Insurgency: Cigarette Smuggling

When it comes to armed groups throughout the nation including the NPA, ASG, the BIFF, MNLF, and MILF the big questions is: how are they funded? The government says some of these armed groups have turned to cigarette smuggling. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/10/26/armed-groups-turning-to-cigarette-smuggling-a-national-security-threat

A consumer advocacy group expressed fears that the pervasive problem of illicit cigarette trade in the country will escalate into a national security crisis with the numerous reports and studies establishing the link between the illegal activity and armed groups involved in terrorism and other criminal activities.

Antonio Israel, one of the lead convenors of the online advocacy campaign “EKIS saSmuggling” and president of the Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines, expressed shock at the revelation of an international security expert in a recent forum in Makati City that former members of various armed groups in Mindanao turned to smuggling operations to finance their criminal activities.

Professor Rohan Gunaratna from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore said during the "PROTECT 2023: Doing Business Amidst New Threats" conference held at the New World Hotel in Makati City, that while authorities dismantled the structures of the Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and ISIS in Mindanao and neutralized their leaders, remnants of the group were transitioning from terrorism to crime. “Terrorism is no longer the real monster in the Philippines; crime is," he said.

“It is worrisome that armed groups in Mindanao continue to harm national interest by masterminding and perpetuating illicit trade of agriculture products and cigarettes. The billions of pesos generated from smuggling can be used to fund unimaginable crimes that threatens our national security. Prof. Gunaratna also revealed that these armed groups were in cahoots with high-ranking officials within the Philippine police and military to facilitate and safeguard their illegal operations,” Israel said.

Prof. Gunaratna said cigarette smuggling has become an immensely lucrative source of income for various armed groups in Mindanao as they transitioned from acts of terrorism to engaging in illicit trade.

Israel stressed the urgency to address the smuggling problem in the country.  “If this report is true, smuggling could sustain the presence of these armed groups as well as their terror and criminal activities. The professor’s revelations only proves that tobacco smuggling is not a victimless crime. Real lives are at stake here if these illegal activities continue,” he said.

Israel also underscored that illicit tobacco trade “deprives the government of much-needed revenues, hurts Filipino farmers and local industries as well as threatens the health of consumers because contrabands are not subjected to safety inspection and regulation.”

He appealed to the “national government, local government units and the public as a whole to work together to put a stop to the massive illicit cigarette trade via the backdoors of Mindanao, resulting in billions of lost revenues for the government and displacing the livelihood of local farmers and industry workers.”

Professor Gunaratna said discussed how remnants of former armed groups were transitioning from terrorism to crime during a thought leaders round-table discussion on national security issues on the second day of the conference.  Among the topics under discussion were smuggling, counterfeiting, human trafficking, infiltration of business and government (fraud), and money laundering, with a focus on cross-border crimes and the use of technology by criminals and terrorists.

This story was actually reported on a few weeks ago with the teeniest bit of more information. The above story is very economic but the prior story was more political. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/10/9/global-security-expert-asg-mnlf-other-mindanao-private-armed-groups-benefit-from-rampant-cigarette-smuggling

A global security threat specialist sounded the alarm bells that various armed groups in Mindanao, previously involved in the kidnap for ransom operations and other heinous crime activities, are currently behind the proliferation of cigarette smuggling in the country.

“Cigarette smuggling became a profitable means of income-generating activity for most of the existing armed groups in Mindanao, particularly the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF),” Prof. Rohan Gunaratna of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore told participants of a recent two-day conference dubbed ”PROTECT 2023: Doing Business Amidst New Threats” at the New World Hotel in Makati City. 

In fact, Gunaratna said, these armed groups turned smugglers have been “corrupting” a number of high-ranking officials of the police and the military assigned in Mindanao to facilitate and protect their illegal activities. 

Worse, he said, some members of these armed groups became more powerful and influential because “they gained political positions” in their areas of operations. 

Wow. So, there are terrorists with political positions in Mindanao? Who would have thought? But in order to smuggle anything into the country Bureau of Customs officials must also be involved. It sounds like a real mess. Why isn't the Senate investigating? Becasue they either don't know or they don't care and it's likely both. 

There's lots of things the Senate will never touch such as guns with AFP markings being sold on the black market.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/884682/afp-marked-rifles-sold-by-fake-nbi-agents-in-cotabato/story/

Two men posing as agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were caught selling government-issued firearms and magazines in Cotabato City, according to a "24 Oras" report by Emil Sumangil.

The suspects — a government employee and a security guard — were arrested in a buy-bust operation by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

"This person, who introduced himself as NBI, a few minutes later, the regional director of the NBI called the BAR (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region), called the CIDG and he said the 2 IDs and badges the suspect showed were fake," said Police Colonel Ariel Huesca of the CIDG-BAR.

"'The firearms, the magazine, the ammunition, placed in the sack. Part of the investigation, we are tracking the ownership of the firearms. We looked at the lower and upper receiver, it belonged to on firearms, maybe they just disassembled it for the transport quickly," Huesca said.

According to the CIDG, the suspects sold the rifle and magazines for P100,000.

"'Our one policeman, he pretended to be a buyer. The seller said, the rifle is good, then the magazine and bullets are included," said Huesca.

During the investigation, markings of AFP property were found on the rifle.

AFP spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar, however, said he would not comment until they have received a report.

The CIDG is coordinating with several soldiers to find those behind the illegal sale. The arrested suspects refused to issue a comment.

"This is one way of ensuring a peaceful election. As we all know if this gun goes to unauthorized individuals and is used for mischief, the damage that will be inflicted," Huesca said.

How are guns with AFP markings being sold on the black market? How were they obtained? That is important information that we will never know especially because the government does not care. Remember when guns with AFP markings were found in Marawi during the siege and they were all destroyed? 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/930750/militants-fighting-in-marawi-using-govt-owned-guns-says-army-exec

Most weapons recovered from slain militants belonging to the Maute group and its allies or from areas they had vacated in this Lanao del Sur provincial capital bore marks which indicated that these came from the government, a military spokesperson said. 

“It only meant that somebody from the government sold it to them,” said Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, spokesperson for the Joint Task Force Marawi.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/186510-duterte-afp-change-command-rey-guerrero-destroy-firearms-marawi

It's a wonder that no one seems to care about the ins and outs of the ongoing insurgency in the Philippines. The AFP is too eager to declare the nation safe in order to appease the President. Meanwhile the terror continues. 

So, really I could publish the same old here but why bother? 

The fact is the insurgency is a multifaceted operation that needs to be properly examined but nobody wants to do it. They just want it to go away. But no matter how many declarations of "it's over" are made the fact is the insurgency continues unabated.  

The fact is the AFP knows much more than they are telling. This week 12 NPA fighters surrendered after the AFP talked with their families. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1212571

At least 12 fighters of the New People’s Army (NPA) have surrendered to the military in Eastern Visayas since the launch of an initiative that links government forces to families of rebels.

The latest who surrendered through the Friends Rescued Engagement through their Families (FReE Families) project are John Carlo Belicario of General MacArthur town and Marco Estil of Borongan City, both in Eastern Samar.

Belicario and Estil were both members of Squad 3, Apoy platoon of the NPA-Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.

Their surrender came on Oct. 25 or just four days after three rebels yielded to the Philippine Army on Oct. 21. These rebels turned over three 5.56mm M16 rifles and an AK47 rifle.

On Oct. 17, seven NPA fighters in Eastern Samar also decided to abandon the armed struggle and turned over four high-powered firearms. 

They also revealed the location of an arms cache consisting of two M16 rifles, an M14 rifle, and an M653 carbine and other war materiel at the hinterlands of Borongan City, Eastern Samar.

"With the surrender of these NPA regulars, we have once again proven that the love of family conquers the hate that the terrorists Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front sowed in the hearts of their recruits who joined the armed struggle," Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, commander of the Army’ 802nd Infantry Brigade, said in a statement on Thursday.

The official attributed their surrender to the facilitation of their family members and former rebels in the area under the FReE Families initiative launched on October 4.

“They became credible allies having experienced the good treatment from the government, which opened their eyes to the reality that they were only deceived by the communist NPA’s propaganda, lies, and deceptions,” Vestuir said.

The FReE Families is a project of the Eastern Samar provincial task force to end local communist armed conflict, which aims to free the families of those personalities deceitfully recruited by the NPA.

They have been capacitated to negotiate for the peaceful surrender of their loved ones and family members with active support from third-party peace advocates, former rebels, local government units, non-government organizations, religious sectors, and other key actors.

Those who have surrendered are waiting for the release of assistance from the government through the Enhanced Comprehensive Livelihood Integration Program.

More than being a low blow this is proof positive that the AFP knows who is in the NPA. So why do they publicly give contradicting figures as to how many NPA are left?