The Fraudulent Last Will and Testament of Ferdinand Marcos

For the past few years there has been a purported Last Will and Testament of Ferdinand Marcos floating around the Internet. This will alleges that Marcos had come into possession of bazillions of dollars worth of gold and bequeathed it to the Filipino people. In this article I want to examine that document and see what it actually says and determine its authenticity.

This will was transcribed by a blogger known as American Kabuki. He claims he had the files on his computer for a long time but only recently, in 2013, had he come to understand what they meant. The original document is 3 pages long and thankfully he uploaded it to Scribd along with his transcription. Here is the original document.

This alleged will was uploaded in 2013 by American Kabuki to his now defunct blogspot page as well as to Scribd. Here is what he has to say about it.

American Kabuki: I typed this in by hand using the orginal PDF I had plus some images I enhanced in photoshop to bring out some of the text details. I don't guarantee I have all the zeros correct in some of these numbers but I did my best to get them right. What little text I could not decypher I left as "[unclear]" for each instance of word that was illegible due to the UN Mail Room stamp. This PDF has been on my hard drive for years, but I didn't have a context for it until now. The bank code names meant nothing to me when I first got it. The PDF I had follows this and is hard to read. 1/31/13

https://www.scribd.com/doc/123294713/Last-Will-and-Testament-of-Ferdinand-Marcos-President-of-the-Philippines

You can read the full transcription at this link as you do not need to sign up like you must do for Scribd. It certainly looks authentic. It has an official United Nations mailroom stamp. But why would the United Nations have a copy of the Last Will and Testament of Ferdinand Marcos? It really does appear to be an official stamp. If you Google the name of the guy on the stamp other documents show up. His name is Ren Abella. 

https://info.undp.org/docs/pdc/Documents/PHL/SAE.pdf

Compare that to the stamp on this alleged will.

The signature is the same but it's a totally different stamp. Granted the first stamp is from 2013 while the bottom stamp appears to be from 2007. The stamp could have changed in 6 years. But then why would this document show up in 2007 at the UN when it was signed in 1988? How did this document make its way from Buckingham Palace to the United Nations to the computer of American Kabuki? In fact this alleged will was first uploaded to Rumor Mill News in 2010. How did they get it?

Really the most damning part of this document is the actual content which, except for the gold, no one seems to ever mention when discussing it. There are four parts to this document and I am going to go through each one.

1. Assets

This includes both bank accounts and land holdings. There are three bank accounts listed. First let me tell you what a Googolplex is.  It is the number 10 followed by 200 zeroes. This is very important because the first bank account is 120 followed by 72 zeroes, the second bank account is 800 followed by 210 zeroes, and the third bank account is represented by the infinity symbol!

No bank account is worth an infinite amount of dollars!!!  This is laughable on its face but there is more to come.

2. History

The second part of this Last Will and Testament is a history. Why a history lesson would be in a Last Will and Testament is beyond my ken but this history is really amazing.  Very fantastical. I am going to give a summation of this history but I encourage you to read it. One thing though should be noted and that is there is little to no punctuation in this document. It is practically one long run-on sentence. Would an official Last Will and Testament have such bad grammar? Of course not.

A long time ago King Bernardo Carpio traded with foreigners. The Philippines was a very rich nation with many gold, platinum, and diamond mines. Carpio bequeathed all of these treasures to the Filipino people and left a woman, Maria Banahaw, as the caretaker of these treasures. She lived in Mt. Kanalon. On March 16th 1565 Legazpi recovered some of Carpio's treasures. Later Dr. Jose Rizal met the spiritual successor of Maria Banahaw. She gave him the Alpha and Omega ring which comes from the time of Adam. He was tasked with retrieving some documents of King Beranrdo Carpio which were being held in China by Emperor Guaugxu. He succeed in his quest but was ultimately executed at Bagumbayan, now know as Lunia. His death is what sparked the revolution. Then the Philippines was illegally sold by the Spanish and Aguinaldo. 

Later Judge Alfonso Pijao entrusted Marcos with the Presidency and retrieving the treasures of King Bernarod Carpio. In 1976 Ferdinand Marcos bought the Philippines for 100 million dollars and President Gerald Ford acquiesced. Later Marcos would make an agreement with Queen Elizabeth II and give her the Alpha-Omega ring and make an agreement with the Committee of 300 at the UN. Then Cory Aquino won the Presidency through fraud without knowing the commission given to Marcos by Judge Alfonso Pijao.

Now, does any of that sound true? No it doesn't. Nothing in that history is true. 

3. General Intention

All the money is to be used for various programs for the good of Filipinos. Several programs are listed.

4. Abolition

This section says Bong Bong Marcos died in 1975 and was replaced by an impostor. Funny enough this is actually a Philippine urban legend.

http://philurbanlegends.blogspot.com/2012/02/true-bongbong-marcos-is-already-dead.html

According to rumors, Bongbong Marcos was already dead, and the person we can see sitting in the Senate is only a clone of 'him'. The legend spread in late 1970s and in early 1980's. 

No one knows who spread the legend or where this story came from, but the fact that the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos is powerful and eminent, and the declaration of Martial Law added much supremacy to his rule, people will eventually be scared. Thus, possibly the urban legend is in political nature.

That article is very uninformative but the comments are golden!

well my uncle and aunt confirmed it was true but in a different story...they said that bongbong raped and accidentally killed a princess somewhere in the middle east and to avoid conflict marcos sr surrendered bongbong to the princess father only to be prosecuted and sentenced with death...

Imagine if that was true. Imagine if Bongbong raped and killed a Middle Eastern princess and Marocs turned him over to her father to avoid conflict and then they executed him. It's easy if you try.

5. Acknowledgment

This section names Anthony Santiago Martin, who is also known by his codename Spiritual Wonder Boy, as the executor of the will.

There is no way anyone can read this document and think it is real. For instance consider King Bernardo Carpio. That guy is a mythical figure who is the cause of all the earthquakes in this country.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernardo_Carpio

Bernardo Carpio is a legendary figure in Philippine mythology who is said to be the cause of earthquakes. There are numerous versions of this tale. Some versions say Bernardo Carpio is a giant, as supported by the enormous footsteps he has reputedly left behind in the mountains of Montalban.

The document even references this!

Foreign Invaders thru Mongolia and Chinese Counterparts were retrieved some remaining papers left by King Carpio stating that before he offered Sacrifice to block and hinder Rolling Stones in Mt. Sierra in the town of Montalban and a nearby town of Rodriguez, Rizal Province

The document even references Adolf Hitler and tells us who his real father was.

Adolph Hitler, son of Ignacio Enrique Coronado

To top it all off and as a nice finishing touch this document says it was signed on December 20th, 1988 at Buckingham Palace!! 

In witness and faith whereof, we have hereunto signed this Form without any witness this December 20, 1988 at the Buckingham Palace, London, Great Britain.

Ferdinand Marcos signed his Last Will and Testament without the presence of any witnesses?? But the document says a notary public sealed it. That means there was a witness. Surely Queen Elizabeth II was there and so was Ronald Reagan. They had to have been there because the next day Marcos, Elizabeth, and Reagan signed a document at Buckingham Palace.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/123523931/Ferdinand-Marcos-Anthony-Santiago-Martin-Ultimate-Agreement-Document

This document is just as bizarre as the alleged Last Will and Testament of Marcos and is directly related to it because it seeks to clarify the identity of the executor of the will, Anthony Santiago Martin. It was also uploaded to Scribd by American Kabuki. It is signed by Reagan, Marcos, Elizabeth, and the former president of the World Bank, Barber Conable. Notably it lacks the UN Mailroom stamp.

1.) That both parties agreed, as a whole and ultimately without any negative opinion, to Involuntarily Appreciate, Recognize, Declare, Recertify, Reconfirm and Reconsider, at all cost, force and effect, the Fullest, General, Ultimate and Infinite Involuntarily Authenticate the Genuine Identification of the Genuine Anthony Santiago Martin and/or Genuine Lyn Grace Hernandez Medina, who must not committed marital violation, having no Jewelry wear in the body and having no Electronic Microchips proposed to place and put by the Central Intelligence Agency in order to identify and guard all their activities and movement under their custody that similarly happened to the First Party who have been removed his Electronic Microchip at the right corner of his shoulder and all parties signed herewith agreed to oppose this action to keep the Genuine Secrecy and Authenticity of the Genuine Anthony Santiago Martin and Lyn Grace Hernandez Medina. 

2.) That both parties agreed, as a whole and ultimately without any negative opinion, to Involuntarily Appreciate, Recognize, Declare, Recertify. Reconfirm and Reconsider, at all cost, force and effect, the Fullest, General, Ultimate and Infinite Involuntarily Identify the Fake Identification of the Anthony Santiago Martin and/or Lyn Grace Hernandez Medina that having allowed to commit marital violation, that having Jewelry wearing in the body and having Electronic Microchips placed and putted by the Central Intelligence Agency in order to identify and guard all their activities and movement under their custody and to hide the Real, Original and Genuine Identity of above named Authorized Party. 

3.) That both parties agreed, as a whole and ultimately without any negative opinion, to Involuntarily Appreciate, Recognize, Declare, Recertify, Reconfirm and Reconsider, at all cost, force and effect, the Fullest, General, Ultimate and Infinite Involuntarily Inherit and Entitle all World Possession of Wealth to the People of the Philippine Islands (10% - 70%) and the World (10% - 30%) for 100 Fiduciary Bank Accounts only (which the rest will be claimed 70% by the People of the Philippine Islands) under the previous possession and name of the First Party and ceded and handed over the Full Authorities, Rights and Powers of the First Party to above named Authorized Party without any negative terms and conditions and without any plead to be done by the Known Family, Philippine Government and Trustees of the First Party. 

3.) That both parties agreed to Involuntarily Reconsider, Recognize, Reaffirm, Reconfirm, Recertify and Declare the Authenticity and Validity of this instrument upon delivery and submission of this instrument in any foreign agencies in the Philippine Islands, either it is duplicate or original copy and if there's no comment pronouncement from any foreign agencies in the Philippine Islands and the world against this instrument and other instrument, even duplicate and recorded. shall be forever Reconfirmed and Reconsidered as Accurate, True, Correct, Valid and Authentic that serves as Final Draft Agreement. And in all foregoing, this instrument and other relevant instrument shall be forever Declared Valid and Authentic upon acknowledgment by any of above Authorized Party in the future.

Who knew that the CIA "putted" an electronic microchip in the shoulder of Ferdinand Marcos in order to track all his movements!? This document is not even numbered properly.  There are 4 sections but the 4th is numbered 3. This document has a lot of highfalutin legal language but ultimately does not say anything true. It appears to indicate that 70% of the world's wealth belongs to the Philippine Islands. It's just nonsense.

Believe it or not this is not the only fake Last Will and Testament of Marcos floating around. 

https://www.facebook.com/alphaomegaworld/photos/2847383495282331

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT  

Know to all men these presents,  

That, I, Ferdinand Edralin Marcos with Diffuses Codename: AAA-777 and Spiritual King Solomon of Israel, of Legal Age, Married to Imelda Romualdez Marcos 'y Ongpin, President of the Philippine Islands and General holder or the following Assets and Properties entrusted to me by the Eternal Creator for the benefit of the people of the Philippine Islands, to wit....

The document then lists the central bank accounts of 179 nations in dollars worth of metric tons of gold. It ends thusly:

Before me, Notary Public is written by the undersigned with fullest consent and intention as all above Written information was hereby legally Declared, Reconfirmed, Recognized and Certified as all Authorities of the undersigned who had originally right handed was signed, authorized, transferred, ceded, handed-over and assigned this accord for the welfare and benefit of the People of the Philippine Islands and lawfully executed in the Malacañang Palace, Philippine Islands dated December 20, 1985 12:00 am in the midnight. 

The uploader of this document is Alpha Omega World Development Marshall Programme. That Facebook page has a myriad of dubious documents uploaded and scrolling through them is to dive into a deep rabbit hole. There is no indication of where this document originated or any information about it. Strangely enough this Last Will and Testament is very similar to another alleged Marcos document.

https://ronaldwederfoort.wordpress.com/2016/04/28/global-agreement-know-to-all-men-these-presents-this-agreement-was-hereby-made-and-executed-by-and-between-pres-ferdinand-e-marcos-which-referred-to-as-first-party-and-foreign-counterparts-which-re/

This document is alleged to have been signed on January 10, 1980 at the UN Headquarters and lists the central bank accounts of 179 countries and alleges that Marcos has complete control over them.

GLOBAL AGREEMENT Know to all men these presents. This Agreement was hereby made and executed by and between Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos which referred to as First Party and Foreign Counterparts which referred as Second Party dated January 10, 1980 at the United Nation Headquarters, New York; USA. WITNESSETH

(1.) That both parties agreed to reluctantly Welcome, Declare, Recognize„ Reconfirm, Recertify and Reconsider, at all cost, force and effect, the Fullest. General, Ultimate and Infinite Sole Authority of the First Party to amend or modify the below Certified, without any further opposition and other negative means, Authentic Accounts time deposited, with approved interest of 4% per annum by the First Party in the Central Banks and/or Commercial Banks worldwide and to assign and/or authorize those deposits to any of the Authorized Party to be done by the First Party thru his Last Will and Testament that subject to deliver in any Foreign Agencies in the Philippine Islands and as per divine order from the Holy Spiritual Father in Heaven:

This document effectively places Marcos in control of the entire world economy. That is ludicrous. It seems that the original was uploaded to Issu by Anastasis Tsondis but that page will not load for some reason. Now, if you follow this rabbit trail you will come across the following document:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MZfV312FU_bHb7hwMa09Er3Z28xhKFXv/view

The Committee of 300 thru the United Nations Organization Awarding this Treasury Certificate of the People of the Philippine Islands represented by ASBLP Group of Companies and Bank of ASBLP with International Registry no. ASBLP - 120005 -BASLLP

This document has the same fantastical history as in the Last Will and Testament and it is 112 pages long. The ASBLP group of companies does have a website. Here is it's mission:

ASBLP GROUP OF COMPANIES & BANK OF ASBLP is one of the supermost financial organizations of the united nations & the committee of 300, for having the infinite treasuries, the "mother account" and all collateral accounts that saves our world’s future financial crisis and meltdowns. The said mother account will be used for the benefit of the philippines and all nations and its people throughout the whole world. 

ASBLP GROUP OF COMPANIES & BANK OF ASBLP has humanitarian & economic development projects approved by the committee of 300 & the united nations organization to be implemented within the philippine islands under the rule of law.

https://www.asblpgroup.com/about

So, the ASBLP Group of Companies has an infinite amount of money and runs various projects in the Philippines which have been approved by the Committee of 300 and the UN. That is ridiculous. The Committee of 300 is allegedly a super secret group of 300 men who control the world economy which is a staple of conspiracy literature. If they do exist they certainly would not be broadcasting it. The website asblpgroup.com was only put up last year.

https://who.is/whois/asblpgroup.com

Who is Ramonsito Manaois? Why did the ASBLP Group of Companies not have a website until July 2020? Why do they have a website which is not at all informative? There is enough material here for several articles but I won't be exploring any further for now.

What we have here is some bizarre "conspiracy" to make it appear as if Ferdinand Marcos had complete control over the world's finances all for the benefit of the Philippines. These documents say they were signed in the 1980's but they have "official" stamps from 2007. It's interesting how these documents all intersect with and borrow from one another. Their content is intricately detailed but outlandish and provably false  But who wrote them and why? Why go through all the trouble to produce fraudulent documents alleging that Ferdinand Marcos was in control of the world's wealth for the benefit of the Philippines? It's obvious from just reading them that these documents are fake. How could anyone fall for this lie? It's all so very weird. Perhaps in a future article I shall dive deeper because there is so much more to this lie about Marcos' gold than just this fabulous and fictitious Last Will and Testament. 

Martial Law: Lessons Learned Part 2

This is not only the last blog post of 2019 but it is the last blog post about martial law in Mindanao and the last post about lessons learned during martial law. The remaining categories to look at are Policy, Foreign Assistance, and Marawi and Mindanao.

3. Policy

Duterte's decision to extend martial law a third time for the whole of 2018 was the spark that caused certain Senators to bring a suit before the Supreme Court.  Those who supported martial law thought the suit was stupid and superfluous but they were wrong because the verdict set a stunning legal precedent.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/966785/sc-congress-may-indefinitely-prolong-martial-law

“The Constitution is silent on how many times Congress may extend a proclamation of martial law or the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus,” the court said in a decision written for the majority by Associate Justice Noel Tijam. 

“The manner of Congress’ deliberation with respect to the President’s request for extension of martial law in Mindanao for one year is not subject to judicial review,” it added. 

The court said the 30-year-old Constitution “does not fix a period for the duration of any extension of a proclamation or suspension but expressly leaves the matter to Congress.” 

“Congress has the power to extend and determine the period of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus under Article VII, Section 18 of the 1987 Constitution,” the court said. 

“If the Constitutional Commission had intended to limit any extension to 60 days, it would have been expressly stated and would not have been left to Congress,” it ruled.

Like it or love it, indefinite martial law via extension is now 100% constitutional. Future presidents who decide to impose martial law can do so with impunity as long as Congress concurs with them. Surprisingly enough in the proposed federal constitution the statement about martial law is given word for word as in the current constitution with no change to reflect this ruling from the Supreme Court.

(b) In case of invasion, rebellion, or lawless violence, when the public safety requires it, he may, for a period not exceeding sixty (60) days, suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus or place the Philippines or any part thereof under martial law. Within forty-eight (48) hours from the proclamation of martial law or the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, the President shall submit a report in person or in writing to the Congress. The Congress, voting jointly, by a vote of at least a majority of all its Members in regular or special session, may revoke such proclamation or suspension, which revocation shall not be set aside by the President. Upon the initiative of the President, the Congress may, in the same manner, extend such proclamation or suspension for a period to be determined by the Congress, if the invasion or rebellion shall persist and public safety requires it.

https://pederalismo.org.ph/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Concom-Final-Official-Copy-Proposed-Federal-Constitution.pdf

Maybe legal precedent precludes any need to change the wording in this part of the constitution.

Another policy change is the imposition of martial law itself which is to say the way it was carried out.  Last week I wrote that Mindanao was under the rigorous military rule of martial law but that is not exactly true. From the beginning we were told this would be a different kind of martial law.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/615054/afp-on-duterte-s-marcos-type-martial-law-nationwide-but-sans-abuses/story/

Padilla said the military is making sure human rights are not violated during the current implementation of martial law in Mindanao, based on Duterte’s Proclamation No. 216. 

“You can see how the military is implementing martial law now, its complete regard for human rights and IHL [International humanitarian law] and the other protocols that have been established. So if there are any complaints, we are open to receiving those complaints and acting on it immediately,” Padilla said. 

“And that is also one of the instructions of the President previously that you also may have heard that he must ensure we are able to protect and save lives,” he added, referring to Duterte’s statement that law-abiding citizens need not worry about martial law.

Aside from vowing to implement an abuse-free martial law it seems the AFP put in place an invisible martial law.

https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/philippine-officials-consider-extending-martial-law-mindanao

Martial law lets troops and police work together without normal legal checks and balances. Authorities can also enforce curfews and randomly search vehicles. 

But in much of Mindanao, martial law is hardly noticeable. Around the port city Cagayan de Oro, for example, cars stop only between the domestic airport and downtown for routine checks. Police do not enforce curfews in the downtown mega-malls, upscale restaurants and major high-rise hotel. 

Road checkpoints turn up more often on highways around the Bangsamoro region, home to some 3.8 million mostly Muslim Filipinos. 

Just how was martial law implemented in Mindanao? LGU's and the PNP claimed the crime rate dropped during martial law but that may be due to the psychological effects of knowing martial law has been declared rather than the heavy presence of AFP troops and PNP officers. Attacks continued to happen even with martial law in place. These attacks include NPA, ISIS suicide bombings, and armed ridos or clan wars.  The AFP should look in depth at how martial law was implemented and at it's true effectiveness or ineffectiveness.

4. Foreign Assistance

When the Marawi siege ended Duterte thanked the Chinese for sending the gun that killed Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon. It was all a lie. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-militants-killing/doubts-about-smoking-gun-as-duterte-lauds-china-role-in-rebel-killing-idUSKBN1CP19W

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was eager to credit new ally Beijing in the death of militant leader Isnilon Hapilon, saying it was a Chinese rifle that fired the bullet that finished off Islamic State’s “emir” in Southeast Asia. 

The smoking gun that took out the region’s most feared insurgent on Monday was one of the 100 sniper rifles donated by China, Duterte said, although the ranger unit conducting the operation said the shot was fired from a heavier weapon mounted on an armored vehicle.  

“I would like to officially inform you, Ambassador Zhao, that the rifle that killed Hapilon was a sniper rifle made in China,” Duterte announced late on Thursday, to warm applause from the crowd.  

But the version of the final hours of the life of Hapilon and another rebel leader, Omarkhayam Maute, posted on the Facebook page of a member of the Army Scout Rangers, tells a different story.  

The blow-by-blow account on “Scout Ranger Books”, posted the day Hapilon was killed, tells of how the 8th Scout Ranger Company was engaging militants and was not aware the rebel commanders were among those they killed, until fleeing hostages told them.  

The soldiers operating at night used thermal imaging on an armored vehicle and the shot that killed Hapilon came from a gun mounted on top of it, according to the account. No mention was made of Chinese weapons or snipers.

A complete and total lie. The news about American involvement was also a lie. It started out by Duterte saying he was unaware the Americans were helping in Marawi.

http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/duterte-unaware-of-us-role-in-marawi-admits-philippine-army-is-pro-american/

President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said he is not aware of the role played by the US Special Forces in Marawi City. 

“I am not aware of that until they arrived,” Duterte said in an interview with the press inside the Camp Brig. General Edilberto Evangelista on Sunday afternoon. 

Duterte also added that he has not approached any country, not even from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations which he heads, to ask for help in fighting terrorism in Marawi. He said the government forces is capable of fighting. 

“Wala, wala. I have not done that. I have not made an appeal. I said I did not even know that the American government has been providing technical… So we better see to our own… I never approached any American to say that, “Tumulong kayo.” (No, no, I have not done that. I have not made an appeal… I never approached any American to say “help us”)” Duterte said.

What a bold faced lie.  A lie of omission. Duterte does not need to ask the Americans for assistance because they are always providing assistance. Weapons, training, intelligence, the whole she-bang. It is also inconceivable that the commander-in-chief would not know if a foreign military was assisting his own.  DND Secretary let the cat out of the bag a few months later.

It has always been the US helping the Philippines. Not long after the Marawi siege Operation Enduring Freedom morphed into Operation Pacific Eagle. This operation is a collaboration between the US military and the AFP.  The US provides weapons, training, and intelligence assistance. While the Philippines has received weapons from China and Russia and even Israel the USA remains the primary partner of the Philippines regarding national security.

This partnership will remain intact for the foreseeable future no matter what bad things Dutere says about America. The AFP should take advantage of the Americans by learning all they can and applying it properly.

5. Marawi and Mindanao

We all know that martial was declared over the whole of Mindanao because of the Marawi siege. Martial was kept in place so the AFP could wipe out the rest of the terrorist forces.  While the AFP has not let up in the war against terrorism some of these groups have continued to wreck havoc in the region. Most recently is the attack in North Cotabato allegedly but the BIFF which is aligned with ISIS.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1205167/afp-blames-biff-for-mindanao-blasts-that-wounded-23-people

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday blamed the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) for the series of explosions that rocked central Mindanao on Sunday night, wounding 23 people, including nine soldiers.

But the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) splinter group denied it had a hand in the explosions, saying it does not attack civilians.

Why is the MILF apologising for the BIFF?  The point here is that despite martial law attacks have continued to happen. Under martial law suicide bombers became a reality for the first time. One of this bombers was a Filipino despite the fact that the public was repeatedly told that would never happen because Filipinos are not disposed to commit such an attack.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1813641

Lasuca was the first Filipino who was reported to have carried out a suicide bombing. He was responsible for the first blast on June 28 which also resulted in the killing of three soldiers.

Even though terrorism continued the PNP claimed that regular types of crime dropped substantially each year martial law was in effect.

Citing crime data, Corpus said that the region registered an eight percent reduction for 2017, 30.06 percent reduction in 2018 and 27.04 percent from January to October this year. 

The decrease covers the Eight Focus Crimes such as Murder, Homicide, Rape, Physical Injury, Robbery, Theft, carnapping and stealing of motorcycles and also on crimes covered by special laws and ordinances. 

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/11/23/police-commanders-in-central-mindanao-favor-martial-law-extension/

The people claimed they felt safer and that they loved martial law.  "Martial law forever," said some Mindanaoans proving that Mindanao is such a wild place that martial law is necessary to tame it.

Marawi has not fared well at all since the end of the siege. After several false starts the rubble was cleared paving the way for rebuilding the city. However the rebuilding is going with no input from residents. Problems abounded with a lack of property permits so that demolition of buildings and compensation to owners was largely impossible.  The people of Marawi have rightly complained that they have been forgotten by the government. Eventually the city will be rebuilt but likely not by the target year of 2020.  

Mindanao has calmed down since the Marawi siege and the number of ISIS followers has decreased  but the island is basically right back where it was before martial law. It remains a land of lawless violence which foreign countries have warned their citizens not to visit. Islamic terror groups as well as clan warfare between private families with their large private armies continue to endanger the populace. It seems martial law has had little effect on Mindanao. Only a comprehensive study by the AFP would reveal the total effects martial law had on Mindanao.

So what can we learn from two and a half years of martial law in Mindanao? I think the biggest lesson is that the AFP is inconsistent in the way it has prosecuted the war on terrorism. They are eager for the fight but underestimate ISIS. They set deadlines and then they move the goalposts saying the previous deadline was impossible. They declare the terrorist groups to be irrelevant but each group is able to attract new members and wage campaign against the government. And this has been standard operating procedure for years for the AFP. In 50 years of fighting against communists and Muslims the AFP continues to make the same mistakes. Without a serious and thorough change in the way the AFP fights the war on terrorism will last another 50 years. It's not impossible that the AFP will change but it's not likely. Now after this fiasco with doctored photographs the AFP is not going to start 2020 off on a positive note.

Martial Law: Lessons Learned Part 1

Martial law in Mindanao is set to end at the end of the year. For 135 weeks Mindanao has been subjected to the rigorous military rule of the AFP. At this point it would be a good idea to look back and see what lessons have been learned. Surely the AFP learned a few things? I know I did and I hope anyone who has been reading this series has also. To make it easier and organised I will only cover five points: ISIS, Security/Borders, Policy, Foreign Assistance, and Marawi and Mindanao. 

1. ISIS

At the beginning of the Marawi siege terrorists drove around with black ISIS flags. They declared it was a victory for ISIS. The Palace and the AFP both denied any ISIS involvement in the siege and any ISIS presence in the country.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/611906/no-isis-presence-in-phl-afp-pnp/story/

"We don't have ISIS in the Philippines," Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP public affairs office chief, told reporters. 

Arevalo said what the government troops encountered in Marawi City was a local terror group which is using the incident to get recognition from ISIS. 

"Ginagamit nila ang mga insidenteng ito upang sila ay i-recognize. These groups who are claiming to be ISIS, they are merely courting the acclamation of ISIS na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin nila nakukuha kaya patuloy ang kanilang ginagawang atrocities," he said. 

In a separate press briefing, PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos said the Maute group is not an ISIS group. 

"It is not an ISIS group, it is a local terror group. Walang ISIS dito. They are not even recognized yet by ISIS," he said.

Funnily enough the next day they changed their tune all because Duterte contradicted them.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/612073/afp-to-follow-duterte-s-assertion-of-isis-presence-in-phl/story/

The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Thursday said it will follow the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte saying that ISIS has a presence in the country. 

"Our commander in chief has already made a pronouncement na ito po ay grupo na ng ISIS, so we are making adjustment accordingly sapagkat our President and commander-in-chief has access to other information that initially the AFP might not have," Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP public affairs office chief, said in an interview on Unang Balita. 

"It's already the commander-in-chief na nagsabi, so we subscribe to that pronouncement," Arevalo added. 

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday admitted the presence of ISIS despite the denials from PNP and AFP. 

In a statement posted on its Twitter account, the DFA said the Philippine government is "fully aware that the Maute Group / ISIS groups have the capability (although limited) to disturb the peace..."

Duterte might have information the AFP dos not? Makes sense right? No. It's a straight up lie.  The AFP lied to the country for several years about the presence of ISIS in the country. Here is a press release from the AFP with no date but which shows up in the internet archive or Wayback Machine  for the first time on May 22, 2016.

https://www.afp.mil.ph/index.php/news/8-afp-news/346-afp-statement-on-alert-vs-terrorism-in-the-philippines

We have not received any report pertaining to the presence of ISIS or their legitimate sympathizers in the Philippines. There is no authentic link or relationship between the ISIS and the ASG in Mindanao.

Those two sentences are a bold faced lie. The Consolidated Comments on Martial Law submitted by the OSG to the Supreme Court in 2017 tells a completely different story.

The Philippines as the extension of the ISIS caliphate Islamic groups worldwide. These groups commit atrocities in the name of the Islamic State in order to seek recognition and support—financial or otherwise—from ISIS. 

8. The notoriety of the ISIS in Middle East has attracted the attention of extremist groups in the Philippines. The AFP has obtained ISIS’ propaganda material, Dabiq, which reports that as early as November 2014, a number of groups in the Philippines had already pledged their allegiance to the caliphate. 

9. There are four ISIS-inspired groups that operate in different parts of Mindanao. These groups have formed alliances for the purpose of establishing a wilayah in Mindanao. The four (4) groups, which find their roots in different parts of Mindanao, are as follows: 

a. The Abu-Sayyaf Group (“ASG”) from Basilan, led by Isnilon Hapilon (“Hapilon”);  

b. Ansarul Khilafah Philippines (“AKP”) from Saranggani and Sultan Kudarat. The group is led by Mohammad Jaafar Maguid;  

c. The Maute Group from Lanao del Sur led by Omar Maute; and,  

d. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (“BIFF”), based in the Liguasan Marsh, Maguindanao. 

10. These groups are notorious for committing numerous bombings, assassinations, and extortion activities in the country, especially in Mindanao. In the past, these groups had been operating separately and independently. Due to their uniform pledge of allegiance to ISIS and their support for the establishment of a caliphate, an alliance has been formed between and among these groups (for brevity,these groups are collectively referred to herein as “ISIS-inspired local rebel groups”). 

11. On April 2016, the ISIS’ weekly newsletter, Al Naba, announced the appointment of Abu Sayyaf leader Hapilon as the emir or leader of all ISIS forces in the Philippines. The appointment of Hapilon as its Philippine emir was confirmed in a 21 June 2016 video by ISIS entitled “The Solid Structure.” The video hailed Hapilon as “the mujahid” authorized to lead the soldiers of the Islamic State in the Philippines.” 

12. On 31 December 2016, Hapilon and about thirty (30) of his followers, including eight (8) foreign terrorists, were surveilled in Lanao del Sur. According to military intelligence, Hapilon performed a symbolic hijra or pilgrimage to unite with the ISIS-inspired groups in mainland Mindanao. This was geared towards realizing the five (5)-step process of establishing a wilayah, which are: first, the pledging of allegiance to the Islamic State; second, the unification of all terrorist groups who have given bay'ah or their pledge of allegiance; third, the holding of consultations to nominate a wali or a governor of a province; fourth, the achievement of consolidation for the caliphate through the conduct of widespread atrocities and uprisings all across Mindanao; and finally, the presentation of all of these to the ISIS leadership for approval or recognition. 

13. The appointment by ISIS of an emir in the Philippines is already the third step in the establishment of a wilayah in Mindanao. Moreover, these groups now have the unified mission of wresting control of Mindanaoan territory from the government for the purpose of establishing a wilayah. 

http://www.osg.gov.ph/documents/officeupdates/OSG%20Consolidated%20Comment%20on%20Martial%20Law.pdf

Before 2017 the AFP knew that several groups in the Philippines had pledged allegiance to ISIS and that in April 2016 Hapilon had been appointed the emir of the forces in the Philippines by ISIS. Yet they lied to the public and said there was no ISIS and only changed their tune when Duterte forced them to do so. Why did they do this?  Why have the never been held accountable for it? 

Incredibly enough long after the siege had ended, long after reports had been coming in about foreign jihadis flocking to the Philippines under the ISIS banner, the AFP continued to deny the presence or threat of ISIS to the stability and peace of Mindanao.

Remember the suicide bombing in Basilan which was carried out but a foreign jihadi under the banner of ISIS back in 2018? The AFP denied it was the work of both ISIS and a foreign suicide bomber. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/08/02/1838931/afp-chief-isis-not-behind-basilan-blast

The military yesterday dismissed claims that the Islamic State (IS) was behind the car bomb attack that killed 11 people in Basilan. 

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Carlito Galvez said the IS was claiming every terror attack as part of its propaganda to gain more support. 

“They are claiming everything. Even what happened in Manila, they were claiming to have had a hand in it. They are doing it to heighten the support and to show that they are still there,” Galvez said. 

He also discounted the possibility that the supposed suicide bomber in last Tuesday’s attack was a foreigner. 

An anti-terror official, however, maintained the suicide bomber was a foreigner, bolstering claims and identifying the slain suspect as Abu Kathir Al-Maghrib, a Moroccan jihadist. 

But some officials stressed it might be possible that the driver of the van was just a courier of the bomb. 

“So it is not conclusive that it was a suicide bomber and it’s not conclusive the suspect was a foreigner,” Galvez said.

Galvez was wrong on both counts and it was just a few weeks later that Galvez, in a budget meeting, changed his story.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/210709-deadly-bombings-demonstrate-isis-tactics

“The greatest threat that we have now is really ISIS,” said Galvez during a budget hearing on Wednesday. He referred particularly to its adherents – the Maute Group and BIFF in Central Mindanao and the Abu Sayyaf Group in Western Mindanao. 

Since 2018 there have been six deadly suicide bombings including the blast at a cathedral in Jolo. Most of these have been carried out by foreigners with one confirmed Filipino. All claimed by ISIS.

While the fortunes of ISIS continue to change in the Middle East and in the Philippines they still remain a force to be reckoned with. Given the right conditions they could once again be able to lay siege to a city the size of Mindanao. The AFP should not let up on their offences against the BIFF and Abu Sayyaf who remain the largest ISIS affiliated groups in the Philippines. Nor should they underestimate the threat ISIS poses to the security of the nation.

2. Security/Borders

During the Marawi siege DND Secretary Lorenzana admitted surprise that so many foreign fighters had made their way into the country.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/627258/lorenzana-admits-gov-t-clueless-how-thousands-of-maute-fighters-entered-marawi/story/

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana admitted Tuesday that they still do not know how the Maute fighters and foreign terrorists laid siege to Marawi City and continue to battle government forces til now. 

“The Marawi is a class by itself because we have not yet found out how they got in, a lot of them coming from other places, from outside the Philippines, from Malaysia, Indonesia, from Jolo, Sulu, Basilan and other places in Mindanao,” Lorenzana said during a press conference on the recently concluded Tempest Wind drill. 

“So we are going to intensify our intelligence efforts, we are trying to upgrade our technical capabilities with the  help of the US and other countries [that] are capable of those technical capabilities,” he said. 

“I think we have no choice but to really solve this problem because if we will not, then it can happen in other places other than Marawi,” he added.

Could it be the porous borders of the Southern Philippines?  So said AFP Col. Arevalo.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/639350/afp-not-discounting-possibility-that-foreign-terrorists-are-in-phl/story/

“We cannot discount the possibility of foreign fighters surreptitiously able to enter the country given our vast and porous borders,” AFP spokesperson Colonel Edgard Arevalo said in a press statement. 

That is certainly one idea. Anyone can take a boat from Indonesia and cross over to the Philippines unseen. Abu Sayyf abduct both fishermen and tourists regularly. What has happened since 2017 when Lorenzna said, "We have no choice but to really solve this problem?" Nothing it would seem. The term porous borders has consistently been used to describe the Philippines' southern costal areas by media and government officials.

https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/philippines-indonesia-11202019181356.html

The Philippines and Indonesia have agreed to intensify joint maritime security patrols to check the movements of terrorists across their porous borders, military officials from both nations said Wednesday. 

Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines began trilateral patrols in June last year after pro-IS militants launched a siege in the southern Philippine city of Marawi. Five months of vicious fighting ended in October 2017 and killed at least 1,200 people, mostly militants, including the acknowledged Philippine IS leader, Isnilon Hapilon, and several foreign fighters. 

Malaysia’s Sabah state is a short boat ride from islands in the Philippines’ Mindanao region, where pro-IS Muslim guerrillas and other armed Muslim groups operate. The waters between the two countries are extremely porous. According to analysts, the three nations share coastal borders that have long been used for smuggling routes.

The border remains wide open and a lot of that has to do with China's encroachment in the WPS preventing the Philippines from focusing as many resources as possible on maritime security in Mindanao.

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/rich-media/139836-delfin-lorenzana-philippine-territorial-defense-priority

Lorenzana, however, hopes that China eventually honors and respects the decision of the tribunal as it will lessen the external threat the Philippines is facing.  

“If we can only get China to respect the ruling, it would be a big load from our back,” he said. “We could probably devote more of our resources to pressing problems at home. “ 

The second phase of the modernization program which starts in 2017 or early 2018 will be pursued as planned.  

Adjustments, however, will be made in line with the new administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. 

“We may have to tweak it a little so that we can address the priority of the new president,” he explained. “He said in his pronouncement a couple of weeks ago that we need more helicopters and night flying capabilities so that we can pursue these mandates, criminals, and terrorists that are trying to create trouble in the South.” 

Talking to other countries is important because “the border is so porous and wide” and the Abu Sayyaf have shifted to kidnapping passengers of fishing boats. 

We all know China has not bothered to honour the ruling and Duterte has tossed it aside completely. The arbitral ruling over the WPS might as well not have happened. As such Philippine patrol boats and planes are regularly harassed by Chinese military from their newly built bases in Scarborough Shoal and the WPS. But how much does this interference impede the Philippines' ability to patrol their own costs?

I can't say but I can say for sure that there are foreign jihadis running around the country. The AFP knows this and claims they are keeping an eye on them. Back in September 2019 they said there  could be up to 60.

https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/militant-concerns-09042019124955.html

The military commander for Western Mindanao, meanwhile, said troops were searching the region for about 60 suspected foreign militants, including people from Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco and Afghanistan. 

“They are scattered in our areas. They don’t have popular support. In due time, using our capabilities, we will neutralize them,” Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said, reiterating an earlier pledge that the foreign fighters would be accounted for by year’s end. 

Now they say there are only 8.

Meanwhile, Arevalo said the AFP is still monitoring eight foreign terrorist groups and Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Hajan Sawadjaan of Sulu.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/12/11/improved-security-climate-in-mindanao-reason-for-non-extension-of-martial-law/

We also continue to read foreign analysis claiming the the Philippines is the new land of jihad and that more and more foreign jihadis will continue to make their way here. Whether they do or not it is imperative that the AFP secure the southern border and work closely with the BI to prevent would be terrorists from flying in through Manila.

Next week we will look at the remaining three areas of Policy, Foreign Assistance, and Marawi and Mindanao.