Insurgency: Shun Leftist Candidates

Recently a group of ex-insurgents submitted a two-page manifesto denouncing armed violence and declaring their willingness to work for peace. The title is "A Call for Unity, Progress, and Collective Healing."

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1234272

Former rebels have condemned acts of violence of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front and expressed willingness to work with the government in attaining peace.

The former rebels made the commitment in a two-page manifesto titled "A Call for Unity, Progress, and Collective Healing," the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said in a news release Friday.

"Our decision to condemn armed struggle does not mean abandoning our principles. We do not turn our backs on the fight for social justice. Instead, we embrace a new approach to struggle, one that aligns with the rule of law and collaboration among all sectors of society," the manifesto read.

The manifesto was signed at the La Breza Hotel in Quezon City during the culmination of the National Peace Advocate Summit 2024.

"It is a powerful declaration from those who have walked the path of conflict, now committed to forging a new way forward for themselves and for future generations," NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said.

It also serves as a guiding document for the anti-insurgency body in implementing programs and initiatives that support the reintegration of former rebels.

The manifesto appears to not be available online so its contents cannot be read. However one take on it is that these former rebels are basically rallying against leftist candidates. 

https://tribune.net.ph/2024/09/27/shun-leftist-candidates-say-ex-rebels

Former top members of the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army, National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) have called on all candidates and voters to renounce armed struggle and violence.

How convenient such a document would be submitted just as election season begins. Is this a real, organic manifesto or is this the work of the AFP and the NTF-ELCAC in an attempt to persuade Filipinos to not vote for the various leftist party lists? 

In Aurora Province 91 former rebels pledged allegiance to the Philippine government. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1234404

The Philippine Army’s 91st Infantry “Sinagtala” Battalion on Monday said 91 supporters of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Aurora province have officially declared their withdrawal of support to the communist terrorist group and pledged their allegiance to the government.

In an interview, Lt. Col. Aries Quinto, acting commanding officer of the 91st IB, said a ceremony for the group’s withdrawal of support took place at the Aurora Trading Center Covered Court here last Sept. 27.

Apart from signing the oath of allegiance to the government, he said the group, who hails from the towns of San Luis and Maria Aurora, also burned the replica of the NPA flag, which signifies their abandonment of the terrorist communist group.

“The gathering is part of the participants love and loyalty to the government, as they have awakened from the lies and deceptions of the terrorist rebels that sow terror in the community,” Quinto said.

“They ended support for the rebel groups to maintain lasting peace and development in Aurora. A clear manifestation that the Whole of Nation Approach, or E.O. 70, was implemented successfully in coordination with the local government units, and other civic clusters successfully facilitated the group’s withdrawal to the NPA with their formal reintegration into the community.”

He also thanked the government agencies and security forces efforts to maintain peace and development in the province.

These include the regional offices of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Department of Health, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Agrarian Reform, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace and Reconciliation and Unity.

He also acknowledged the continued full support from the Aurora Police Provincial Office and the local government units.

Meanwhile, Maria Aurora Mayor Ariel Bitong said a large number of projects are ongoing for his constituents – including the concreting of roads, construction of barangay roads, farm-to-market roads, and multi-purpose buildings, among others – with the help of Aurora Rep. Rommel Angara.

In a separate statement, Ka Danger thanked the government for the continued support and help for former rebels like him.

“I am one of the living FRs who testify that the government is sincerely rebuilding our lives. I visited far-flung areas to inform the public that our government is doing its best to help us,” he said.

Of course they burned the NPA flag and signed an oversized oath of allegiance in a big show for the public. But how long has it been since these people abandoned the NPA? Years? Months? From the sound of it they have been out of the fight for quite sometime since one of them testified the government is helping him to rebuild his life. 

Vice President Sara Duterte is facing harsh criticism for not being able to account for how her confidential funds were spent when she was the Department of Education Secretary. P112.5 million were spent on Youth Summits which were handled by the AFP as part of their counterinsurgency program. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1987456/house-probe-questions-depeds-use-of-p112-5m-for-youth-summits

The use of confidential funds given to the Department of Education (DepEd) when it was still headed by Vice President Sara Duterte continued to be scrutinized by the House of Representatives.

This time, questions were raised about the DepEd’s use of P112.5 million in confidential funds for “youth leadership summits” in 2023.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel brought it up on Wednesday’s hearing of the House committee on good government and public accountability, which Duterte again snubbed and had accused of being politically motivated.

Pimentel, the committee vice chair, asked how such a large sum could be justified for such events.

“To feed 3,000 students, you’d spend p112.5 million? Even if they stay in a hotel for three months, they can’t possibly use up P112.5 million,” the lawmaker said.

He also cast doubts on the “certifications” issued by military officials for the conduct of the seminars, which were among the documents submitted by DepEd for an accounting of the discretionary fund.

Pimentel cited the audit observation memorandums (AOMs) of the Commission on Audit (COA) which flagged the cash advances and liquidation reports for the summits.

The AOMs, he noted, raised concerns about the total expenditure and the lack of supporting documentation, such as receipts and photographs of the seminars.

Pimentel highlighted two AOMs, dated Feb. 1 and Aug 8, which were both addressed to Edward Fajarda, DepEd’s special disbursing officer.

Edward’s wife, Assistant Secretary Sunshine Fajarda, was said to be the DeEd officer who handed out monthly cash envelopes to the agency’s former Head of Procuring Entity (HoPE), Gloria Mercado, who also testified before the committee on Wednesday.

The lawmaker asked that Edward be called to the next hearing since he was responsible for the P112.5 million in cash advances used for seminars and their liquidation.

The first AOM involved P75 million disbursed from July 12 to Sept. 29, 2023, while the second memo was for P37.5 million covering the period from Feb. 22 to June 29, 2023.

Pimentel asked the COA personnel present at the hearing to confirm if the youth summits actually took place, noting that the liquidation documents only included certifications from at least three Philippine Army officers.

“Do we have documentation? Do we have evidence that indeed they conducted this Youth Leadership Summit or is this only on paper?” he asked.

According to one of the certifications, he said, 531 participants took part in eight summits, while another said 205 attended one summit. The third certification reported 860 participants in nine summits.

Former DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa, who appeared at Wednesday’s hearing, explained that the summits were not directly handled by DepEd but by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in line with its campaign against the communist insurgency.

“The youth Leadership Summit is not something that DepEd had conducted, but actually received certification from the AFP,” Poa said.

But Pimentel maintained that “even if that’s (done using) confidential funds, that is still taxpayers’ money. P112.5 million is such a huge amount for a youth leadership summit.”

The committee will look deeper into the matter in the next hearing, where Edward should explain the expenditure, he said.

Otherwise, “it’s very clear this is just on paper,” Pimentel added.

Lots of questions here. If the DepEd did not conduct these summits then why did the department spend the money on the summits? Why didn't the funding for this project come out of the AFP's coffers? Most importantly how was so much money spent in such a short period of time? Hopefully we will hear from the AFP.

Another NPA leader has been neutralized. This time he was arrested rather than killed in combat. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1234668

Police have apprehended one of the most wanted New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in the Caraga Region, an official said Thursday.

Brig. Gen. Alan Nazarro, director of the Police Regional Office-Caraga (PRO-13), identified the rebel as "Rudy Amara," 31, the vice commanding officer of the weakened NPA Guerrilla Front 30.

The arrest took place on Tuesday in Carmen, Surigao del Sur.

“Amara faces six counts of murder, five counts of frustrated murder, three counts of attempted murder, and a charge of slight illegal detention,” Nazarro said.

Amara is listed as the region's second top communist priority target and the second most wanted person.

On top of the murder charges, Amara faces three charges under Republic Act 9208, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

Surely the "leaderless NPA" has more leaders out there. 

Isablea City in Basilan has been declared Abu Sayyaf free. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/10/1/isabela-city-in-basilan-declared-asg-free

Authorities declared Isabela City in Basilan province Abu Sayyaf Group-free during a simple ceremony at the Isabela City Civic and Cultural Center in Binuangan, Isabela City on Monday, September 30.

Isabela City was the latest area in Basilan to be declared free from the terrorist group after Al-Barka, Maluso, Lantawan, and Ungkaya-Pukan. 

The declaration was part of a campaign initiated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to free Basilan from ASG influence.

Isabela City Mayor Sitti Djalia Turabin Hataman asked residents and visitors to give importance and deep meaning to the occasion. 

“It’s freedom from the fears of the past by moving forward from the violence that once held us back,” the lady mayor said.

House Deputy Minority Leader Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman thanked the Nagdilaab Foundation, the Ulama Supreme Council, military, and police for making Isabela City ASG-free.

Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon, commander of the 101st Infantry Brigade, said that the declaration has a major impact on the security situation amid the peace and stability that the city have been enjoying for some time.

"This move reinforces the continuous development and progress not just for the city but also for the entire province of Basilan," said Luzon.

Present during the ceremony were Joint Task Force Orion chief Brig. Gen. Leonardo Peña; Luzon, Police Brig. Gen. Bowenn Joey Masauding, Police Regional Office-9 director, Mayor Hataman, Rep. Mujiv Hataman, Isabela City Vice Mayor Jhul Kifli Saliman, and other officials of Isabela City.

Several towns in Basilan have been declared ASG-free this year. This declaration is one more step as Basilan Province is soon set to be declared ASG-free 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/917793/basilan-abu-sayyaf-free/story/

Several "wanted" posters and tarpaulins in Basilan have been taken down in preparation for the declaration of the province as free of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

According to the 101st Infantry Brigade, the forthcoming declaration of Basilan as ASG-free province will be "a historic milestone, underscoring the successful efforts to eradicate terrorism and radicalism."

"This initiative is anticipated to encourage further regional development and investment, reinforcing the hard-won peace," 101st Infantry Brigade said.

The military said removing the ASG "wanted" posters marked the culmination of the long-standing security campaign against the Islamic extremist group in the province.

"The decision to remove the ASG WANTED posters and tarpaulins is expected to foster a renewed sense of normalcy and security among the Basileños," the 101st Infantry Brigade said.

Remnants of the ASG were considered and declared "criminal elements" as they continue to do criminal activities, including extortion and grave threats, among others.

"They can no longer influence the community and are without a support system for survival," the 101st Infantry Brigade added.

Even as Basilan is set to be declared free of Abu Sayyaf the AFP admits there are still ASG remnants in the area. How is that ASG-free?