Insurgency: Haven For Rights Activists

The Anti-Terrorism Council has again affirmed the terrorist designation of the CPP-NPA.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1932065/atc-on-maintaining-terrorist-designation-of-cpp-npa

The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) has maintained the terrorist designation of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

The PCO bared the news in a statement on Sunday, adding that ATC likewise maintained the terrorist designation of the Islamic State East Asia (ISEA) and other Daesh-linked, or associated groups in the Philippines under the council’s seven-page Resolution No. 53.

Under the resolution, ATC also named Elizabeth Pineda Principe, a member of the CPP-NPA, as a terrorist after it “found probable cause to designate Pineda as a terrorist individual based on verified and validated information, sworn statements and pieces of evidence gathered by different Philippine law enforcement agencies and the military.”

ATC said it maintained the terrorist designation of the CPP-NPA, or the “Bagong Hukbong Bayan,” as a terrorist organization “as they continue to target government forces and sow terror and fear among the public” based on the 268 atrocities recorded from December 2020 to August 2023.

It likewise cited the killing of national football athlete Keith Absalon as grounds for maintaining the designation. ATC said Absalon died in a roadside explosion from an improvised explosive device during the attacks in Masbate, among others.

On the other hand, the “continued involvement in terrorist activities” was cited as grounds for retaining the terrorist designation of the ISEA and other Daesh-linked or associated groups in the Philippines, such as the Abu Sayyaf, the groups of Maute, Maguid, Turaifie, Hassan, and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

The ATC said the ISEA and other Daesh-linked groups violated the Republic Act 11479 or “The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.”

The Anti-Terrorism Council also wants everyone to remember that they alone hold the power to declare groups or individuals terrorists.  

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1935208/atc-on-its-authority-to-designate-terrorist-individuals-groups

The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) has asserted its sole authority to designate individuals, groups, or organizations as terrorists and guaranteed its commitment to safeguarding the rights of Filipino workers, including their “freedom of association and collective bargaining.”

ATC issued its affirmation on Monday following “concerns of some individuals, groups of persons, organizations, or associations, particularly trade unions and labor organizations,” reportedly labeled or linked to terrorists without its designation.

“The ATC, in accordance with Republic Act No. 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (ATA), affirms that it has the sole and exclusive authority to designate individuals, groups of persons, organizations, or associations as terrorists,” the council said in a statement.

“This authority carries legal effects, such as the freezing of assets, and is exercised with utmost diligence, guided by existing laws, rules, and regulations, ensuring the protection of fundamental rights and due process,” it added.

According to ATC, no other government agency, officer, or even employee “has the authority to label or brand any individual, groups, or unions as terrorists — in a manner that can be construed as a designation under the ATA.

“All this is in line with the Philippines’ commitment, as a member of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and a signatory to ILO Conventions Nos. 87 and 98, to uphold the principles mandated by these conventions, to include the establishment and maintenance of an environment that supports workers’ free exercise of the right to organize and engage in union activities without interference or fear of reprisal,” the council stressed.

This is an important reminder because the AFP and the PNP routinely harass human rights workers by labelling them terrorists. These human rights workers often include labor organizers even though the Philippines is a committed member of the International Labor Organization which mandates that workers be allowed to organize. 

It is more than ironic that the Philippines celebrates Labor Day on May 1st while fighting a Communist rebellion because May 1st has been a Communist holiday for over a century.

Baguio has provided a safe haven for all "human rights defenders" and the military is having none of it. They are opposed to the idea because the ordinance singles out state actors as being human rights offenders. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1935566/military-opposes-baguio-haven-for-rights-activists

The military has formally objected to a draft Baguio ordinance on providing a safe haven for all “human rights defenders,” including indigenous Filipino activists who suffer from intimidation or violent threats, discrimination and other malicious attacks like “Red-tagging.”

Proposed Ordinance No. 0026-23, which was filed last year, would shield activists from “defamation and stigmatization” and provide them access to “effective remedy and reparation,” among other civil liberty protections, while they are in the summer capital, said Councilor Peter Fianza, an Ibaloy lawyer and one of its authors.

The draft law also takes action against Red-tagging or the linking of groups to the armed communist rebellion, often by state forces.

Addressing the city council at a public consultation on Monday, Army Col. Virgilio Noora, commander of Joint Task Force Baguio and an officer of the Army’s 5th Infantry Battalion, said the military would not back the draft ordinance unless the council removes a provision that blames the government and its employees for all human rights violations.

The draft law defines human rights violations as actions taken by the state or individuals employed by the government, such as “military affiliates, paramilitary, police or military assets, or any agent of the state acting on its behalf.”

It describes human rights defenders as “any person who, individually or in association with others, acts or seeks to act to protect, promote or strive for the … realization of human rights and the fundamental freedoms and welfare of the people through peaceful means.”

Noora said the measure “singled out state agents for committing human rights violations,” when there were also cases of civil rights offenses committed by “nonstate actors.”

“We, too, are human rights defenders,” he argued, adding that soldiers were duty-bound “to uphold the sanctity of human rights,” so their rights must also be protected.

“We did not lose our rights when we became soldiers,” Noora said, as he noted that the draft law was “too broad” and could be abused by “criminals” pretending to be activists.

Task Force Baguio, which he heads, is a collaborative community-relations movement by the military and police that conducts peace rallies and anticommunist lectures in Baguio schools but it has been accused of spreading disinformation about local activists, including college students.

Section 39 of the ordinance addresses “derogatory and unfounded labeling” by requiring the Baguio government to remove posters, tarpaulins and other materials that “promote false, unfounded and derogatory labeling of human rights defenders.”

Law enforcers or public officials found guilty of political vilification, Red-tagging and other offenses “shall issue a clarification… .”

Their failure to “rectify or expunge any false, unfounded and derogatory labeling of human rights defenders shall be grounds for the filing of appropriate administrative charges, without prejudice to the right of their victim to file criminal charges,” the measure stated.

The AFP claims the law is too broad and can be used by "criminals pretending to be activists" thereby showing their utter disdain for human rights activists. But it seems the real issue here is Red-tagging which is the same as designating a group or individual as a terrorist. Remember, only the ATC has that authority. 

Davao was declared insurgency-free two years ago. Funnily enough 9 NPA rebels operating in Davao have surrendered. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1223753

Nine remnants of three dismantled New People's Army (NPA) units in the Davao region recently surrendered to authorities, bringing along various high-powered firearms and war materiel, the Army said in a statement Tuesday.

Brig. Gen. Ronnie Babac, the Philippine Army's 1001st Infantry Brigade commander, said the surrenderers previously operated in their area of responsibility.

In Monkayo, Davao de Oro, four rebels voluntarily surrendered to the Army's 25th Infantry Battalion (IB) on separate occasions—one on April 15, another on April 22, and one each on April 24 and April 27.

Two surrenderers were members of the NPA Dismantled Regional Headquarters of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee, while the other two belonged to the Dismantled Guerrilla Front (DGF) 2.

Babac said the surrenderers turned in four improvised explosive devices and other war materiel.

On April 24, four former members of the DGF 33 operating in the borders of Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, and Agusan del Sur and one former member of the Dismantled Pulang Bagani Command operating in the periphery of Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental surrendered to the 60IB.

The group brought five high-powered firearms consisting of an AR-15 rifle, a Bushmaster rifle, two M16 rifles, and an M14 rifle when they yielded.

"I commend the efforts of the two battalions operationally controlled by the 1001st Infantry Brigade (101Bde) in facilitating the surrender of the remnants of the NPA," Babac said.

He assured that the 1001Bde "remains relentless" in going after NPA remnants despite the declaration of its area of responsibility as insurgency-free.

Never forget insurgency-free NEVER means zero insurgents. It means a negligible number of insurgents who can be easily handled. 

Negros Oriental has been "declared already under a state of Stable Internal Peace and Security" but the troops aren't pulling out just yet.  

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1223754

Government troops deployed to Negros Oriental will not be pulled out despite the province being declared already under a state of Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS), a military official said Tuesday.

Brig. Gen. Joey Escanillas, commander of the Army's 302nd Brigade based in Tanjay City, said the transition from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to the Philippine National Police (PNP) as the lead agency in counter-insurgency operations would be gradual.

"This is not going to be a paradigm shift, but little by little, we will transition our role to supporting the PNP under the SIPS," Escanillas said during a Kapihan sa PIA forum here.

He said the transition, stipulated in the memorandum of agreement between the AFP and PNP, may take up to five years to complete.

This came after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) passed a resolution last month for the SIPS declaration, following the recommendation of the Provincial Peace and Order Council.

Escanillas said the declaration meant that all guerilla fronts of the New People's Army – the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines – on Negros Island have been dismantled, with just a few remnants left.

This means, he said, a shift in focus of the government's anti-insurgency campaign to primarily law enforcement, involving not just the police but the local government units (LGUs) and government agencies in a whole-of-nation approach.

Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Don Richmond Conag, deputy police provincial director for operations, assured in the same forum that they are ready to take over the lead role from the AFP.

If the AFP supports the PNP doesn't that make the PNP just a subsidiary of the AFP? What difference is there between the PNP and the former Constabulary which was under the auspices of the AFP? Whatever the answer being declared to have internal stability does not mean there is no insurgency and no insurgents. 

Despite the NPA weakening the NICA says the insurgency remains a top priority. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1223928

Gathering crucial intelligence against communists’ activities remains among the priorities of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) despite the weakening of the terrorist group’s armed wing.

In an interview over Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing on Thursday, NICA Deputy Director General for Special Concerns Abelardo Villacorta said communist recruitment activities persist, targeting students and the youth sector.

He said the agency, as head of the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-ELCAC) Situational Awareness and Knowledge Management Cluster, focuses on monitoring these attempts to lure the youth to take up arms against the government.

“There are so many of our youth, the students that are being recruited into the CPP-NPA-NDF  their dreams and their ambitions in life are being destroyed because they are being deceived to join the movement and become members of the NPA,” Villacorta said.

He added that many parents are now cooperating with NICA to help foil the communists' recruitment activities.

“They help us in our situational awareness and knowledge management, and they are a big help,” he said.

Previously, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the state forces' relentless operations against communists have been very effective in decimating the active New People’s Army (NPA) guerrilla fronts.

As of the latest information from the military, the number of guerrilla fronts of the terrorist group has declined to 11.

If the NPA is weakening then how are they able to recruit "so many of our youth?" Seems like a contradiction. Remember when the NICA claimed to know the names of party members and supporters of the NPA? Remember in 2021 the NICA said 300,000 to 400,000 communist party members had infiltrated the government? What happened to all those people? 

Last week the AFP clashed with the BIFF killing 12 this week they closed with the DI killing 5. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/30/five-di-maute-group-members-killed-5-soldiers-wounded-in-lanao-del-norte-clash

Five members of local terror group Daulah Islamiyah-Maute Group died while five soldiers were wounded in a fierce gun battle in Munai, Lanao del Norte on Monday, April 29.

Maj. Gen. Gabriel Viray III, commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division, said the operation stemmed from intelligence reports of the presence of the remnants of the DI-Maute Group in Barangay Cadayonan.

Elements of the First Scout Ranger Regiment were then sent to the area which resulted in the clash at around 3:45 a.m. on Monday which lasted for 45 minutes. 

A second clash erupted during the pursuit operations three hours later which lasted for 10 minutes. 

Viray said the gun battle resulted in the death of five DI-Maute Group members under Nasser Daud.

Seized during the clearing operation were an Ma16 and an M14 rifles, a rifle grenade and other personal belongings of the slain DI-Maute Group members.

But five soldiers were wounded during the clash, according to Viray.

He said all the wounded soldiers are now in stable condition.

Soldiers have been scouring the remote areas of Lanao del Norte and nearby provinces for the presence of the DI-Maute Group, all remnants of the group which was involved in the Marawi siege.

But the government has been also persuading them to surrender.

Even though the DI-Maute Group has been greatly reduced they remain a threat.