The commander of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division on Tuesday urged troops in Negros Oriental to sustain operations against New People’s Army (NPA) remnants to prevent recruitment activities.
Maj. Gen. Michael Samson issued his call during the change of command ceremony of the 11th Infantry Battalion (11IB) in Barangay Salag, Siaton, south Negros Oriental.
Samson officiated the 11IB’s turnover of command from Lt. Col. Michael Aquino to the new battalion commanding officer, Lt. Sol Zaulda.
“We cannot be complacent because we know that by the nature of the revolutionary movement if you neglect them, they usually take advantage of the situation where troops are absent,” Samson said.
Samson said Negros Oriental is fortunate that there is only a handful of remnants from the NPA’s South Eastern Front but the Army is monitoring the boundaries with Negros Occidental where the South Western Front is operating.
“I am giving instructions to the 11th IB to continue with the patrols, the visitation (of communities), and security operations in the hinterlands of Negros Oriental just to make sure that the NPA can no longer regain their strongholds,” he added.
He called on the remaining NPA members of the dismantled guerilla fronts in Negros Island to abandon the armed struggle and avail of the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program, which allows them to reintegrate in society and start a fresh life.
Aquino was cited for the battalion’s accomplishments the past two years while said he will continue his predecessor's gains.
Zaulda told reporters that he will sustain the current programs and projects of the battalion, which he describes as a big challenge, while he adjusts to his new assignment.
Meanwhile, the support of government agencies and local government units is vital for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to sustain its momentum, Samson said.
He said that even if the NTF-ELCAC is not under the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the collaboration continues.
“Sometimes they (stakeholders) may not be very vocal about bragging about their achievements, but we can say that they are working with us and helping us,” Samson said.
For instance, government agencies like the Department of Public Works and Highways ask the Army which unreachable and seemingly neglected areas could benefit from government road projects, he said.
“We are closely coordinating with them and I can assure you that NTF-ELCAC still exists,” Samson said, adding that he hopes for the support of newly elected and reelected leaders.
The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) is escalating combat operations in Panay Island in what may be the final push to dismantle the remaining units of the New People’s Army (NPA).
But even amid the intensified offensives, Major General Michael Samson, 3ID commander, is extending an olive branch to NPA holdouts.
“Don’t waste your life on a non-sense belief. There is still a chance to change and live peacefully,” Samson appealed, urging the remaining insurgents to lay down their arms and embrace the government’s reintegration program.
The 3ID’s campaign aims to end the decades-long communist insurgency in Panay within the year, as military units close in on remaining rebel forces.
“Better to choose the path of peace while there is still a chance,” Samson stressed.
He emphasized that government troops are committed to making the lives of insurgents in the mountains “miserable,” in the hope that hardship and hopelessness will prompt them to reconsider their fight.
“We continuously make their lives in the mountains miserable, and this would eventually make them realize that the armed struggle is actually a useless cause as they would never win against our forces,” he said.
Despite the intensified military action, the 3ID remains open to surrenderers, encouraging rebels to avail of the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which offers benefits and support to former combatants who choose to return to civilian life.
“If they refuse and continue to fight the Armed Forces, they would suffer death,” Samson warned bluntly.
Major General Michael Samson says if the remaining NPA fighters refuse to surrender they will "suffer death." That is super serious. Of course if they do surrender they will suffer free money, free housing, and free job training provided by the NTF-ELCAC at taxpayer expense.
The Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion has strongly denied claims by the New People’s Army that civilians recently killed by the rebel group were intelligence assets linked to the military.
“These allegations are false and are clearly meant to justify the brutal killings of innocent civilians,” the Army said in an official statement.
The killings cited by the NPA occurred in the towns of E.B. Magalona and Toboso, and in Victorias City, all under the jurisdiction of the 79th IB.
The most recent case was on May 14 in Barangay Tabun-ac, Toboso, where a 54-year-old former member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) was shot dead by the NPA, who accused him of being a military asset.
Lt. Col. Arnel Calaoagan, commander of the 79th IB, condemned the incident as a senseless act of violence that reflects the NPA’s disregard for human life, human rights and community peace.
“In their desperation, they even take credit for incidents that were not of their doing, all in an attempt to sow fear, create chaos and further their extortion activities among the poor and vulnerable,” the unit said.
The Army said the NPA is spreading false narratives and using these killings to rationalize their continued armed operations.
The 79th IB reiterated its commitment to protect civilians and uphold justice.
It also urged Filipinos to condemn these acts of violence and support the government’s efforts to end local communist armed conflict.
A Quezon City court has convicted a 32-year-old woman to up to 20 years in prison for her part in the financing network of extremist groups in Southeast Asia, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Friday.
Myrna Ajijul Mabanza, the wife of Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Anas, aka Muhajirin, was convicted for 13 counts as an accessory to violations of Republic Act 10168, otherwise known as the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012, following a financial investigation conducted by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Secretariat.
She was sentenced to a penalty of up to one year and seven months imprisonment for each of the thirteen counts, to be served successively.
She was likewise ordered to pay a fine of PHP100,000 per offense, or a total of PHP1.3 million, with subsidiary imprisonment in case of failure to pay.
Mabanza was arrested in February last year and was identified as a major financial conduit for terrorist groups in the region.
“She had long operated behind the scenes, funneling funds and facilitating movements on behalf of ISIS-Philippines (ISIS-P) and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). In 2018, she was designated by the US Department of the Treasury as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist for her involvement in transferring substantial sums -- including over USD100,000 -- to then ISIS-P leader Isnilon Hapilon,” the DOJ said in a news release.
Mabanza also coordinated directly with ISIS elements in Syria and facilitated the travel of foreign extremists into the Philippines, including representatives of Indonesia-based Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), for the procurement of firearms and the establishment of training camps, it added.
Last year, the Zamboanga City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 33 found Mabanza’s cohort, Norkisa Omar Asnalul, also known as Norkisa Omar Ibno, guilty of three counts of violation of the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.
The two women were involved in the transfer of funds with the leader of Islamic State East Asia, the late Isnilon Hapilon, and served as intermediaries between Hapilon and Daesh (ISIS) elements in Syria.
The DOJ led Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) welcomed Mabanza’s conviction.
“This is what accountability looks like. The conviction of Myrna Mabanza is proof that the Philippine government is serious, resolute, and capable of dismantling the support networks that allow terrorism to thrive. We will pursue every individual who dares to finance terror, and we will hold them to the full extent of the law,” Executive Secretary and ATC Chairperson Lucas Bersamin said.
Army troops recovered an AK-47 rifle, M1 Garand rifle, and anti-personnel mine in San Fernando, Bukidnon, on Wednesday, guided by intelligence from a former New People's Army (NPA) rebel, the 89th Infantry Battalion reported Friday.
The weapons cache, hidden in Barangay Nacabuklad, was disclosed by a former member of the dismantled NPA Guerrilla Front Malaya who surrendered in 2019.
"These explosives could have endangered civilians," said Lt. Col. Antonio Bulao, 89IB commander. "This success shows how community cooperation enhances security."
The ex-rebel had safeguarded the arms after leaving the communist group before turning them over through local contacts.
The recovery operation targeted areas previously controlled by the NPA's North Central Mindanao Regional Committee.
