Insurgency: Eradicate CTG Remnants

The Philippine Army's 8th Infantry Division has a new commander and he has set the lofty goal of ending the insurgency in Samar before the year is out. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1186873

Ending the local armed conflict in Eastern Visayas before the year ends will be the top priority of the new commander of the Philippine Army in the region.

Maj. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, who assumed the post as commander of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division on October 21, said the arrival of modern equipment will help them significantly reduce the number of NPA members.

“We will continue to fight against these so-called peace spoilers. As we move forward, we will continue to recognize that the insurgency campaign is a shared responsibility of everyone in government,” Ligayo said in a statement on Monday.

He added that the support from local government officials and the community will be a big factor to help achieve their goal.

Ligayo noted the number of former communists who have surrendered was an indication that the war against local insurgency is nearing its end.

"The government has a good program for those who surrender and the community is also helping in their reintegration," he added.

“I call upon all our peace and development stakeholders, the different government local units headed by their local chief executives, the regional chief executives for your commitment and support to our ultimate goal in attaining the total defeat of the communist terrorists. Surely, we will be able to attain this strategic defeat of the NPA and further prevent their resurgence in the region. Together we can succeed,” Ligayo said.

In Isabela the troops have also been ordered to eradicate the CTG remnants. 

https://www.kalinawnews.com/eradicate-ctg-remnants-bgen-pasia-startroopers-to-intensify-anti-insurgency-campaign%EF%BF%BC/

BGen Audrey L Pasia, Commander of the 5th Infantry Division, Philippine Army reiterated his guidance to all Startroopers in winning the battle cry of the Command on October 24, 2022, at Camp Melchor F Dela Cruz, Upi, Gamu, Isabela.

“Together, we will relentlessly perform our mandate to totally eradicate the remnants of the Communist Terrorist Group in our Area of Responsibility before 2022 ends,” BGen Pasia said in his speech during his first flag raising ceremony as the full-fledged Commander of 5ID.

The general also said, “While we are focused in accomplishing our mission to eradicate the armed group, I, as your Commander shall look into your welfare, to include that of your families. We get what is due us. We all have our rightful share- for yourself and for your service to the country. Alagaan ninyo ang inyong sarili because we cannot give what we do not have. Love yourself in order to give love to others.”

He also encouraged the Civilian Human Resources to help the uniformed personnel in achieving the best structure of 5ID. 

“Let us all help each other for the attainment of our goal. Magkaisa tayong lahat. We are a team. We are TEAM 5ID” the general ended.

With the Davao Region being declared insurgency free President Marcos believes the area should be developed into a tourist destination. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1685779/bongbong-marcos-to-insurgency-free-davao-region-take-optimistic-cautious-steps

Davao Region must take “optimistic but cautious” steps after it was declared “insurgency-free” by its Regional Peace and Order Council, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said.

An end to the insurgency in the Davao provinces was formally declared at a program attended by the President and the Vice President, Sara Duterte, in Panacan, Davao City on Thursday.

“Moving forward, we take an optimistic but cautious step to mind that the goal of achieving a long, lasting peace and order in the region cannot end just with this declaration,” Marcos said in his speech.

He added, “We will need to sustain it with a whole-of-nation approach to peace and development to prevent terrorist and lawless elements from recruiting, regrouping and regaining power over our countrymen.”

Marcos raised caution over the possibility of the region going “back to square one,” which, he said, cannot be afforded.

“I call on the armed forces, government agencies, local government units, and communities to continue working together to seize the gains in the region and ensure that we will carry this momentum towards the future,” he added.

Davao Region, previously a stronghold of the communist New People’s Army, also re-launched itself as a tourism and investment hotspot during the event.

“To celebrate this victory, I believe there is no better way to commemorate the eradication of insurgency in Davao than to declare the region as a tourism and investment-ready destination,” Marcos said.

That sounds good in a speech but the reality is that Mindanao remains on the danger list of many foreign states. They do not want their citizens traveling to Mindanao. Declaring Davao insurgency free is only one step and means nothing if the AFP cannot keep the NPA from regrouping. 

Christmas is just around the corner and Imee Marcos wants the AFP and NPA to enter a truce for the season. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1686320/fwd-sen-marcos-calls-on-rebels-afp-to-implement-christmas-truce

Implement a Christmas ceasefire, Senator Imee Marcos appealed to the National Democratic Front and the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday.

“I call upon the National Democratic Front and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to implement a Christmas truce for a peaceful celebration of the forthcoming holiday season,” Sen. Marcos said in a statement.

What is the point of a Christmas truce exactly? In 2020 Duterte said there would be no more ceasefires  with the NPA under the rest of his term because the AFP was not inclined to call for such a truce. Has something changed since then? It's an empty gesture from an empty-headed woman. 

The USA has allocated $100 million for the AFP to develop its infrastructure. The problem is that don't know what to spend it on.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/27/faustino-tells-afp-come-up-with-realistic-priority-list-for-us-military-grant/

Department of National Defense (DND) Officer in Charge Jose Faustino Jr. has directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to create a “realistic” priority list for their modernization program after the United States pledged a $100 million or more than P50 billion in military assistance.

Faustino said they were currently reviewing the projects that have yet to be completed under the Horizons 1 and 2 of the AFP’s revised modernization program to determine which must be completed immediately and which are to be set aside and included in the “recalibrated” Horizon 3 in 2023.

“We are now trying to come up with [a priority list] through the AFP. We will include the AFP modernization here. I have already instructed the Armed Forces of the Philippines as well as the Air Force, Navy, and Army to come up with a priority list where we can use the $100 million,” Faustino told reporters in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

The Defense OIC said they will consider different factors in the new priority list such as the financial capability of the government to buy sophisticated equipment like multi-role air assets and ships as the Covid-19 pandemic devastated the economy.

US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson previously announced that their government will provide a $100 million in military assistance to the AFP to offset the P12.797-billion heavy-lift helicopter deal with Russia that the previous Duterte administration cancelled.

Faustino said the DND is open to receive new offers from aircraft manufacturers to provide heavy-lift helicopters to the Philippine Air Force despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. saying that he prefers a manufacturer from the US.

This comes on the heels of the Duterte-era Russian helicopter deal being cancelled after the invasion of Ukraine. Not only did the USA allocate money to the Philippines but they have also supplied them with several helicopters. 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/21/philippines-gets-us-military-helicopters-after-russia-deal-dumped

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has said his country will source military helicopters from the United States after scrapping a $215m deal to buy 16 similar heavy-lift helicopters from Russia over fears of sanctions following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Manila will also seek to have Moscow return at least part of a multimillion-dollar deposit for the now-cancelled batch of Russian Mi-17 helicopters, Marcos Jr said on Thursday, in his first public comments on the touchy issue involving Russia.

“We have secured an alternative supply (for heavy-lift helicopters) from the United States,” Marcos Jr, who was elected president in May, said at a business forum.

“Unfortunately, we made a down payment (to the Russian manufacturer) that we are hoping to negotiate to get at least a percentage of that back,” he said.

“But the deal as it stood maybe at the beginning of or in the middle of last year has already been cancelled.”

The government of Marcos Jr’s predecessor Rodrigo Duterte signed the deal with Moscow in November 2021, but Duterte backed out of the agreement in the months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February and the imposition of wide-ranging sanctions on Russia.

The US deal – which matched the price agreed with Russia – would also include maintenance services and parts, terms that were not included in the deal with Russia, defence officials told local media organisation GMA News.

Romualdez had separately told reporters that the decision to cancel the Mi-17 deal was triggered by the Ukraine war as Manila did not want to violate a 2017 US law that sanctions anyone doing business with Russia’s intelligence or defence sectors.

So much for that fabled independent foreign policy. 

Not only has the US allocated $100 million to develop the AFP's infrastructure they have also allowed $70 million to implement the EDCA.

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/207887/us-eyes-allocating-70-million-for-edca-sites-arms-in-ph

The United States is planning to allocate $70 million, or nearly P4 billion, in the next two years to implement the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), a key military deal that would allow Washington to build facilities and preposition assets in some strategically located military bases in the country.

The agreement signed in 2014 — designed to address Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and respond to natural disasters — will finally make some major headway after facing delays during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, who had repeatedly expressed his disdain for the United States since he took office in 2016.

“These improvements are designed to enhance cooperative defense capacities and support humanitarian assistance disaster response activities, in ways that best meet the needs of the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] and the alliance,” US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said in a forum on Wednesday.

The EDCA, she said, is “another way to operationalize” the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which binds both countries to defend each other in case of an armed attack. Prepositioned assets and weapons will allow the United States and the Philippines to respond quickly in times of disaster or crisis.

The two treaty allies have recently seen “new energy and revived confidence” under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has been reaffirming ties with Washington, marking a departure from his predecessor who sought favor from China and Russia.

It's funny how things change from one administration to the next. Although, despite Duterte's intense hatred of the USA they have not been lax to give arms, money, and other aid to the Philippines. The USA remains the strongest ally of the Philippines.