Insurgency: Gunfight With MILF

Six Army units have been hailed for fighting the NPA in the Eastern Visayas. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1242592

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has awarded six units under the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division for dismantling the New People’s Army (NPA) in Eastern Visayas.

Conferred with the AFP Campaign Streamer Awards are two brigades, three battalions and a former operational control (OPCON) unit of the 8th Infantry Division (ID).

Visayas Command commander Lt. Gen. Fernando Reyeg and deputy commander Commodore Oscar Canlas Jr., and 8th Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Adonis Ariel Orio conferred the awards at Camp Lapu-Lapu in Cebu City on Friday.

The awardees were the 801st Infantry Brigade and the 42nd Infantry Battalion, a former OPCON unit of the 8th ID, for dismantling the Elcon Platoon, a sub-regional committee of the NPA Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC).

The 42nd Infantry Battalion returned to the Bicol Region last week after two years of helping eliminate insurgency in the region.

The 802nd Infantry Brigade was also awarded for dismantling the sub-regional guerilla unit (SRGU) Bugsok, of the EVRPC, the Apoy Platoon, and Platoon 2, Island Committee of the EVRPC.

Under the brigade is the 63rd Infantry Battalion, recognized for dismantling the SRGU Bugsok, sub-regional committee Sesame under EVRPC.

The other units are the 78th Infantry Battalion, hailed for dismantling the Apoy Platoon, and the 93rd Infantry Battalion for dismantling Platoon 2.

Orio lauded the awardee units for their exemplary service that contributed to the campaign of ending local communist armed conflict in Eastern Visayas.

“These awards are testaments to your dedication and exemplary service. Your accomplishment of dismantling these communist terrorist groups has been vital in our goal of attaining a peaceful and progressive community for the people of Eastern Visayas,” Orio said in a statement. 

Of special note is the Army's bestowal of honors upon a battalion for suppressing the insurgency in Samar. They were in the Bicol Region for two years fighting the strategically defeated NPA.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1242242

The Philippine Army's 8th Infantry Division has recognized the 42nd Infantry Battalion for its effort to end insurgency as the unit returns to the Bicol Region after two years of suppressing the New People’s Army in Samar provinces.

Maj. Gen. Adonis Ariel Orio, commander of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division, said in a statement Tuesday that the battalion received a meritorious merit medal and command plaque as recognition for their significant accomplishments and contributions in the region’s anti-insurgency drive.

“Through their tireless community support operations and mobile community support sustainment operations, they did more than neutralize threats and recover firearms —they brought hope and security to communities that longed for peace. Their efforts have strengthened the foundation of long-lasting peace and sustainable development for the people of Eastern Visayas,” Orio said.

One of its notable accomplishments was the successful dismantling of the Elcon platoon of the sub-regional committee browser of the NPA Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee operating in Samar and Eastern Samar provinces on March 3, 2023.

The unit also recovered assorted high-powered firearms and captured and facilitated the surrender of armed rebels.

The 42nd Infantry Battalion arrived in Samar from Mindanao on Feb. 22, 2023 to help suppress the NPA in the island, considered the last bastion of insurgency in the country.

Before their deployment in the region, the battalion was also cited for its performance in the conduct of offensive operations against armed rebels operating in Quezon and Bicol areas. The unit has been assigned in the provinces of Camarines Sur, Zamboanga Peninsula, Lanao Del Sur, and Sulu.

They contributed to the liberation of Marawi City, where they took part in the six-month battle against the ISIS-Maute Group.

The AFP has said for several years that the NPA has been strategically defeated and are leaderless and thus unable to do anything meaningful. What exactly is the honor being bestowed upon this battalion? It seems contradictory.

The NTF-ELCAC has warned candidates not to give into the CPP's extortion demands. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1242528

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Friday reminded candidates in the May 12 polls not to give in to extortion demands of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

"We urge candidates vying for national and local positions to reject the CPP’s hollow assurances and refuse to fall victim to extortion. Let us work together to ensure that the upcoming elections are clean, honest, and reflective of the will of the Filipino people," NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Errnesto Torres Jr. said in a news release.

By resisting such demands, candidates will uphold the integrity of Philippine democracy and protect the sanctity of the electoral process, he added.

Torres condemned the CPP's latest extortion directive and dismissed with contempt the terrorist group's claim "to ensure protection of the people’s rights and interests."

He questioned how the CPP can enforce its plans when its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA), has been reduced to a small number of dispirited, disorganized and desperate armed bandits.

He said only one of 89 NPA guerilla fronts remain.

"The once-feared armed group now exists as a literal paper tiger, its roar limited to social media and propaganda," he said.

"They no longer have significant firepower. And they definitely no longer enjoy the support of the masses, especially in communities that have seen the benefits of government efforts to deliver peace and development."

Torres found it "laughable" that the CPP thinks it can browbeat the Armed Forces of the Philippines or the Philippine National Police into withdrawing from their mandate of protecting the country.

"Our troops will continue to ensure clean elections and prevent exploitation by communist terrorist groups, such as extortion and infiltration during the electoral season," he added.

But as NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Errnesto Torres Jr. the CPP-NPA is incapable of carrying out any extortion activities. 

The MILF is back in the headlines after they attacked a UN convoy killing two soldiers. 

https://mb.com.ph/2025/1/22/2-soldiers-killed-in-gunfight-with-milf-in-basilan

Two soldiers were killed and seven others were wounded in an encounter with suspected  Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels in Lower Cabengbeng, Sumisip town, Basilan province on Wednesday, Jan.  22.

Gunmen ambushed a convoy of United Nations Development Program representatives surveying the area for a project.

Soldiers from the 32nd Infantry Battalion securing the team returned fire, resulting in a firefight.

Two soldiers were killed and seven were wounded. They were taken to a hospital in the province.

Images from sources in the area show a burned military truck.

Army 101st Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon said the area has been cleared of the armed men and they are coordinating with the MILF leadership about the incident.

Last October, the Japanese government and the UNDP launched the ASPIRE program, a project that aims to reduce loose firearms in the Bangsamoro region. 

It was not immediately known if the UNDP was in the area to continue the program.  

Basilan Gov. Jim Salliman condemned the encounter. 

“On-behalf of the provincial government and the peace-loving people of Basilan, I condemn in strongest terms possible the bloody encounter this afternoon in Upper Cabengbeng, Sumisip that killed two soldiers and wounded seven others,” Salliman said in a Facebook post shortly after the incident.

 “As confirmed by the military, the incident was perpetrated by misguided elements of the MILF out to spoil or destroy the peace and tranquility of the province. 

The Army has condemned this incident of course. But why did the MILF do it? 

https://mb.com.ph/2025/1/23/army-condemns-ambush-of-troops-in-basilan

The 101st Infantry Brigade strongly condemned the ambush of soldiers in Barangay Lower Cabengbeng, Sumisip, Basilan on Wednesday afternoon by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as the incident raises concern on the groups role in fostering peace in the province.  

The 101st IB said soldiers from the 32nd Infantry Battalion were securing Barangay Lower Cabengbeng when they were fired at by a group led by Najal Buena and Oman Hajal Jalis, notorious lawless elements involved in local conflicts.

Another group of soldiers enroute to meet United Nations Development Program representatives as part of Project Modelling Livelihood initiatives rushed towards the source of gunfire but were fired at by another armed group reportedly affiliated with the MILF. 

Two soldiers were killed and seven were wounded.  They were taken to a hospital in Lamitan City, Basilan. Two lawless elements were also killed while an undetermined number were wounded.

A military KM450 truck was reportedly burned by the lawless elements at the height of the encounter that started at 3:55 p.m. and lasted for two hours.

Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon, 101st Infantry Brigade commander, said the area had been cleared of armed men and they are coordinating with the MILF leadership.

The MILF justified their actions and insisted that government troops entered the MILF 114th Base Command without prior coordination. 

Anwar Alamada, chairman of the MILF Ad Hoc Joint Action Group, said this was a violation of the ceasefire agreement between the government and MILF. 

AHJAG is a cooperative mechanism established through a joint communiqué between the Government of the Philippines and MILF in 2005. It is also a mechanism where both parties can conduct joint pursuit operations criminal elements in the so-called MILF areas.

Alamada said that even if the soldier’s presence in the area was not for a law enforcement operation, it still requires a prior coordination as provided in the ceasefire protocol.  “Pag may activity na kailangan silang pumasok, magpapaalam muna sila sa CCCH (Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities).” (If they have activities that they need to enter, they should inform the CCCH)  

He said that the MILF leadership has  sent guidelines to its troops on the ground to avoid escalation. 

Despite the incident, the Philippine Army said they remain committed to their mission in implementing peace and development works in the area.  

Because they entered MILF territory without coordination. That is the same exact reason the MILF gave for killing the SAF 44!! It is doubtful the MILF will turn over the perpetrators but we shall see. 

The OPAPRU has also condemned this action and called for an investigation. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1242414

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) on Thursday strongly condemned the attack against government troops in Basilan province that killed two soldiers and wounded 12 others Wednesday afternoon.

"This cowardly act was perpetrated by lawless armed men who intend to derail the peace process that Basilan is now starting to enjoy," OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a statement.

Initial reports said the attack occurred as troops from the Philippine Army's 32nd Infantry Battalion were providing security to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) personnel engaged in a crucial peace and development project in Barangay Lower Cabengbeng in Sumisip town.

"My deepest sympathies go out to the families of the fallen soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peace," the OPAPRU chief added.

Galvez also called on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to conduct an investigation and help bring the perpetrators to justice, following reports that some of its members supported the attack.

"We are reassuring the people of Basilan of the government’s commitment to peace, justice, and security," the OPAPRU chief noted.

Never forget the leader of the MILF said decommissioning is not surrender. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1162067/milfs-murad-decommissioning-is-not-surrender

“We have not given up on our struggle.” 

“We are not surrendering. Decommissioning is not tantamount to surrendering,” said Ebrahim, who is also Chief Minister of the interim Bangsamoro government. 

“I would like to emphasize that the decommissioning doesn’t mean we have given up on what we used to fight for,” Ebrahim emphasized.

How does the Army and The OPAPRU not know this!? The MILF have not given up on their fight for a homeland in Mindanao. Did anybody really think making the BARMM a separate state within the Philippines would be a good idea? 

They do not even consider themselves to be Filipinos.

“Most [of the original BBL provisions] were contentious,” said Sen. Ralph Recto who, along with Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, introduced most of the amendments. 

“[Its] framework to begin with is forming a state, which is unconstitutional, until we adopt a federal form of government,” Recto said. 

Drilon successfully moved for the inclusion of a provision reiterating “that the Bangsamoro people are citizens of the Republic of the Philippines.” Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, the bill sponsor, said this was opposed by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/996061/house-oks-bbl-bill-but-senate-introduces-contentious-changes

Don't forget the MILF knows the names and identities of those who killed the SAF 44 and have refused to turn them over.