Insurgency: In service of Truth

Duterte is gone and Marcos has now been sworn in as President of the Philippines. In some weird way that resets the clock to zero which means now the AFP has until the end of Marcos' term to end the insurgency. That has not been said out loud by either Marcos or the AFP but judging from past presidential statements we can infer that as a truism. He has said he will sustain the gains of the NTF-ELCAC.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1170407

Presidential aspirant Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. said he will “definitely” continue the anti-insurgency programs of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“How can you object the program that brings peace.  (Those rebels are being helped by the government. The reason for their rebellion is because they didn't feel any help, services from the government. No job, no future like that),” Marcos said in an interview during the March 19 episode of “The Chatroom” aired in PTV-4 news channel.

The former senator highly regarded the NTF-ELCAC as an expanded civil-military action program—injected with a whole-of-nation approach—where all national government agencies are working together to develop and bring peace to rebel-infiltrated communities.

Through the anti-insurgency program of the NTF-ELCAC, Marcos said people in the far-flung areas were given hopes and opportunities such as the provision of decent housing units, livelihood programs, and investments to start fresh.

“Talagang andaming nagbalik-loob ng dahil dyan. Para sakin ‘pag kausap ko lalo na yung AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), mga pulis—effective talaga (There’s a lot of rebel returnees because of that. For me, when I talk to AFP, with policemen, it’s really effective),” Marcos said.

“I think it's definitely. That’s another program that we have to continue,” he added.

Here's what some of those gains look like.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1178026

The Marcos administration will inherit a highly successful anti-insurgency effort pushed by the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict for Central Luzon (RTF-ELCAC 3).

Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., who also heads the Regional Development and Security in the region, said the task force provided government services to communities.

“Nakita natin for a long long time, relatively peaceful ang areas at nakita natin itong continuing na ang (We have seen for a long time, the areas are relatively peaceful and we see that there’s a continuing) development,” he said in a statement on Friday.

Citing data from the military, none among the 9,854 within the Northern Luzon Command’s (Nolcom) area of responsibility “are under the influence of the Northern Luzon Command since the RTF was operationalized.

Lt. Gen Ernesto Torres, Nolcom commander, had previously reported “zero influence” of communist groups in the region.

Nolcom is in charge of peace and security in Central Luzon, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Cagayan Valley, including the Scarborough Shoal and Benham Rise.

Those are good gains. However, along with the NTF-ELCAC comes the antics of its leadership of the likes of Lorraine Badoy and her co-workers. Here are two recent examples. This first one is a statement from the AFP which works in tandem with the NTF-ELCAC.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1177950

The conviction of a high-ranking Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) official for murder shows the "true color" of its leaders, the military said on Thursday.

A Taguig City Court sentenced Concha Araneta alias Maria Concepcion Araneta/Chacon/Jojo/Etang to reclusion perpetua for the death of Metodio Inisa on the night of September 18, 1975 in Sitio Agbanuod, Barangay Panipiason, Madalag, Aklan.

The victim was killed for providing temporary shelter to a member of the Philippine Constabulary.

Araneta is the deputy secretary of Komiteng Rehiyon Panay of CPP-NPA-NDF) based on the military's records, Capt. Kim Apitong, officer-in-charge of the 3rd Division Public Affairs Office of the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, said in an interview.

“The judgment for her criminal case 3035, which is murder, by the National Capital Judicial Region Taguig City Branch 266 has a huge impact on the communist terrorist group. This is a big development, we welcome this because this shows their true color, especially of their leadership,” he added.

The 16-page court decision dated June 21, 2022 and promulgated on June 28 also ordered the accused to pay the heirs of the victim a total of PHP300,000 as civil indemnity, moral and exemplary damages.

Since Araneta serves as the second secretary that leads the operation of the terrorist group in Panay, the military spokesperson said there could still be other cases with all the killings committed by her group within their area of operation.

Apitong added that she should be held accountable for all their operations to include recruitment and killing.

The last time Araneta was seen was between 2016 and 2017 when she was part of the terminated peace talks.

Now, it is a good thing that this person has been convicted of murder. But this is not going to have a huge impact on the CPP-NPA because this lady is free and on the run so her conviction is pointless. Guess who set her free? Duterte!!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/807258/panay-cpp-leader-freed-says-peace-prospect-good

Prospects for peace between the government and communist insurgents are brighter than ever before, according to Ma. Concepcion “Concha” Araneta-Bocala, alleged secretary of the Communist Party of the Philippines on Panay Island, who was released from detention yesterday after courts granted her petition for bail.

Bocala, 65, is one of at least 10 communist rebel leaders temporarily freed to be able to join the resumption of formal peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway, set on Aug. 20 to 27. Bocala will join the reciprocal panel on socioeconomic issues.

Letting these high ranking communist leaders free to participate in peace talks was one of the stupidest things Duterte did during his term. The talks broke down and now these dangerous people are free. The CPP has not given up on peace talks though.

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2022/6/30/CPP-not-closing-doors-peace-talks-Marcos-admin.html

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is open to holding peace talks with the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

“NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) is always open to peace negotiations with the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) whoever is president. It was (former Pres. Rodrigo) Duterte who terminated the peace negotiations in 2017. But if the incoming Marcos administration is willing to talk, why not?” CPP founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison said during the launch of his new book on Tuesday.

Sison, however, noted the peace talks cannot resume as the national government is still implementing an “all-out war” policy against the communist group.

“Right now, there are no indications that Marcos would like peace talks. Resuming peace negotiations is quite easy by simply reaffirming the agreements that were previously agreed upon and signed by the two parties in the negotiations,” Sison added.

The peace talks are unlikely to revive and with Marcos at the helm at least one analyst believes the CPP-NPA will only double down and increase in strength. 

The second example of antics from the NTF-ELCAC this week is telling the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines how to do their job.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1177953

The mission of journalism is to always seek the truth and to report it, without any biases, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) reminded the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).

“Journalism must always remain in the service of the truth, it should not be subservient to the vested interests of any person or group. Otherwise, it is not journalism in the truest sense of the word. It is already engaging in the realm of propaganda,” NTF-ELCAC spokesperson for Legal Affairs Flosemer Chris Gonzales said in a statement on Wednesday.

The NTF ELCAC said the NUJP is again accusing the government of harassment, restricting press freedom and silencing journalism.

On Wednesday, the NUJP said it stands together against all attempts to allegedly silence journalists.

The NUJP also said the shutdown order came following the National Telecommunications Commissions’ order to internet service providers to block news organizations Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly, and regulate blocktime broadcasting arrangements.

Gonzales said the NUJP's statement is a discordant response to the issues it raised.

This is in response too the NUJP criticizing the government's decision to shut down several news websites as well as Rappler.  The never of these people. What they are implying is that everyone who has been shut down is not seeking to report unbiased truth. The NUJP says they adhere to the Journalists Code of Ethics which can be read here. To imply that the NUJP has no idea what journalism entails is ridiculous. But the fact remains that yes the government is silencing dissenting voices. At least they think they are. Mirror sites and proxies as well as social media means these pages are still alive and well. With no follow up declaring them to be terrorist organizations the blocking of their websites is an exercise in futility.

Human rights workers also remain under attack. Recently a man wrongfully jailed for 16 months was released.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1619256/after-16-months-of-detention-62-year-old-human-rights-worker-walks-free

A 62-year-old human rights worker, Nimfa Lanzanas, finally walked free after 16 months in detention on charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives filed at the Calamba City Regional Trial Court.

Lanzanas was among the six people arrested on March 7, 2021, in the so-called Bloody Sunday operation of the police and the army in the Calabarzon Region, which led to the deaths of nine activists.

In an 18-page ruling, Presiding Judge Caesar Buenagua of Calamba RTC Branch 37 granted the Lanzanas demurrer, effectively junking the case against her, and ordered her immediate release from detention.

A demurrer to evidence is a motion to dismiss anchored on the ground that the evidence presented is insufficient.

Lanzanas, through her lawyers from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), questioned the circumstances surrounding her arrest.

She said the place searched by the raiding team was not covered by the search warrant issued by Manila  Executive Judge Jason Zapanta.

She added that the raiding team also planted guns and explosives that were presented as seized during the operation.

In its ruling, the court said that the “police conducting the search failed to observe the strict procedures laid down by the rules in the implementation of the search warrant.”

The court explained that, under the Revised Rules on Criminal Procedure, “the service and implementation of search warrants does not give the authorities limitless discretion in implementing the same as the same Rules provides parameter in the proper conduct of a search.”

The court took note of the testimonies of the raiding team, two of whom were conducting simultaneous searches in the different portions of Lanzanas’ house. Both police officers maintained that they had complied with the rules and insisted that Lanzanas was with them during the search.

“The court finds it precarious to say that the accused was with both of them when they are conducting the search simultaneously,” the court.

The court also noted that the police failed to ask Lanzanas to designate her representative for the simultaneous search — a violation of the rules.

Lanzanas’ lawyers, led by Josa Deinla, alleged that there was a “deliberate falsehood” made during the application of the search warrant.

The court said it expected the prosecution to present a witness to rebut the allegation, but no witness or evidence was presented to contradict the allegation.

“The unavailability and or the apparent reluctance of these witnesses to appear and testify damages the case sufficient to create reasonable doubt for the acquittal of the accused,” the court said.

“Consequently, these irregularities attending implementation tainted the search of the house of accused with the vice unreasonableness, thereby constraining this court to apply the exclusionary rule and declare the inadmissibility in evidence of the seized items,” the court said.

The court said the exclusion of the seized items as evidence was the “only practical means of enforcing the constitutional injunction against unreasonable searches and seizures.”

“Verily, they are the ‘fruits of the poisonous tree.’ Without this exclusionary rule, the constitutional right would be so ephemeral and so neatly severed from its conceptual nexus with the freedom from all brutish means of coercing evidence,” the court explained.

Another wonky warrant improperly served. We will see more of that in the future for sure. 

So, the insurgency continues and the first casualty under the new Marcos regime happened on his inauguration day.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1620232/govt-soldier-slain-in-clash-with-npa-rebels-in-apayao

A 24-year-old Army soldier was killed in a firefight on Thursday, June 30, between New People’s Army rebels and government soldiers in Apayao province, the military said Friday.

Killed was Army Private Kobee Wackisan, a member of the 52nd Division Reconnaissance Company and a native of Tanudan town in Kalinga province, Army Capt. Rigor Pamittan, 5th Infantry Division spokesperson, told the Inquirer.

The gun battle took place in the mountains of Conner town and lasted for 30 minutes. The 14-member communist rebels later withdrew.

Pamittan said the rebels were believed to be members of the NPA guerrilla front operating in the Apayao-Abra areas.

Maybe the insurgency which began during the reign of his father will finally end during Bongbong's term as president. Maybe not. We shall see.