Insurgency: NPA Fake News

Recently President Marcos commended the Tawi-Tawi task force for bringing peace to Mindanao.  

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1225444

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has commended the Joint Task Force (JTF) - Tawi-Tawi for helping the government attain peace in Mindanao, resulting in enhanced tourism and business activities in the region.

During his visit to the JTF Tawi-Tawi headquarters in Bongao town on Thursday, Marcos said Tawi-Tawi, which used to be a conflict ground zero and the nest of insurgents and terrorists in their kidnapping activities, is now peaceful because of all the efforts of the troops.

“But because of the efforts of all our personnel in the Task Force, we have now come to the situation where it is peaceful enough,” he told the soldiers of the 2nd Marine Brigade.

“Instead of fighting, the battle here now is which is the best-looking resort. That is a very big achievement and the part that you played in that is a very major part. Congratulations for the good work and for a job well done.”

Marcos said he was able to visit Mindanao because of the present peace in the region, which his predecessors did not experience during their tenure.

He said he was very happy to be able to claim to be the first Filipino president to set foot on the Marines headquarters on the island.

“The reason is not because other presidents did not want to come here. It was because other presidents were not allowed by the security conditions that had passed before to be able to come here,” Marcos said.

The President, however, emphasized that the military’s mission is not over and the soldiers have to transform themselves from warfighters to peacemakers as the nation marches toward development.

But, just like clockwork, a week later the AFP was involved in a clash with Abu Sayyaf in Tawi-Tawi.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1225708

A sub-leader of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) was killed in a counter-terrorism police operation in Tawi-Tawi province early Tuesday.

In a media interview at Camp Crame, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said Udon Hasim was killed in a 30-minute firefight with members of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and Intelligence Group (IG) in Barangay Lahay-Lahay in the town of Tandubas at about 5 a.m.

Hasim opened fire on the arresting team, prompting them to return fire which led to an encounter.

Three police officers were also wounded in the firefight.

Hasim is wanted for four counts of frustrated murder and 17 counts of murder.

“On July 28, 2013, he was involved in an ambush which killed 23 civilians and wounded 14 others in Talipao, Sulu. He is not only a member of the ASG, he was involved in illegal drugs last month, April 2024 in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, his followers who are also involved in illegal drugs were also killed,” Marbil said.

Seized from the operation were several plastic sachets containing shabu, an M14 rifle, an M16 rifle, assorted magazines and ammunition for M14 and M16, and a bandolier.

If that is not enough an SAF trooper was killed while trying to serve a warrant to an ASG member. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1946778/saf-trooper-dies-2-others-hurt-serving-arrest-warrant-in-tawi-tawi

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos paid a visit to three wounded members of the police Special Action Force (SAF) at the Ciudad Medical Center on Thursday morning.

“We stand before you with heavy hearts but resolute spirits as we visit our brave SAF troopers here in Zamboanga City who were wounded during the recent operation in Tandubas municipality, province of Tawi-Tawi,” Abalos said after his brief talk with the family members inside the hospital.

The three were wounded in a clash with armed men in Tandubas last Tuesday afternoon while serving 21 arrest warrants against a certain Udon Hasim, also known as Utoh and Kah, a former member of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group under Idang Susukan and Alhabsy Misaya.

On Thursday morning, Patrolman Ian Valdez, a newbie in the police force, died while being treated in a private hospital here.

Valdez and colleagues Police Master Sergeants Alberto Olbis and Mohammad Lee Aharul were seriously wounded in the clash.

Hasim is accused of being involved in heinous crimes including the ambush in Barangay Mabahay, Talipao, Sulu, and illicit drug trafficking and arms smuggling, Abalos said.

The gunfight also led to the death of Hasim, and the seizure of suspected meth, initially estimated to value P734,000, and several weapons and ammunition.

Suffice to say Tawi-Tawi is not safe and peace has not been brought to Mindanao. This is another premature declaration betrayed by the facts.

A member of the DI involved in killings in South Cotabato has been arrested. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1225829

Law enforcers have arrested the leader of a notorious local terrorist group in the province of South Cotabato.

In a report on Wednesday, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Maj. Gen. Leo Francisco said the suspect, 32-year-old alias “Jaffer”, leader of the Daulah Islamiya-Emaruddin Kassan group, was arrested in an operation at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday ni Barangay Lapu, Polomolok, South Cotabato.

The suspect and his group are linked to a series of killings in Polomolok town and surrounding areas.

"Jaffer" has standing arrest warrants for four counts of murder, one count of frustrated murder, one count of attempted murder and two drug charges issued by courts in the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat.

The accused is currently detained at the CIDG South Cotabato Provincial Field Unit Office for proper disposition and documentation. 

That the arrest warrants can be given for a man like this shows that the government knows who the terrorists are. 

This fact is underscored by the AFP pleading with the families of rebels in Leyte, begging them to surrender. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1225726

The Philippine Army is stepping up on its dialogues with families of the remaining 19 active New People’s Army (NPA) combatants in Leyte in a bid to completely wipe out insurgency in the province.

Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, said Tuesday they have been working with local government and even village officials to talk to the rebels’ families.

“We believe these families still have contacts with their loved ones who are still active in the armed struggle. They will be instrumental in convincing their family members to surrender,” Vestuir said in a statement.

The military and local government also extended assistance to family members to ensure that they will not be persuaded to support the armed rebellion.

Of the 19 active NPA rebels who are native to Leyte, six are from Mahaplag town; four from Kananga; two each from Jaro and Albuera; and one each from Carigara, Alangalang, MacArthur, Baybay City, and Hindang town.

Their affiliation with the NPA is a setback in declaring their hometowns as having stable internal peace and security or a full rebel-free status.

But not all NPA members who hail from Leyte are operating in their home province since some are in Samar provinces, according to Vestuir.

Are they more concerned with the lives of these rebels or with declaring towns as having a rebel-free status? But the AFP is not shy about declaring areas rebel-free despite rebels still posing a threat. 

Rebels in Negros are forming a peace and development community. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1225771

A peace and development community (PDC) will soon rise for former rebels who belong to the Kapatiran para sa Progresong Panlipunan (Kapatiran) in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.

The PDC will be established as a Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) project of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU).

First Lt. Dan Carlo Samoza, civil-military operations officer of the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion, said in an interview on Wednesday they conducted an assessment and survey of the site in Sitio Huebesan, Barangay Celestino Villacin, earlier this month together with troops of the 542nd Engineering Brigade (EBDe).

“After this, the implementation of the project is set to start in the third quarter,” he added.

The PDC components include housing, livelihood, daycare center, health center, and public market.

“They would have access to all services offered by the government,” Samoza said. 

Kapatiran is the new name of Rebolusyonaryong Partido Ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA-ABB) Tabara-Paduano Group (TPG) in line with its institutional transformation after entering into a peace agreement with the national government.

The RPA-ABB is a breakaway group of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Mamad Gandarosa Jr., community environment and natural resources office officer-in-charge; Antonio Agabon, Kapatiran Cadiz City Chapter president; and Nelsan Marie Vedasto, OPAPRU project development officer, joined Samoza and Capt. Emerson Tapang, 542EBDe operations officer, during the site visit.

Samoza said the PDC will serve as a symbol of the Kapatiran’s transition to mainstream society.

“It will highlight their key role in peace-building efforts and will be a reaffirmation of their commitment to the progress of our nation, particularly in northern Negros,” he added.

Meanwhile the NPA has been spreading news about an encounter which the AFP says never happened.  

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1225795

The Philippine Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion (62IB) on Wednesday urged residents in northern Negros Oriental to not fall prey to the fake news being spread by the New People’s Army (NPA) of an alleged encounter in Vallehermoso town.

Lt. Col. Evelio Ilanga, 62IB battalion commander, said these are all lies by a dismantled guerilla front to deceive the people amid futile efforts to recover their mass base support.

“Basically, it is part of their propaganda to spread fake news to make people believe that their presence is still significant and they are still capable of committing atrocities against government forces,” Ilanga said in mixed English and Filipino.

Ilanga was referring to a post on social media purportedly by the Leonardo Panaligan Command saying that an encounter took place between 62IB troops and NPA members at Barangay Malangsa in Vallehermoso town.

The encounter never happened and no soldier was injured or killed, contrary to the claim of the NPA, he said.

The Army commander said that nevertheless, they continue with their peace and security efforts to ensure that the NPA can no longer recoup.

This comes in preparation for the declaration of Negros Island as a state of Stable Internal Peace and Security by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Funny that the NPA spreads propaganda "to make people believe that their presence is still significant" while the AFP spreads propaganda to make people believe that their presence is insignificant even while they continue to launch attacks.