This week the AFP was ambushed by suspected members of the Dawlah Islamiya as they were distributing food for Ramadan.
 |
| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1220999 |
Four government soldiers were killed in an ambush perpetrated by suspected Dawlah Islamiya (DI) terrorists in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan town, Maguindanao del Sur province on Sunday morning.
The soldiers were heading back to base at about 10 a.m. after doing marketing chores when waylaid in Barangay Tuayan.
Three belonged to the Army's 40th Infantry Battalion (IB), while the fourth was from the 3rd Army Cavalry, all under the 601st Infantry Brigade (Bde).
Maj. Gen. Alex Rillera, Army 6th Infantry Division commander, strongly condemned the attack.
"The soldiers were doing community service when attacked," Rillera said.
Aside from office supplies, the four soldiers were also tasked to buy food for the "Iftar" of Muslim residents living near their camp.
"Iftar" is the breaking of the fast of Muslims after sunset during the holy month of Ramadan.
Rillera said the 40IB regularly provides free food for Iftar. This year, it started March 12.
Later on the BIFF would own up to being behind the ambush.
 |
| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1920747/biff-owns-ambush-that-killed-4-soldiers |
The Islamic State-linked terrorist group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) has claimed responsibility for the March 17 ambush in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan town of Maguindanao del Sur province that killed four off-duty soldiers.
Abu Supyan, speaking for the BIFF Kagi Karialan faction, told the Inquirer on Tuesday that the ambush in broad daylight in Barangay Tuayan 1 was triggered by continuous military offensives against their positions.
“We have been silent but they (Army) have been carrying out raids [against us]. Even the elder brother of Commander Kagi Karialan, who is a civilian, was killed [in these raids],” Supyan said in Filipino. Kagi Karialan leads one of the three BIFF factions.
Supyan said that because of the series of military offensives targeting BIFF members in Maguindanao del Sur, they had to retaliate. “That’s why we launched the ambush against the four soldiers,” said Supyan, adding: “We have no regrets that we did it.”
The ambush has strengthened the AFP's resolve to hunt down the remaining members of DI by the end of the year.
 |
| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1920762/afp-targets-eliminating-is-linked-daulah-islamiyah-by-year-end |
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is aiming to eliminate the Islamic State-linked Daulah Islamiyah (DI) by the end of the year, its spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said on Tuesday.
“Our target, for the AFP, as stated during our command conference at the start of the year, was for us to end the insurgency problem once and for all by the end of this year,” Padilla said when asked about the timeline for the elimination of the jihadist group.
Padilla previously said it also targets to finish the Maoist insurgency by year end.
Could it be that the AFP will have a double whammy victory by years end with the end of both the Muslim and Communist insurgencies? Their track record says no but small victories are happening along the way. This week the AFP has announced that 2 more NPA units in the Eastern Visayas have been dismantled.
 |
| https://mb.com.ph/2024/3/18/troops-dismantle-2-more-npa-units-in-eastern-visayas |
Authorities have dismantled two more New People’s Army (NPA) units in Eastern Visayas.
These were Platoon 2 of Island Committee 47 Levox operating in the provinces of Leyte, Biliran, and Southern Leyte, and the Elcon Platoon of Sub-Regional Committee Browser operating in the provinces of Samar and Eastern Samar.
The Elcon Platoon of SRC Browser were remnants of the dismantled Central Front Samar 1 and Front Committee 3 of SRC Arctic while the P2 IC47 Levox was created in their attempt to re-establish a guerilla front in Leyte, Biliran, and Southern Leyte.
They also announced that 422 rebels have been neutralized between January 1st and March 14th.
 |
| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1221249 |
A total of 422 New People's Army (NPA) insurgents and their supporters were neutralized in various operations by military units nationwide from Jan. 1 to March 14, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, in a media briefing Wednesday, said the figure consists of 374 surrendered, 15 arrested, and 33 killed.
Over the same period, 56 NPA lairs were seized and 221 assorted firearms and 71 anti-personnel mines were recovered and surrendered by the rebels to military units, according to the AFP.
In a related development, Padilla said the declaration of Surigao del Norte as an "insurgency-free province" on March 15 is a "testament to the effective implementation of our campaigns and brings us closer to our target of dismantling the remaining guerilla fronts and vertical units in the region."
It is also a significant development for the province in terms of peace and development, she added.
Interestingly enough they made this same kind of announcement last week.
Government troops have neutralized a total of 348 New People's Army (NPA) members and their allies in operations from Jan. 1 to March 7, the military announced Tuesday.
That means 74 NPA rebels and allies have been neutralized in just one week. At this rate and with less than 1,500 NPA fighters left the communist insurgency could be finished in 20 weeks or by the end of August. But let's not hold our breath.
Last week amnesty applications were available to download. They government was expecting 80,000 applicants.
 |
| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1918561/amnesty-form-for-ex-rebels-accessible-online-starting-this-week |
Former rebels who wish to apply for government amnesty may download the form online beginning this week, National Amnesty Commission (NAC) official Jamar Kulayan said Thursday.
In a phone interview with INQUIREr.net, the NAC commissioner said they anticipate around 80,000 eligible ex-insurgents to apply for amnesty.
He added that even before the release of the Amnesty Program’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR), former members of the New People’s Army (NPA), Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas-Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) may already avail of the government’s reprieve offer.
But, so far nobody has applied!
 |
| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1921485/no-rebel-has-so-far-applied-for-govt-amnesty-says-nac-head |
The National Amnesty Commission (NAC) said it has yet to receive applications for amnesty even after Congress concurred with a presidential proclamation that would grant reprieve to rebels.
NAC Chairperson Leah Tanodra-Armamento said they had opened the submission of forms since March 13.
“We have yet to receive anything,” said Armamento during Thursday’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing, in reply to a query on how many insurgents have already applied for government amnesty.
Congress concurred with Presidential Proclamation No. 404, which seeks to grant reprieve to members of the New People’s Army (NPA), Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas-Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Last week, NAC official Jamar Kulayan told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview that the issuance of the Amnesty Program’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR) will happen soon following this action of Congress. He said the IRR may be out before the end of March, but submission of the application may already proceed even before it.
Kulayan likewise said that former rebels who wish to apply for government amnesty may download the form online beginning last week. He further disclosed that the NAC expects around 80,000 eligible ex-insurgents to apply.
“Before I assumed office, the MILF [already has] the list of the names, but during [that] time, the Office was not yet organized. It was only organized when I assumed Office last January 24, 2023,” she said, noting that the MILF has the most number of former rebels who have expressed interest in obtaining government reprieve.
Are these potential applicants even aware of the program and where to download the form? Do they have internet access? There are a lot of variables here which the government will surely work through if they are sincere in their amnesty offer.
No comments:
Post a Comment