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Surprise military attack in Bukidnon came just as NPA prepared for anniversary
There was no order to reciprocate the ceasefire declaration of the communist rebels, says Major General Jose Maria Cuerpo II, commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division .....»»
Philippine troops kill 9 suspected rebels in clash
MANILA, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Philippine troops on Monday killed nine suspected rebels in an offensive in Bukidnon province in the southern Philippines, a military spokesperson said. Colonel Xerxes Trinidad said the fighting broke out early in the morning when troops pursued the New People's Army (NPA) rebels massing up on the outskirts of Malaybalay City in preparation for their founding anniversary on Dec. 26......»»
Nine NPAs killed on Christmas Day in Bukidnon
Nine members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were reportedly killed in a military encounter in Malaybalay, Bukidnon on the early morning of Christmas December 25, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said......»»
Philippine troops kill 9 suspected rebels in clash
MANILA, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Philippine troops on Monday killed nine suspected rebels in an offensive in Bukidnon province in the southern Philippines, a military spokesperson said. Colonel Xerxes Trinidad said the fighting broke out early in the morning when troops pursued the New People's Army (NPA) rebels massing up on the outskirts of Malaybalay City in preparation for their founding anniversary on Dec. 26......»»
9 NPAs killed in clashes with soldiers in Bukidnon
Nine members of the New People’s Army were killed in an encounter with soldiers in four barangays in Malaybalay City in Bukidnon early Monday. .....»»
5 rebels surrender in Mindanao
Five alleged New People’s Army guerrillas surrendered to the military in Agusan del Sur and Bukidnon on Saturday......»»
Perjury raps vs 2 activists underway
Perjury charges are now being prepared against the two environmentalists who recanted their “handwritten affidavit” stating they have “voluntarily surrendered” to the military and declared that soldiers abducted them after they went missing. During the deliberation of the Senate Committee on Finance on 2024 proposed P229.9-billion budget of the Department of National Defense and its attached agencies, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa asked on the case update of Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro who earlier retracted what they said in their affidavit. “May case preparation ngayon, inter-agency case preparation for the filing of perjury charges sa kanila. Nire-review lang ang mga sworn statements ng mga testigo (There is a case preparation now, multi-agency case preparation for the filing of perjury charges against them. The sworn statements of the witnesses are being reviewed),” Teodoro told Dela Rosa. In a previous press conference organized by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, Tamano and Castor denied that they surrendered to the Philippine Army’s 70th Infantry Battalion. Philippine Army chief LtGen. Roy Galido earlier admitted that the two young activists had tricked the military, contrary to their earlier statements sworn before the Public Attorney's Office. "We felt betrayed that's why we will file the necessary case, to use our laws, just like when you are also betrayed when your clients are betrayed, they file a case against you, so we just have to follow the rule of law in our country," Galido said. Meanwhile, Dela Rosa urged the DND to push through with the filing of perjury charges against Tamano and Castro. "We should do that. I am encouraging you. Grabe 'yung maka-kaliwa, grabe maka-jump sa bandwagon nung epekto na 'yun. Talagang all-out sila. Dapat tayo rin, sumagot din tayo. Parang lumalabas na para bang inaamin na lang natin na totoo ang sinasabi nila (The leftists are really jumping on the bandwagon following their retraction. They are really all-out. We must answer that. It seems like we are just admitting that what they are saying is true),” said Dela Rosa. The senator said the security forces should be aggressive in their actions against propaganda of the communist-leaning parties. Teodoro noted that the intelligence information on the two activists is liable. “Your honor, talagang sigurado po ako sa ebidensya dito (I’m really sure about the evidences),” said Teodoro, noting that the recantation of the two activists is just part of the dramas being perpetrated by the left-leaning organizations. ‘Lesson learned: Be wary’ Dela Rosa also warned the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. to be wary of entertaining communist surrenderers. “Lessons learned, General Brawner. Ingat kayo kasi pwede kayong saksakin sa likuran niyan (Just be careful because they can stab your back),” he said. "Masyado tayong mabait, masyado na tayong gentleman. Masyado tayong mapagbigay to the point na 'yun pala, nilalason na pala tayo sa sarili nating tubig (We are too kind, we are too gentlemanly. We are too generous to the point that we are being poisoned in our own waters),” Dela Rosa added. On the other hand, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri emphasized the need to provide sufficient funds for the NTF-ELCAC, to augment the military’s efforts on its Balik-Loob program. “We should help in their budget, we should continue providing funds for NTF-ELCAC, especially in barangay projects because that’s what winning hearts and minds. It has been very successful in Bukidnon and any other provinces,” he said. Dela Rosa supported Zubiri’s suggestion. However, the funds of the anti-insurgency task force are being lodged in the expenditure program of the National Security Council. The post Perjury raps vs 2 activists underway appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Azerbaijan claims victory after Karabakh separatists surrender
Azerbaijan said Wednesday it had regained control over breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time in decades after separatist Armenian fighters agreed to lay down their arms in the face of a military operation. The stunning collapse of separatist resistance represents a major victory for Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in his quest to bring the Armenian-majority Nagorno-Karabakh back under Baku's control. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the mountainous region since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The years of conflict have been marked by abuses on both sides, and there are concerns of a fresh refugee crisis as Karabakh's Armenian population fears being forced out. A day after Azerbaijan launched its military operation in the region, Baku and the ethnic Armenian authorities in Karabakh announced a ceasefire deal had been brokered by Russian peacekeepers to stop the fighting. "Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty as a result of successful anti-terrorist measures in Karabakh," Aliyev said in a televised address. Aliyev claimed that most of the Armenian forces in the region had been destroyed and said the withdrawal of separatist troops had already begun. The attack left "at least 200 killed and more than 400 wounded," Nagorno-Karabakh separatist official Gegham Stepanyan said. Late on Wednesday, Armenia's defence ministry said that Azerbaijan had fired on its positions along the border between the arch-foes. Such skirmishes are frequent along the border. Truce deal Under the truce deal, the separatists said they had agreed to fully dismantle their army and that Armenia would pull out any forces it had in the region. Azerbaijan's defence ministry said that "all weapons and heavy armaments are to be surrendered" under the supervision of Russia's 2,000-strong peacekeeping force on the ground. Both sides said talks on reintegrating the breakaway territory into the rest of Azerbaijan would be held on Thursday in the city of Yevlakh. President Vladimir Putin said Russian peacekeepers would mediate the talks. Moscow has said several of members of its force in Karabakh were killed when the car they were travelling in came under fire. Latest violence Baku's operation marked the latest violence over the rugged territory. After the Soviet Union fell apart, Armenian separatists seized the region -- internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan -- in the early 1990s. The war left 30,000 people dead and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes. In a six-week war in 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured swathes of territory in and around the region. President Aliyev on Wednesday praised the "political competence" of his country's historic rival. "The developments that took place yesterday and today will have a positive impact on the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia," he said. Azerbaijani presidential foreign policy advisor Hikmet Hajiyev promised safe passage for the separatists who surrendered and said Baku sought the "peaceful reintegration" of Karabakh Armenians. A separatist official said over 10,000 people have been evacuated from Armenian communities in Nagorno-Karabakh and "forced to find a shelter" elsewhere in the territory. Russia's President Putin said he hoped for a "peaceful" resolution, adding that Moscow has been in contact with all sides in the conflict. Putin held talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Wednesday evening, but the Kremlin insisted the crisis was "Azerbaijan's internal affair". 'War is over' Jubilant residents in Azerbaijan's capital expressed hope the deal heralded a definitive victory and the end of the decades-long conflict. "I was very happy with this news. Finally, the war is over," 67-year-old pensioner Rana Ahmedova told AFP. In Armenia, there was fury at a second defeat in Karabakh in three years. Clashes broke out in Armenia's capital Yerevan, where thousands of protesters waving the separatist region's flag blocked a main road and riot police guarded official buildings. Demonstrators threw bottles and stones at police as they slammed the government's handling of the crisis, while officers used stun grenades and made arrests. The loss in Karabakh ratchets up domestic pressure on Pashinyan, who has faced stinging criticism at home for making concessions to Azerbaijan since the 2020 defeat. "We are losing our homeland, we are losing our people," said Sargis Hayats, a 20-year-old musician. Pashinyan "must leave, time has shown that he cannot rule. No one gave him a mandate for Karabakh to capitulate," he said. The Armenian leader has insisted that his government had not been involved in drafting the latest ceasefire deal. Again denying his country's army was in the enclave, he said he expected Russia's peacekeepers to ensure Karabakh's ethnic-Armenian residents could stay "in their homes, on their land". International pressure Azerbaijan's assault came as Moscow, the traditional power broker in the region is bogged down and distracted by its war on Ukraine, which has left it isolated in the West. But its peacekeepers there appeared to have played a key role in helping to negotiate the ceasefire and will now oversee its implementation. Turkey, a historic ally of predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan that views mostly Christian Armenia as one of its main regional rivals, had called the operation "justified". The EU and United States have been mediating talks between Baku and Yerevan in recent months aimed at securing a lasting peace deal between the two foes. The White House said Wednesday it was concerned by the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. "We're obviously still watching very, very closely the worsening humanitarian situation inside Nagorno-Karabakh," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. He added the situation "has been exacerbated by the hostilities perpetrated by Azerbaijan" in Karabakh, where there are now fears of a refugee crisis. The post Azerbaijan claims victory after Karabakh separatists surrender appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Red-tagged individuals have only themselves to blame
These human rights groups and activists have been haranguing the government for every perceived action that threatens their democratic space or their existence as an organization. They are always at the forefront, slamming the government and its officials who do not conform to their progressive and radical views. They rev up people into a frenzy and rally them against certain policies and programs that will neutralize the revolutionary activities of the armed left and its front organizations. They organize protest marches and rallies and call on the people to reject government initiatives to eradicate the more than 50-year-old communist urgency, like the establishment of the NTF-ELCAC, which has successfully stopped the resurrection of the communist rebels. The NTF-ELCAC is an ingenious program commenced in the previous Duterte administration, institutionalizing the government’s “whole of nation” approach in confronting the ongoing communist rebellion and against groups that are front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines or CPP. The socio-economic program of the NTF-ELCAC at the barangay level succeeded in dismantling the communist hold on the depressed and neglected barangays. It led to hundreds of NPAs surrendering and returning to the law’s fold. These left-leaning individuals and aggregations exhibit their nationalist pretensions by embroiling themselves with national issues related to the people’s needs and sufferings, picturing themselves as victims of human rights violations committed allegedly by the government against them. They use social media to whip up support for them and use compelling political propaganda subjects like alleged summary killings, unlawful arrests, tortures, and harassment of political activists and progressive groups. Their comrades in Congress who managed to be elected have become effective political mouthpieces against the government. They are good at using the mass media, which is just too happy to accommodate them to boost their sales. Some have infiltrated the government bureaucracy and used their positions and offices to advance their political ideologies in the guise of good government. They have been successful, too, in recruiting young students of impressionable minds to embrace their causes, who end up either young NPA rebels, leading student activists, or dead resulting from government clashes with government troops. These self-proclaimed nationalists have peppered the air with accusations of extrajudicial killings against the government and have defended suspected terrorists and subversives when arrested and prosecuted. They readily proclaim their innocence. They have taken the cudgels of citizens murdered by common criminals or political warlords — but they are deathly silent when the communist armed rebels waylay, ambush, and murderously assault military men and women as well as civilians engaged in humanitarian missions during the occurrence of natural disasters. Even when they are confronted with this telling inconsistency and dared to condemn these terrorist atrocities, these leftists remain tight-lipped. They have never condemned the New People’s Army for its terroristic and undemocratic activities. Given this implied but glaring support to the enemies of the state by their deafening silence, can we reasonably accuse the government officials of classifying or describing them as supporters of the NPA or closeted members of the armed rebellion? Certainly not. They have only themselves to blame for being tagged as red supporters. Why should they be afraid, ashamed, or embarrassed to be called communists or communist supporters? The Anti-Subversion Law, where being a member of the CPP is a crime, has long been repealed. So why the fear or shame of being called a communist advocate or supporter? These democratic pretenders must unclothe themselves of their camouflage and join the parliamentary struggle. They should publicly articulate the virtues of communism against democracy and seek elective posts based on their true ideological selves. They should not use the Bill of Rights to undermine the authority of the constituted authorities, remaining as secret enemies of democracy while masquerading as its champions. It is about time they unmask themselves and be proud of their ideological beliefs. They should put an end to their pretense. They should be principled enough to present themselves as ideologues of communism — own to their loyalty to such ideology — and profess it publicly. Let the people judge who — and what they are — and not what they pretend to be. The post Red-tagged individuals have only themselves to blame appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
7 ex-NPA rebels surrender to Phl Army in Talaingod, Davao Norte
Seven former members of the New People’s Army operating at the borders of Bukidnon and Talaingod, Davao del Norte surrendered to the Philippine Army’s 56th Infantry Battalion at Sitio Central Baugan, Brgy. Palma Gil, Talaingod, Davao del Norte over the weekend. In a statement on Monday, 10ID Public Affairs Division chief Maj. Mark Anthony Tito said the surrenderees were all members of the Sub-Regional Sentro De Grabidad PEDDLER, Sub-Regional Committee 2 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee. The former rebels were identified as alias Fernando Poe, alias Rustom, alias Sarmontano, alias Adolfo, alias Agata, alias Rica and alias Andrew E. “The joint effort of the 56IB and the 1003rd Infantry (Raptor) Brigade made the surrender possible,” said Tito. In a statement released by the Philippine Army, the group’s team leader, alias Fernando Poe, narrated the “hardships” they went through during their stay with the NPA revolution. _"Kapoy kaayo ang pagtago sa gobyerno, ang gilay-on nga among gibaktas ug walay igong pagkaon. Wala man ko kabalo unsaon pagtapos sa among kalisod, mao nga nakahukom mi nga mo-surrender na lang kay walay silbi ang among gubat_ (Hiding from the government was exhausting, we walked long distances without enough food. I didn't know how to overcome the hardships, so we decided to just give up because there was no meaning in what we were fighting for),” he said. BGen. Allan Hambala, acting commander of 10ID, welcomed the surrenderees and thanked them for accepting the government’s offer to give them a fresh start as normal citizens. "Our soldiers will continue to exert efforts to entice the remaining CNTs to surrender and prevent the reentry of armed groups in the Davao Region. We call on the remaining members of the CTG in the 10ID area of responsibility to embrace the peaceful path to peace,” Hambala said. The rebel returnees are now in the custody of 56IB for custodial debriefing and medical intervention, according to Tito. He added that former NPA combatants will be endorsed to avail of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program, a government assistance program for former rebels. The post 7 ex-NPA rebels surrender to Phl Army in Talaingod, Davao Norte appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bukidnon clash leaves NPA leader dead
DAVAO CITY — The Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Battalion reported on Friday that another high-ranking New People’s Army leader was killed in an encounter at Sitio Lagaslasan, Barangay Kulaman in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon last 23 August. 8IB’s Lt. Col. Anthony Bacus revealed that the NPA leader — identified as Christopher Tingkayan alias Mojen/Gamot — is a commanding officer of Headquarters Force Neo, Regional Operations Command of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee. The remains of the rebel was identified by Jimboy Tingkayan alias Jovan, his half-brother and a former rebel who recently surrendered to 8IB. Bacus said Mojen’s group was once considered as the stronghold of the so-called Regional Sentro de Gravidad of NCMRC. “After receiving information from concerned civilians that Mojen is in the area of operations, we launched a focused military operation which resulted in an armed clash against more or less 10 members of the NPA,” Bacus said. He added that the 10-minute firefight led to the seizure of two M16 Rifles, two M653 carbine rifles, two M203 grenade launchers, one anti-personnel mine, various terrorist materials, medical paraphernalia, and assorted personal belongings. Meanwhile, BGen. Michele Anayron Jr., the commander of the 403rd Infantry Brigade said that the NPA’s presence in the area is an indication that the dwindling criminal group is on a desperate move to recruit and extort resources from the people and continue their income generation scheme, especially as the Barangay and Sanggunian Kabatan Election draws near. “We assure the people of Bukidnon that their Army will not allow criminals to continue threaten communities and robbed them of their hard-earned money. We vow to keep the peace and security in the area,” Anayron said. The post Bukidnon clash leaves NPA leader dead appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Egypt activist Ahmed Douma freed after presidential pardon
Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma, a leading figure in the country's 2011 uprising who has spent the past decade behind bars, walked free from prison Saturday following a presidential pardon. Douma, now 37, was a leading activist in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak. He was arrested in the sweeping crackdown that followed the army's 2013 ouster of Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist president elected after the uprising. "After 10 years in prison, I wish I could say that I am happy after being released, but I postpone any celebrations till all get freedom," Douma said after leaving Badr prison on Cairo's outskirts -- a facility that has been repeatedly criticized for its poor conditions. "I wish we can celebrate soon." Douma was originally sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2015 for clashing with security forces, but this was cut to 15 years in 2019. Later that year, Egypt's top appeals court upheld the reduced sentence, as well as a fine of six million Egyptian pounds ($372,000 at the time). In 2021, Douma published a collection of poems entitled "Curly", written while he was held in solitary confinement. The collection was displayed at that year's Cairo International Book Fair before being quickly pulled for "security reasons". In one of his poems from prison, Douma writes: "There's no time for depression, no opportunity for sadness, the flood is raging." Rising frustration Key activists from the revolution remain behind bars, including British-Egyptian pro-democracy blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah, who has spent the better part of the past decade in jail. After Morsi's overthrow, the authorities rounded up thousands of pro-democracy campaigners as well as Islamists in mass arrests that drew international condemnation. Rights activist Hossam Bahgat welcomed the pardon for Douma, but said the decision was made "without any transparency or understanding of why some people were selected and others ignored". Fellow activist Ziad el-Elaimi, who was released ahead of Egypt's hosting of the COP-27 climate summit last year, welcomed the news that Douma was finally free after having "nine and a half years of his life stolen". "The problem remains, however. Someone is using free men as hostages... People are frightened of expressing their opinions freely," he said. The president has pardoned numerous prominent figures over the past year, but critics have noted that more people have been arrested in the meantime. "President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi... has used his constitutional powers" to pardon several prisoners including Douma, said lawyer Tarek Elawady, a member of the presidential pardons committee. Since April last year, authorities have released 1,000 political prisoners, but detained almost 3,000 more, according to Egyptian rights monitors. In July, Sisi pardoned researcher Patrick Zaki a day after he received a three-year sentence, as well as rights lawyer Mohamed al-Baqer, who was arrested in 2019 while attending an interrogation of Abdel Fattah, his client at the time. According to Bahgat, founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, the authorities have "become well aware of rising frustration both domestically and internationally". But "the regime is showing no indication of moving towards ending the crisis of political prisoners in Egypt", Bahgat told AFP. The pardons come as Egypt conducts a so-called "national dialogue" meant to bring in an opposition that has been decimated during the decade of repression since Sisi came to power. The president announced on Wednesday he had received the first recommendations of this "dialogue", saying he had "passed them on to the competent authorities so that they can be applied within the framework granted by the legal and constitutional provisions". Next year, Egypt goes to the polls for a presidential election in which Sisi is widely expected to seek a new term. The post Egypt activist Ahmed Douma freed after presidential pardon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Metrobank rewards 10 outstanding Pinoys P1-M each
Ten Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos, comprised of four teachers, three soldiers, and three police officers, are recognized for going beyond their duty and making a difference in the community. Recipients of this year’s career-service award for Filipino exemplars in the academe, military, and police sectors were presented to the public on Thursday, 3 August. Each of them will receive a cash prize of P1 million each (net of tax), a golden medallion, and “The Flame” trophy in a conferment ceremony on 29 August, ahead of the Metrobank’s anniversary celebration in September. Outstanding Filipinos embody the true meaning of “Beyond Excellence” as they go the extra mile in their chosen profession and selflessly extend a helping hand to those in need through their various service and community involvements while overcoming adversities and challenges. Bagging the 2023 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino Award for Teachers are (1) Mr. Rex M. Sario, MAT, Master Teacher I/Teacher-in-Charge of Balogo Elementary School (Pangantucan, Bukidnon); (2) June Elias V. Patalinghug, EdD, Master Teacher II, Catalunan Grande Elementary School (Davao City); (3) Edgar R. Durana, MAEd, Master Teacher I/SPED Coordinator, Don Jose Ynares Memorial National High School (Binangonan, Rizal); and (4) Jovelyn G. Delosa, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Northern Bukidnon State College (Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon). To be conferred with the 2023 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino Award for Soldiers are (5) Staff Sergeant Danilo S. Banquiao PA, Civil-Military Officer — Non-Commissioned Officer, 103rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Philippine Army (Marawi City, Lanao del Sur); (6) Lieutenant Colonel Joseph J. Bitancur PAF, Assistant Commandant, Basic Military School, Air Education, Training, and Doctrine Command, Philippine Air Force (Lipa City, Batangas); and (7) Colonel Joseph Jeremias Cirilo C. Dator PA, Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations (G3), Presidential Security Group (City of Manila) (formerly Commanding Officer, 10th Military Intelligence Battalion, 10th Infantry Division in Mawab, Davao de Oro). Meanwhile, recipients of the 2023 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino Award for Police Officers are (8) Police Chief Master Sergeant Dennis D. Bendo, Section Team Leader, District Mobile Force Battalion, Manila Police District (City of Manila); (9) Police Major Mae Ann R. Cunanan, Chief, Police Community Relations, Criminal Investigation, and Detection Group, Camp Crame (Quezon City) (formerly Chief, Case Monitoring Section, Regional Investigation and Detection Management Division, PRO 9 in Zamboanga City); and (10) Police Colonel Renell R. Sabaldica, Chief, Morale and Welfare Division, Directorate for Personnel and Records Management, Camp Crame (Quezon City) (formerly Provincial Director of Cagayan Police Provincial Office in Tuguegarao City). “Outstanding Filipinos inspire us to go beyond excellence and pursue a mission that is bigger than ourselves. This year’s batch proved to us how the competence of Filipinos combined with character and compassion can positively impact other people’s lives,” said Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto M. Sobrepeña. “Educators, peacekeepers, and defenders have chosen to render selfless service to the community and the country despite many adversities. We hope their examples and contributions to society create a ripple effect transcending generations,” he added. The post Metrobank rewards 10 outstanding Pinoys P1-M each appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Top Mindanao insurgent falls
DAVAO CITY — The Eastern Mindanao Command on Monday reported that an individual believed to be a notorious leader of the New People’s Army in North Central Mindanao Regional Committee died following an encounter with the Joint Task Force Diamond troops at Barangay Libertad, Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental last 26 July. EastMinCom commander Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol disclosed that the NPA leader — identified as Dionesio Micabalo, alias Muling — is the Regional Secretary of the NCMRC and a Communist Party of the Philippines Central Committee Member. Reports said that troops from the 58th Infantry Battalion engaged in a skirmish against the members of Sub-Regional Sentro De Gravidad MTJ Eagles, Sub-Regional Committee 1, of NCMRC following a report from concerned citizens regarding the presence of armed men conducting illegal activities in the area. Recovered from the encounter site were an AK47 Rifle with two loaded magazines, a caliber .22 rifle, six backpacks with personal belongings, terrorist documents, electronic devices and other supplies. Almerol said Micabalo’s group was responsible for numerous atrocities and criminal activities in most parts of Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, and parts of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur. He added that he had various criminal records, including double murder with frustrated murder, multiple frustrated murders and arson, murder and violation of RA 9851. “Muling has been on the run since the dismantling of all seven guerrilla fronts under NCMRC in 2020. With his demise, the incoming dismantling of the NCMRC is already in sight,” Almerol said. “This is part of our goal to defeat the NPA in Eastern Mindanao this year. Without him leading the way for the survival of his subordinates, their only solution is to surrender or face the same fate,” he added. Last 28 July, the 58IB handed over the corpse of Micabalo to his immediate family and was given by the military forces a proper and decent funeral. Lt. Col. Christian Uy, commander of the 58IB met with the family to express their condolences and provide the necessary support. “The Philippine Army is guided by its dedication to humanitarian principles and respect for the dignity of all individuals, regardless of their affiliations,” Uy said. Meanwhile, the family of Micabalo expressed gratitude to military forces and the local government of Gingoog City for the proper burial assistance provided for them. The post Top Mindanao insurgent falls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
VP Sara: We defeated the ‘devil’
DAVAO CITY — Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday admitted that she avoided mentioning the New People’s Army which she regards as the “devil’s name”, but has only realized the need to speak about it to defeat them. “We needed to speak of the devil if only to defeat the devil. And we did,” she said in her speech during the Davao City’s first anniversary as an insurgency-free city. “But speak of the devil not with fear but with the resolve, the bravery, the tenacity of real patriots determined to defend our fellow Filipinos, particularly our children, and our homeland.” The Vice President clarified that she avoided mentioning the “devil’s name” in order not to dignify its presence or acknowledge the monstrosity of its terrorist acts over the past 53 years. “I thought that mentioning ‘New People’s Army’ added more air into their swollen state of madness and encouraged them to unleash more destruction and death and string another cycle of violence for the people to suffer from,” Duterte said. She recounted the terrorism perpetrated by the NPA which includes the death of a four-month-old girl in Talakag, Bukidnon, following an NPA ambush in November 2016 and the death of a vendor who died five days after falling into a coma after he was hit by a landmine that the NPA detonated in Mandug here in May 2017. “The threat of a terror group like the NPA to the lives of Filipinos, the future of our children, and our most cherished democratic ideals are real. Let us look back at Paquibato when it was still under the shadows of the NPA,” Duterte said. She added that during that time, most children were not getting enough nutrition and many were out of school — a vulnerability exploited by the NPA for recruitment. “There was a scarcity of government services and basic infrastructure because Paquibato was an NPA territory and this made the people more miserable,” Duterte said. The post VP Sara: We defeated the ‘devil’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
No more Reds in the South
When Corazon Aquino took over the helm of government courtesy of Uncle Sam, among her first acts under her revolutionary power was to release from detention Jose Maria Sison, the chieftain of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army. At the time, in Davao City, the NPA had been decimated via a people’s counter-revolution. Whatever remained of the armed urban partisans had sought refuge in the mountains while the ideologues among them managed to seek shelter in the party-list system, a mantle of protection for the Reds under the Cory Constitution. For his part, Joma fled to the Netherlands after he was released, never to return to the Philippines. Utrecht was Nirvana compared to the inhospitable jungles back home. Despite the distance, Joma was able to remotely conduct operations against government troops and tutor would-be ideologues in his convoluted mix of a Maoist and Leninist potion. Joma was a master of deceit. Imagine being able to live comfortably and, who knows, receiving aid from the Netherlands for packaging himself as a fugitive who had sought asylum to escape “oppression” at home. Not only that, past administrations sought him out in that faraway land for peace negotiations. And he made them believe he was for peace. It took some time for then-President Rodrigo Duterte to finally realize that the master of double talk had been using the peace talks to regroup, recruit and rearm. Digong finally scrapped the peace negotiations and turned instead to a holistic strategy: an all-out campaign against what was dubbed as the Communist Terrorist Group; and setting up the NTF-ELCAC as a mechanism to lure the CTGs to give up their cause and live a peaceful and productive life. Joma felt the impact mentally and physically. He died watching the crumbling of his murderous organization that had tried in vain to prop up an irrelevant ideology through extortion and shameless begging from naive European donor foundations in the guise of human rights aid. This a supreme irony since the EU had listed the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization. This week the last of the top CPP-NPA leaders in Mindanao who had been operating in Davao de Oro was finally arrested in Malaysia as he was about to board a boat for Thailand. Eric Jun Casilao, secretary of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee and the Central Committee and a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Casilao and his wife, who are both facing strings of murder and kidnapping cases, among others, abandoned their group in Davao de Oro in May 2021. He had with him the operational funds of the SMRC when he disappeared. The military had been hot on his trail following intensified pursuit operations and a strategic campaign by the NTF-ELCAC. Davao de Oro has since been declared insurgent-free with the surrender of several NPA field commanders and combatants. We owe it to the Malaysian authorities who captured Casilao. Among those who would have celebrated his capture was his NPA comrade, Crispin Rollon, who was strangled to death by Casilao himself. The NTF-ELCAC learned from interviews of surrenderers that Casilao did not only torture and refuse food to the extremely starving and debilitated Rollon, but he eventually strangled him to death. Meanwhile, the 10th ID of the Philippine Army just declared that they will cleanse their area of operations — the Davao Region, Bukidnon, and eastern Mindanao — of NPA terrorists by June this year. The Reds will eventually be vanquished. The post No more Reds in the South appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
135 NPA supporters return to gov’t
GEN. LUNA, Quezon — More than a hundred New People’s Army supporters from different barangays in a Quezon town early this week vowed to help the government in its anti-insurgency campaign. In a ceremony at the Bulwagang may Puso Covered Court in Gen. Luna, Quezon on 11 April, 135 NPA supporters took their oath of loyalty before the Public Attorney’s Office and Mayor Matt Erwin V. Florido to help the government achieve the goals of the Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict by reporting the presence or entry of the NPA rebels in their localities. The former NPA supporters burned the flag of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front as a show of repudiation and condemnation of the communist deception and fraud against Filipinos. A memorandum of understanding on the Declaration of Stable Internal Peace and Security or SIPS in Gen. Luna was also signed between Gen. Luna Florido; Municipal Council; Quezon Police Provincial Office; Police Regional Office 4 represented Col. Ledon M Monte; and Army’s 85th Infantry Battalion of the 201st infantry Brigade’s, 2nd Infantry Division represented by its Brigade Commander Col. Erwin A Alea. Based on a study of the Joint Intelligence Assessment of QPPO and 85IB, the local government can manage to sustain the now zero presence of communists in Gen. Luna barangays that used to be NPA guerrilla zones. According to former rebels, the successive arrests of full-time NPA leaders and members are a testament to the strong foundation of the citizens who cooperate with the government. The post 135 NPA supporters return to gov’t appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
1 killed in Talakag clash
ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews / 19 March) – A suspected member of the New People’s Army (NPA) was killed in an encounter Sunday in Barangay Tikalaan in Talakag, Bukidnon, the military said. […].....»»
Soldiers kill late NPA leader Jorge Madlos’ son in Bukidnon clash
The military says Vincent Isagani Madlos headed the National Communications Bureau of the New People's Army.....»»
Non-combative ELCAC campaign succeeds in Bukidnon
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The Army's 8th Infantry Battalion (8IB) on Saturday confirmed that the non-combative aspect of the anti-communist insurgency campaign has yielded positive results in Bukidnon.In a statement, Lt. Col. Anthony Bacus, commander of the 8IB, said the Task Force to End Local.....»»