News Story: ASEAN-Plus defense ministers to discuss terrorism, drug trafficking in Philippines

MANILA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and eight dialogue partners will convene in the Philippines next month to discuss fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and maritime conflicts, the Philippine defense chief said on Thursday.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ministers will also discuss ways to mitigate climate change and cushion its impact on the region.

"We are going to have some statements with ASEAN countries but we are also having dialogues with our eight other dialogue partners," Lorenzana told reporters.

He described the forthcoming high-level security meeting, dubbed the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), as "a huge conference" that is hoped to address issues that threaten peace and security of the region.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Philippines tells U.S. it does not allow extrajudicial killings in anti-drug war

MANILA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have met in Washington to discuss Manila's anti-drug war, a statement issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said here Thursday.

During the meeting at the State Department in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, the statement said the Philippines does not allow extrajudicial killings.

"Contrary to media reports, Cayetano also clarified to Tillerson that the Philippines does not have a state policy allowing extrajudicial killings, especially of illegal drug suspects," the statement read.

It said Cayetano informed Tillerson that Manila would welcome further cooperation with Washington, especially on initiatives that would address the illegal drugs problem in the country.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Philippine defense chief says pro-IS militants offer to surrender

MANILA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Thursday that an undermined number of the Maute extremists that laid siege to the southern Philippine city of Marawi have offered to surrender.

Lorenzana said a local official, Lanao del Sur Rep. Mauyag Papandayan, relayed to him the pro-Islamic State militants' plan to surrender and give up the fight.

The pro-IS extremists have been fighting the government since May 23, putting up a bitter fight to gain control of the city.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: (Phil) Army captures NPA camp near Batangas City

New People’s Army (NPA)

By Jaime Laude

MANILA, Philippines — Government troops captured a suspected training camp of communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels near Batangas city following last Sunday’s fighting that left one insurgent dead and scores wounded.

Maj. Gen. Rhoderick Parayno, commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Brigade, said troops are pursuing the NPA rebels that occupied the camp.

Parayno said the security situation in Barangay Talumpok and the villages nearby where the camp is located has normalized since Tuesday.

At the height of the fighting that resulted in the evacuation of residents and the disruption of classes, the military deployed a helicopter to provide close air support to the troops.

Parayno said all the rockets fired by the helicopter hit their targets, contrary to claims that some of them hit residential houses.

“There’s no truth to that. It’s all propaganda by the left,” he said.

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News Story: Philippine military may liberate Marawi City from extremists by Sept. 30 - defense chief

MANILA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The more than four-month battle to retake the southern Philippine city of Marawi from pro-Islamic State extremists may end this weekend, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Wednesday.

Citing the assessment of military ground commanders, Lorenzana told reporters at the House of Representatives that he is confident that the troops will completely gain control of the city by Sept. 30.

"Our military commanders on the ground said that they will end the conflict before the end of this month, so they have three days to do the job," Lorenzana said.

"I'm very confident, I'm very confident with the abilities of our soldiers to do their job."

The military has been battling the pro-Islamic State Maute group since May 23, when the militants occupied a large part of the city. The war has continued and dragged on for 129 days, killing nearly 700 militants and more than 150 government security forces.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Duterte now claims arrest warrant vs drug lord triggered Marawi siege

Philippines Dictator Rodrigo Duterte

By Ian Nicolas Cigaral

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday claimed that the deadly Marawi siege, which has dragged on since May, erupted after security forces served a warrant of arrest on a drug lord operating there.

“The Marawi war was ignited by the service of a summon and a warrant of arrest of one of the drug lords there,” Duterte said in his speech during the 56th anniversary of the Philippine Constitution Association.

“There was a firefight and that started the rebellion. And I was really aghast to know that until now, they have so many bullets, ordnance and everything that the fight is still going on,” he added.

The president's claim runs counter to what security forces have been saying since hostilities in the city began months ago.

According to the military, a failed attempt by government troops to arrest Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon in Marawi on May 23 triggered the battle against the Maute group, homegrown jihadist militants who claim allegiance with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and backed by some foreign fighters.

"A firefight ensued and our troops reacted properly, but as of tonight, in the Philippines, the Maute group burned several facilities (in the city)," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a briefing from Moscow the night of the attacks.

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News Story: Shifting tactics - China advances 'four sha' claim in South China Sea

Click Image to Enlarge

By Patricia Lourdes Viray

MANILA, Philippines — Shifting away from its nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea, Beijing has forwarded a new sovereignty claim over the island groups in the disputed waters.

China's "four sha" (Chinese for sand) claim covers sovereignty and maritime entitlements from four island groups in the South China Sea—the Pratas Islands, Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands and the Macclesfield Bank area—according to a report from The Washington Free Beacon.

The Pratas Islands are occupied by Taiwan while the Paracel Islands are being disputed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Parts of the Macclesfield Bank are being claimed by China and Taiwan.

Meanwhile, there is an ongoing territorial dispute between China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam over the ownership of the Spratly Islands.

According to the report, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has laid its new tactic to assert its claims over the disputed sea in a closed-door meeting with US State Department officials last month.

International law experts Julian Ku and Christopher Mirasola, however, said that China's four sha claims are no more lawful than its nine-dash line claim.

"The challenge for critics of Chinese claims in the South China Sea, however, will be effectively explaining and articulating why this shift does not actually strengthen China’s legal claims in the South China Sea," Ku and Mirasola said in an article published by Lawfare.

In July 2016, the United Nations-backed tribunal invalidated the nine-dash line claim and ruled that Beijing violated its commitment under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

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News Story: ‘Terrorists took advantage of US pullout from south’

By Jaime Laude

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign terrorists linked to the Islamic State (IS) took  advantage of the pullout of US forces from Mindanao to enter the Philippines and stockpile their weapons and bombs in Marawi City, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana bared yesterday.

Lorenzana made this disclosure at the closing rites of this year’s US-Philippines anti-terrorism drill simultaneously held in the country and in Hawaii.

“The drawdown of US military forces in the south between 2010 and 2012 may have left us blindsided and threat groups as well as the Islamic State-inspired people were able to come in and were able to stockpile their weapons and bombs, all the materials, in Marawi City,” Lorenzana said.

Prior to the downscaling of US anti-terorrism forces in Mindanao, the number of US servicemen providing intelligence, monitoring and technical assistance to Filipino troops fighting the Abu Sayyaf and other Muslim militants in Mindanao were about a size of a brigade.

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News Story: Philippines, Australia conduct maritime patrol in Sulu Sea

ANZAC class Frigate like HMAS Parramatta

By Roel Pareño

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Philippine Navy and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) conducted joint maritime patrol exercises in the Sulu Sea, the site of frequent cross-border kidnapping and hijacking attacks by militants linked to the Abu Sayyaf group.

Rear Admiral Rene Medina of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) said the three-day exercise started Friday between Del Pilar Class Frigate BRP Ramon Alcaraz (FF16), under Cmdr. Glen Dizon, and its counterpart Her Majesty Australian Ship (HMAS) Parramatta of the RAN.

He said Australian Embassy in the Philippines' defense attaché Capt. Bradley Ian White headed the delegation of HMAS Parramatta.

BRP Alcaraz is currently under the operational control of Naval Task Group-Tawi-Tawi of the NFWM that is guarding the border under orders from President Rodrigo Duterte.

Medina said the exercises were designed to strengthen the defense relationship of both navies through an established communication while conducting joint maritime patrols in the region.

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News Story: Troops clash with NPAs in Batangas

New People’s Army (NPA)

By Ed Amoroso

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines — Hundreds of residents left their houses on Sunday to avoid being caught in the crossfire after government troops clashed with communist guerrillas in Barangay Talumpok Silangan in Batangas City.

The encounter lasted for about 40 minutes, resulting in the killing of one suspected member of the New People’s Army (NPA) while several rebels were wounded, police officials said.

Senior Supt. Randy Peralta, Batangas police director, said government forces reportedly overran yesterday morning a rebel camp on Mt. Banoy in Batangas City.

The evacuees included 365 residents of Sitio Tibig in Barangay Talahib Pandayan near Mt. Banoy and more than 500 residents from Barangay Masagitsit and Banalo of Lobo town. Around 70 others fled to villages in Batangas City.

“The evacuees still remained at the evacuation centers despite the firefight having ended yesterday morning after government troops invaded the encampment of the rebels while clearing operations are ongoing,” Peralta told The STAR.

Classes in 12 public schools in Batangas City were suspended yesterday due to clashes between troopers and NPA rebels.

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News Story: (Philippines) Palace justifies rejection of UN recommendations

By Alexis Romero and Patricia Viray

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED 5:53 p.m.) — Malacañang Monday justified the Philippine government’s rejection of more than half of the recommendations it received during its third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva, saying it is in line with the country’s independent foreign policy.

The Philippines has rejected 154 of 257 recommendations by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) including allowing a UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard to look into alleged extrajudicial killings, halting efforts to restore death penalty and lowering the age of criminal responsibility.

During the UN General Assembly last Saturday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano cautioned against “misinformation” on the Duterte administration’s war on illegal drugs and decried what he called the “politicization of human rights.”

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the Philippines has the prerogative to accept or reject the recommendations of the UN.

“The Philippines has committed to fully accept 103 out of the 257 recommendations that we received during the Third Philippine Universal Periodic Review in Geneva,” Abella said.

“A careful review and inclusive consultation with inputs from various stakeholders, especially from representatives from the State’s executive, legislative, and judicial departments was done, and in line with our independent foreign policy,” he added.

Read the full story at PhilStar

Related Story:

• Gascon: Rejection of rights recommendations not a victory

News Story: DFA - Cayetano's statement issued after consultations with Malaysia

By Patricia Lourdes Viray

MANILA, Philippines — The statement recently issued by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on the crisis in the Rakhine state in Myanmar was made after consultations with Malaysia, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.

Other ASEAN foreign ministers, however, were aware that Malaysia would dissociate itself from the statement on the humanitarian situation in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

"ASEAN is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in the northern Rakhine State and since Malaysia has different views on some issues, out of respect for its position, we decided that instead of a Foreign Ministers Statement, we would issue a Chairman's Statement that would reflect the general statements of the other foreign ministers," the DFA said in a statement.

Malaysia has dissociated itself with the ASEAN chairman statement which omitted the Rohingyas as one of the affected communities in the so-called "clearance operations" efforts by Myanmar authorities.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said Cayetano's statement was not based on consensus and that there was a "misrepresentation of the reality of the situation."

The DFA insisted that Cayetano's statement reflected the sentiments of the ASEAN foreign ministers who attended meetings about the issue on the sides of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Read the full story at PhilStar

Related Story:

• Malaysia calls Cayetano's statement on Rohingya crisis a 'misrepresentation of reality'

News Story: S. Korean military to share anti-chemical expertise with OPCW members

SEOUL, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military unit tasked with chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) defense said Monday it will offer international training this week in partnership with a relevant global agency.

Fifteen delegates from a dozen Asian member states of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will join the five-day program to open here later in the day, according to the CBR Defense Command.

The countries include Nepal, Pakistan, Iran and the Philippines, it added.

Under the annual training program launched in 2005, an advanced member of the OPCW provides developing ones with education and technology related to the fight against possible CBR attacks.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Story: Philippine military to send more soldiers to Marawi

MANILA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- More government troops will be deployed to Marawi City, adding to about 5,000 soldiers already involved in the prolonged fight to liberate the city from the Daesh-inspired Maute Group, a Philippine military official in charge of local operations said on Monday.

"We have more forces coming in. We have identified some gaps. We are making sure that those gaps, especially in the (Lanao) lake will be patched up," Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez told a press briefing in Marawi City.

Galvez refused to disclose the number of personnel who will be sent to fight the Maute Group and when they will be arriving at the city.

The armed conflict, which broke out on May 23, has resulted in the death of 695 Maute members, 151 soldiers and policemen and 47 civilians, with all the residents fleeing the city.

On Sunday, Philippine military officials were able to cross two bridges that were recently retaken by government troops from the terror group for the first time since conflict erupted, leaving only a size of about 10 hectares with about 300 structures to be cleared.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Malaysia calls Cayetano's statement on Rohingya crisis a 'misrepresentation of reality'

By Gaea Katreena Cabico

MANILA, Philippines (Update 2, 10:51 a.m.) — Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano over the weekend released a statement as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on the crisis in Rakhine state without referring to violence against Rohingya Muslims.

Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim nation and a member of ASEAN, disassociated itself from the ASEAN chairperson's position and described it as a "misrepresentation of the reality of the situation."

Malaysia's Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman, in a strongly worded disavowal, said Cayetano's statement "was not based on consensus."

"The statement (of Cayetano) also omits the Rohingyas as one of the affected communities," Aman said in a statement on Sunday.

Before the chair's statement, ASEAN has kept mum on the crisis involving Bangladesh and member-state Myanmar. Even rarer still is Malaysia's public opposition in the Southeast Asian bloc known for its "flexible engagement," "non-interference" and consensus.

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News Story: Left rejects anew government demand to lay down arms

New People’s Army (NPA)

By Artemio Dumlao

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has again rejected President Duterte’s demand for the New People’s Army (NPA) to surrender for the peace negotiations to continue.

The CPP said Duterte’s demand reveals his “fascist narrow-mindedness.”

“By doing so, (Duterte) treats Red fighters with extreme contempt, choosing to ignore the social realities of oppression and exploitation and the aspiration for national and social liberation which continue to drive thousands, especially peasant masses, to join and support the NPA,” the CPP said.

The CPP, which claims to still have absolute control of the NPA around the country instead warned they will continue to carry out tactical offensives in order to hold the Duterte administration accountable “for all its crimes and rights abuses.”

On Wednesday, the CPP threw out Duterte’s declaration of openness in the resuming peace negotiations after NPA rebels freed a captive policemen, saying it was “pure talk.”

They said the peace negotiations can resume if Duterte drops his earlier precondition of a bilateral ceasefire.

The CPP insisted addressing the roots of the armed conflict in accordance with previously agreed principles and procedures under The Hague Declaration.

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News Story: (Philippines) Generals cross Marawi bridges

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)

By Michael Punongbayan

MANILA, Philippines — For the first time since the conflict started four months ago, ranking officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines crossed two bridges in Marawi City’s main battle area yesterday as troops moved closer to ending the fight with the Maute terrorist group.

Major Generals Rolando Bautista and Danilo Pamonag, commanders of the Joint Task Force Marawi and Joint Special Operations Task Force Trident, respectively, passed through the Bayabao and Masiu bridges.

The AFP said the bridges were recently recovered and controlled by government forces from the Maute group that placed the Islamic city under siege.

Both commanders were met by Brig. Gen. Melquiades Ordiales, commander of the Joint Task Group Tiger.

Bautista said the act of crossing the bridges showed the significant progress in the effort of the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to defeat the enemy, rescue the hostages and regain control of the city.

“The terrorists are now becoming desperate as our soldiers and police are closing in on their defensive positions. We are continuing our appeal to the terrorists to release their hostages and… surrender,” he said.

During his fifth visit to Marawi City last Sept. 21, President Duterte said “the end of the combat operation is just around the corner.”

The commander-in-chief and the AFP gave assurance that once the firefight is over, the daunting task of rehabilitation will proceed in full blast.

Read the full story at PhilStar

Related Story: 

• Palace says retaking of Marawi's Masiu bridge 'a significant development'

News Story: 2 Vietnamese fishermen dead as Philippine patrol ship makes arrest for poaching

MANILA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine Navy said on Sunday that two Vietnamese fishermen were found dead inside their fishing boat that was apprehended over the weekend by sailors on patrol in the waters off Pangasinan province north of Manila.

The Philippine Navy spokesman Lt. Jose Covarrubias said five other Vietnamese fishermen were arrested and are now detained at a police jail in Bolinao, a town on the west coast of the Philippine main Luzon Island.

Covarrubias said the Philippine Navy ship accosted the Vietnamese fishing vessel about 30 nautical miles West of Bolinao for poaching.

Covarrubias said the Vietnamese boat rammed the Philippine Navy patrol ship. he said he could not yet say what caused the death of the two fishermen and if shots were fired during the arrests, saying an investigation is underway to look deeper into the incident.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Battle to free Marawi in Philippines continues, enters fifth month

MANILA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Bullets continue to fly and rocket bombs continue to explode in Marawi as the military offensive to completely retake the southern Philippine city from Islamic State (IS)-inspired extremists entered its fifth month.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said the pro-IS Maute militants managed to prepare sufficient caches of bombs, high-powered firearms and ammunition to fight the government security forces even before they laid siege to Marawi on May 23.

"The Maute was really preparing for a long-haul (fight). Until now, they never run out of ordnance, explosives, ammunition, and all. I really do not know the extent now of the contamination," Duterte told reporters in his home city of Davao late Friday.

He said local politicians who are into drug trafficking funded the war in Marawi. He showed a new diagram of politicians and people who are allegedly linked to illegal drug trade.

To date, he said "hundreds" of soldiers and policemen have been killed in drug-related encounters.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Esperon - Maute fighters confined to area near Lake Lanao

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte

By Audrey Morallo

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte's most recent visit to Marawi City was an indication that the crisis may soon be over, his national security adviser said, as the main fighting area shrinks further to areas near Lake Lanao.

Duterte went to Marawi City on Thursday to visit troops who have been battling Islamist militants for 123 days now. The visit happened while massive protests were held in the capital over Duterte's alleged complicity in drug-related killings as well as for the commemoration of the 45th year since martial law was declared in the Philippines by ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Martial law was lifted in 1981. In May, Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao in response to the Marawi siege.

The military has also received information that Isnilon Hapilon, the appointed Southeast Asian emir of the so-called Islamic State, is still in the battle area and has not yet escaped as previously reported, according to Esperon.

Hapilon's Abu Sayyaf faction has merged with the Maute Group to stage the most significant terror event to face Southeast Asia in recent years which has killed hundreds of militants, civilians and security personnel and displaced hundreds of thousands of residents of the lakeside town.

According to Esperon, the recent gains by security forces, including the retaking of a mosque at the heart of the city used as headquarters by the militants' leaders and the rescue of hostages, and the travel by land of Duterte to Marawi were signs of the looming end of the most serious security problem to face the administration of the former Davao City mayor.

He said that he himself has traveled to Marawi by land on two occasions, one in July and another in September, although he was hesitant to allow the president's recent land travel there.

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