor of the hindrance of coming over to Mindanao, even here in Davao, is martial law,” Ms. Tecson said. She added that travelers from countries that have issued travel alerts against Mindanao are also lost opportunities.
The city tourism office reported about one million visitors as of end-May and is targeting three million for the year. Ms. Carpio said during the investment conference that she will formally make the request through a letter to the President, her father.
The Davao mayor said there is a consensus among local officials in Mindanao that Martial Law has already stabilized peace and security in most of the southern island, and that it would be better to have the declaration localized in certain areas.
The City of Davao wants martial law lifted because of its adverse effects on tourism and investments. This is in direct contradiction to the AFP's claim that martial law has increased tourism and investments in Mindanao.
The best thing that ever happened to Mindanao, despite some opposition, is the enforcement of martial law in the entire region, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez said yesterday.
In a press briefing, Galvez pointed out that martial law in Mindanao has led to increased tourist arrivals and economic activities in the region.
Surely the AFP will disagree with Sara Duterte and point out that martial law has not been adverse to investments and tourism. Right? Wrong.
“The Department of National Defense takes cognizance of Mayor Duterte’s desire to lift martial law in Davao City and other areas that are relatively peaceful,” Andolong said in a statement sent to reporters late Tuesday afternoon.
“We value the wisdom and firsthand knowledge of our local executives of the prevailing security environment in their respective communities and we always take their observations and recommendations into consideration,” he added.
According to the official, they, too, wanted to lift martial law in Mindanao “as soon as possible” but added that such can only be done “after a complete assessment and validation by the security sector and local governments.”
Earlier, the AFP’s Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom), which has military jurisdiction over Davao City, expressed openness to Mayor Duterte’s request.
“For Davao City, there would be no problem [if martial law is lifted] but in other areas, we’ll reassess if what recommendation we can give,” said Lieutenant General Filemon Santos, EastMinCom commander.
Funny how the AFP was so quick to report that tourism and investments were up in Mindanao when they needed justification to extend martial law last year. But not so funny when one remembers that they could not give any specific numbers when testifying before Congress. Looks like the AFP was probably lying. What a farce!
Perhaps Davao is safe enough to have martial law lifted but Sulu is certainly not.
Two alleged suicide bombers, not a grenade-throwing assailant, rushed one after the other into a military camp in Indanan, Sulu at around noon Friday, June 28, 2019, and detonated the bombs they were carrying, killing themselves and three soldiers.
All units under the Joint Task Force Sulu were immediately placed on red alert and ordered “to enact preemptive measures.” Troops from the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion and 6th Mechanized Battalion reinforced the 1st Brigade Combat Team.
Checkpoints were set up and a roving patrol was immediately implemented in Jolo, the capital of Sulu.
The Sulu Police Provincial Office said the two alleged suicide bombers barged into the military camp and blew themselves up shortly before noon Friday. Body parts were recovered inside the camp.
Police did not say whether the attackers were members of the notorious Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf Group.
A firefight ensued as the bomb explosions were followed by mortar and sniper fires from the companions of the two suicide bombers. The gunfight lasted about an hour.
If the attackers were not members
of Abu Sayyaf then who would
it be? Suicide bombing is a definite ISIS tactic so we can all rest comfortably knowing that ISIS is alive and well in Mindanao.
The U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group, which that monitors online communications among Muslim militant groups globally, reported that the IS East Asia Province had issued a statement claiming responsibility for the explosions hours after bombers attacked a military camp in Jolo.
“Following IS East Asia Province claim responsibility for a two-man suicide raid in Sulu, Filipino Jihadists took to Facebook to discuss the attack, best areas to conduct operations and how to join the group,” the SITE cited.
This suicide bombing also means the likely presence of foreign
fighters in the country. Just
last week a Pakistani terrorist was nabbed in Zamboanga.
A Pakistani man who is suspected to be a member of the Dawlah Islamiya terrorist group was arrested on Tuesday in Zamboanga City.
The Dawlah Islamiya allegedly has links to the terrorist Islamic State and the Maute group.
Waqar Ahmad, 36, was arrested by joint operatives of the Mindanao Intelligence Task Group (MITG) of the Bureau of Immigration and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“He (Ahmad) will be deported as his presence here is inimical to national security. He also violated our immigration laws by working here without applying for an employment visa,” the Morente said in a statement.
According to the records of the BI, Ahmad arrived in the country last April 19 and worked as a storekeeper and collector in his uncle’s appliance center in Zamboanga City even without the proper work documents.
Hopefully they will shake Ahmad down for all the information they can before they deport him. Who else connected to ISIS is in the country? What are their plans? Will there be more suicide bombings? The recent suicide bombing puts the E-CLIP program and the government's treatment of surrenderees in a sickening light.
Over 200 Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members who surrendered to the government have received aid from a non-government organization in Isabela City, Basilan, military said.
Balay Mindanaw, a peace and development foundation primarily engaged in promoting equity-based development and sustainable peace, initiated the project that aims to prevent and transform violent extremism in Basilan.
Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) said Balay Mindanaw launched the project Monday, June 24, at 4th Special Forces Battalion, Cabunbata, Isabela City where food packs were distributed to the 214 ASG surrenderors.
Among those who attended the event were Australian Ambassador Steven Robinson, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito Galvez Jr, Bangsamoro government interim chief minister Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman, Basilan Governor Hadjiman Hataman Salliman, and Westmincom deputy commander for operations Brig. Gen. Generoso Pinio.
This food aid program is part of a larger effort at "rehabilitating" ex-ASG members.
The Prevention and Transformation of Violent Extremist program was crafted when Mujiv Hataman, former regional governor of the now defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), invited the non-government organization Balay Mindanaw to come up with a holistic program to help the returnees integrate into mainstream society.
The program aims to provide a platform for a comprehensive reformation for former extremists who decided to return to the folds of the law. It will also develop a template that will guide the crafting of regional and national policies for reformation which will benefit provinces which are confronting the problems of violent extremism.
The components of the program include psychosocial debriefing, religious re-education, exposure tour (changing the mindset and offering possibilities), research and family profiling, coordination work, and regional learning and sharing. This program will also include assistance to former victims and affected communities.
Charlito Manlupig, the chief executive officer of Balay Mindanaw, admitted that the task in helping former ASG members is very “delicate but rewarding."
The success of the program eventually led the Australian government to support the initiative through its embassy in Manila.
The program, according to Australian Ambassador Steven Robinson, is "fundamental to the future of peace in the Bangsamoro."
Robinson flew here, defying the advisory of western countries against traveling to Basilan, to witness the remarkable progress in the national government's deradicalization efforts.
"The turning away from the Abu Sayyaf is an outstanding accomplishment, and we should think now on how to sustain the success," he said.
Robinson then talked to former members of the Abu Sayyaf, and encouraged them by saying, "You are essential to the future of peace in this region and your participation in this program shows that there is great hope for the future of the Bangsamoro and Basilan."
"Turning away from such a powerful force, such as violent extremism, takes a great deal of courage. And I applaud you for what you have done," he said.
While 2 sucicide bombers, likely members of ASG, were killing AFP personnel 214 former ASG members were receiving food aid at a military base as the Australia ambassador, the head of the BARMM, and the deputy commander of Westmincon looked on and applauded. None of those 214 fighters will ever be held accountable for their crimes against the state and people but they will all get a lot of freebies.
MILF fighters will also never be held accountable for their crimes.
A total of 12,000 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members have laid down their arms for reintegration into civilian communities, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said.
The figure represents a third of the weapons of the country's largest Muslim rebel group, which authorities say ranges from 30,000 to 40,000.
"The President has directed all of us to focus on and step up normalization programs because he knows the success of these efforts is the key to establishing lasting peace in Mindanao,” Nograles said.
MILF fighters who have surrendered their firearms will receive livelihood and housing assistance, scholarships, and employment opportunities, among others, Nograles said.
The Cabinet official explained that the government aims to have 35 percent more of MILF fighters commissioned by next year and the remainder by 2022.
"Among others" in the benefits received includes amnesty from past crimes. That is part of the normalisation process which has been detailed on this blog previously.
2. To facilitate the healing of the wounds of conflict and the return to normal life, the Government shall take immediate steps through amnesty, pardon and other available processes towards the resolution of cases of persons charged with or convicted of crimes and offences connected to the armed conflict in Mindanao.
The Philippine Constitution in Article 2 Sec. 2 states:
The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy.
Perhaps this explains why the government is so eager to give ex-terrorists freebies instead of absolutely destroying them. Perhaps this explains why even though the President has threatened all out war with the NPA such war has yet to manifest. Perhaps this policy explains why the Philippines seeks to use a more enlightened method of dealing with terrorists than killing them with guns.
More local government units (LGUs) are getting enlightened against the lies and acts of deception by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA), hence the spate of persona non grata declarations against the communist rebels.
This was the reply of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief, Col. Noel Detoyato when asked to comment on the matter Thursday.
"LGUs who declared the CPP-NPA-NDF (National Democratic Front) persona non grata are those who are enlightened on the negative effects of the terror group," Detoyato said in a message to the Philippine News Agency.
Also, the decision to declare the CPP-NPA persona non grata can be attributed to the communist rebels' negative impact on the business climate.
"(The LGUs decision to declare the CPP-NPA also has something to do) on its impact on the growth and business climate of their communities," Detoyato stressed.
First of all why not have the House and Senate draft a bill condemning the CPP-NPA to persona non grata status? Why seek to have them labelled a terrorist group? It's been almost two years since the DOJ has sought that status to be applied to the CPP-NPA and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
Second of all both the declaring of the CPP-NPA as persona non grata and Davao's desire to lift martial law in the city have one thing in common. Economics! Martial law and the CPP-NPA are both bad for business.
"First, more and more LGUs are declaring the CPP-NPA as persona non grata because they are finally realizing the deleterious effect of the presence of NPAs in their community. The NPAs prevent development by burning equipment and extort from businessmen," Lorenzana said in a message to the Philippine News Agency.
Truly when a man's pocketbook is affected he will take action. Maybe all AFP Officers' pay should be slashed in order to get them to perform their duties better.
In a rare act of candor, the outgoing commanding general of the Philippine Army in Eastern Visayas admitted he fell short of eradicating insurgency in the region during his nearly three-year tour-of-duty.
But Maj. Gen. Raul Farnacio said he had made significant achievements that weakened communist rebel forces.
“It was not mission accomplished but, modesty aside, we’re able to contain the insurgency,” Farnacio said on Monday (July 1).
"It was not mission accomplished" but they were able to contain the insurgency. A stunning admission. All the talk from the DND about making the CPP-NPA insignificant and ending them and all it amounts to is simply containing the problem. When will the AFP get off their butts and destroy the insurgency? Fifty years is long enough!
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