Politics and National Security News:
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Military offensive turns Maguindanao into war zone
By Edith Regalado (The Philippine Star)
Updated March 14, 2015 - 12:00am
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The ongoing military operations against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have practically turned communities in Central Mindanao into a war zone, the People’s Council for National Unity, Reforms and Peace (PCNURP) said yesterday.
The PCNURP pointed out the communities are taking the brunt of the military offensive against the BIFF rebels blamed in the killing of 44 policemen in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25.
PCNURP insisted that all-out war is never the solution to the conflict in Mindanao, as it would displace more people, especially in areas where the armed clashes take place.
PCNURP called for an immediate end to the government offensive that they said has displaced at least 73,000 people since it started on Feb. 25.
The PCNURP is seeking the truth behind the Mamasapano incident, demanding accountability and justice.
The PCNURP noted the allegations of the groups Suara Bangsamoro and KAWAGIB Moro Human Rights Alliance of indiscriminate firing and bombing by government troops.
They pointed out the all-out offensive is supposed to be launched for 10 days but the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had requested a three-day extension, resulting in more evacuees.
The declaration of an all-out offensive against the BIFF came only a month after villagers in Mamasapano had to evacuate on fears of another firefight with government forces in the area following the Jan. 25 incident.
The group noted the military launched ground and aerial attacks on the towns of Salbo, Pagatin, Mamasapano and Shariff Aguak, on information where the BIFF are hiding.
The PCNURP explained the use of heavy artillery and air support has forced civilians to abandon their homes and evacuate to safer ground.
PCNURP is also calling on government to conduct more humanitarian assistance for those affected by the renewed clashes.
The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) also said the military offensive has displaced thousands of civilians.
“The all-out offensive is now resulting in the evacuation of thousands of the people in the affected areas,” MNLF spokesman Emmanuel Fontanilla said.
The military, on the other hand, has already cleared a portion of Maguindanao of any threats from the BIFF.
This came after government troops succeeded in capturing several camps of the BIFF in the town and outlying areas.
Occupants of the BIFF encampment in Barangay Tina in Shariff Saidona reportedly scampered to different directions as units of the Marines approached. – With John Unson, Perseus Echeminada
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‘Military offensive turns Maguindanao into war zone’ | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com
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Philippine govt confident war against BIFF would not derail Mindanao peace process
Xinhua
March 13, 2015
MANILA: The all-out war launched by the Philippine military against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) would not affect the Mindanao peace process, according to a top Philippine government official.
The massive military offensive that started Feb. 11 against the renegade Muslim rebels in the province of Maguindanao in Mindanao, some 1,800 km south of Manila, has already resulted in the death of 73 BIFF fighters and four government troopers.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles said the government is confident that the military action against the BIFF would not derail the peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the mainstream rebel group that has signed a peace accord with the government last year.
The BIFF is led by former MILF commander Umbra Kato who decided to split from the MILF after the latter signed a peace pact with the government. The BIFF wants to establish an Islamic state in Mindanao while the MILF opted to have a sub-state called Bangsamoro with semi-sovereign powers but still within the ambit of the Philippine government.
According to Deles, the military has assured them that the offensive against the BIFF is “very targeted” and would not include MILF-controlled areas.
The military operation against the BIFF is centered on the Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao where Basit Usman, the Filipino deputy of Malaysian-born terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as “Marwan,” is believed to be hiding.
Marwan, an expert on bomb making, was killed in the bloody encounter on Jan. 25 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, but Usman was able to escape.
The encounter also resulted in the death of 44 members of the elite Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP), 18 rebels and five civilians.
On Sunday, the Philippine military said that among the killed BIFF guerrillas was a foreign-looking combatant whose identity has not been established.
Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said they have information that four foreign terrorists were being coddled by Mohammad Ali Tambako, a former leader of the BIFF who formed his own splinter group called Islamic Justice Movement (IJM).
Other reports said four Indonesians and one Pakistani terrorist are still being coddled by the BIFF.
The government-led Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities has reported a series of incidents attributed to the BIFF aimed at sabotaging the peace process.
In July last year, a total of 10 violent incidents attributed to the BIFF took place in Maguindanao and North Cotabato. In August, violent incidents reportedly instigated by the BIFF rose to 17 and took place in Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and the boundaries of both areas.
By September last year, violent incidents also perpetrated by the MILF-splinter group surged to 22 and covered not just the three previously-mentioned areas but also the province of Basilan.
The operation against the BIFF has forced about 45,000 civilians to flee their homes, according to local officials.
Meanwhile, a Malaysian policeman was reportedly released by Abu Sayyaf terrorists based in Sulu after almost eight months in captivity.
Harold Cabunoc, AFP spokesman, said Malaysian police officer Zakia Aliep was transported to Sabah where he was freed on March 7.
It was not officially confirmed if ransom was paid for the release of Aliep. But one newspaper reported that ransom money of 20 million US dollars was paid to the Abu Sayyaf in exchange for the release of the Malaysian.
Aliep was seized in July last year in Simporma, Malaysia following an ambush staged by the Abu Sayyaf. Another Malaysian policeman was killed.
According to Cabunoc, with Aliep’s release, the Abu Sayyaf has held seven foreign and local hostages captive in their strongholds in the predominantly Muslim island-provinces of Sulu and Basilan in the southernmost tip of the Philippines.
One report said that in July last year Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon swore an oath of loyalty to the leader of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq.
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Philippine govt confident war against BIFF would not derail Mindanao peace process
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China's latest expansion to deny Philippines' access to Ayungin
By Tessa Jamandre (Vera Files)
Updated March 12, 2015 - 10:20am
MANILA, Philippines — China has created new artificial islets in two more reefs in the disputed South China Sea, which the Philippine military fears is meant to choke off its access to Ayungin shoal, where a crumbling Philippine Navy ship is beached.
In an interview, former Air Force officer Rep. Francisco Acedillo, now partylist representative of the Magdalo party, showed the latest maritime surveillance photos revealed how China's land reclamation is expanding to cover all the seven reefs it occupies.
The latest reclamation work is being done on Mischief and Subi reefs, known to the Philippines as Panganiban and Zamora, which are fast catching up with the five other reefs where China had done reclamation work early last year.
Acedillo branded this move as "graver danger to the country's national security."
The photos, taken at an altitude of 5,000 feet,show multi-storey buildings, deep harbors, and airstrips being constructed.Also sighted were cargo and supply vessels steadily hauling construction materials in reclaimed lands.
"I warn my colleagues in Congress and the Filipino people of an impending danger to our national security and it's right at our doorstep, less than 50-kilometers away from our AyunginShoal and roughly 400-km away from Palawan," Acedillo said.
Dredging on Mischief Reef began on January 14 this year and has already formed an artificial islet which now measures around 32,062 square meters from 1,909 square meters as of Feb. 2013. At Subi reef, the PH military has monitored six cutter suction dredger vessels continuously enlarging two artificial islets at the reef.
While reclamation is ongoing in Mischief and Subi (Zamora) Reefs, Chinese naval ships were sighted patrolling the area. In January, a Jianghu class ship was sighted at Mischief Reef, while a Yuting II class landing ship was in Subi Reef.
Mischief Reef, lies 130NM from the coast of the Philippine island of Palawan, was occupied by China in 1995. Subi Reef is 230 nautical miles (NM) from mainland Palawan but it is close to Pag-asa, the largest island occupied by the Philippines.
The Philippine military believes that the reclamation of these two reefs for an expanded military presence is intended to choke off access to Ayungin shoal, where the Philippines maintains a military outpost in a rusty WWII warship beached there, the BRP Sierra Madre.
Latest surveillance photos of the five other reefs where reclamation work was discovered early last year now show an advanced stage of construction that clearly show a military facility being built there based on the configuration and the fixed structural design of the buildings.
The Philippine military believes that no matter what pronouncement and declaration of China on the intended purpose of the reclamation, clearly it will support naval and air asset operations in the area.
The reclamation will provide a fixed aircraft carrier platform in the South China Sea which was China's practical and immediate recourse because it would take at least 10 years for them to fully operate their newly acquired aircraft carrier.
A military source also believes that the indigenous fighter jets that China has unveiled recently will be tested there, which is likely to be followed soon after by the imposition of an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
Military sources say at the rate is it going, China's reclamation will be completed within the year. And the rush is supposed to be due to the timeline of a possible decision of the arbitration case filed by the Philippines that will determine the maritime entitlements of the reefs occupied by China in the disputed areas of the South China.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) expects a resolution from the arbitral tribunal next year.
Military sources point to an implementation of ADIZ in the area as the end goal of China to exercise effective control and jurisdiction in the disputed area.
"By then, whatever the decision of the arbitration, China shall already have demonstrated effective occupation with their permanent military presence there. What to do then with the decision declaring those features as rocks having only 12 nautical miles of territorial sea when what you have standing on them are fortified air and naval bases?" one source said.
In the arbitration case pending before the international tribunal, the Philippines asked the court to declare that certain features such as rocks do not generate maritime entitlements beyond 12 NM. This would cover Johnson (Mabini) Reef which the Philippines described as a rocky protrusion at high tide, Cuarteron (Calderon) which is composed of coral rocks reaching higher than 1.5M at high tide, Fiery Cross Reef (Kagitingan) which is a submerged bank protruding rock not higher than one meter at high tide.
But the latest surveillance military photos will show the expanse at which those supposed rocks have grown, since the massive reclamation was discovered last year. Johnson or Mabini Reef has now a total land area of 7.94 hectares or 79,464 sqm. The rocky protrusion at high tide has six-storey building. The 1.5-meter high coral rock Cuarteron is now 11.97 hectares or 119,712 sqm.
And Fiery Cross which was originally a submerged bank and no more than one meter tall at high tide, now has a three kilometer airstrip with a naval harbor for patrol ships.
Gaven Reef as of February 2013 only covers an occupied area of 1,032 sqm, as of January 30 this year it has a reclaimed land area of 78,867 sqm. And being constructed thereat is a six storey-building complex what seemed to the military as an administrative office with a floor area of 4,128 sqm and other naval facilities.
The Philippine is among six claimants to the oil-rich Spratlys chain of islands in the South China Sea. It occupies nine islands called the Kalayaan Island Group. China, Taiwan and Vietnam claim the whole of the South China Sea, other claimants are Malaysia and Brunei.
In 2013, the Philippines submitted for compulsory arbitration a case to declare among others the nullity of China's nine-dash line claim over the whole of South China Sea. It is seeking relief from the arbitral tribunal to declare that the submerged features within and beyond 200 NM of Philippines are not part of China's continental shelf; China's occupation of those features therefore violates United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea.
Admittedly, the DFA said the decision of the arbitral tribunal is toothless, a moral suasion and international pressure at best, even if the Philippines wins the case against China. Even a regional code of conduct being forged by ASEAN and China will then also have to contend with the realities on the ground, how to deal with China's immovable presence there.
After China shall have garrisoned the disputed areas in the South China Sea, Acedillo said the arbitration decision and whatever its worth legally, will be irrelevant. The arbitration case will at the end of the day prove to be a policy of no strategy. "How poorly we have prepared for an eventuality of a challenge to the occupation of our islands," Acedillo said.
VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for "true."
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China's latest expansion to deny Philippines' access to Ayungin | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com
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Business News:
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Exports seen slowing down this year
By Louella D. Desiderio (The Philippine Star)
Updated March 14, 2015 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - The country’s exports growth may be lower than the projected 10 percent for this year due to the weakening of the currencies of the major export markets of Europe and Japan, a trade official said.
“Exports may grow slower than initially expected because of the severe depreciation of European and Japanese currencies,” Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo told reporters yesterday.
The Department of Trade and Industry had earlier projected exports would grow by 10 percent this year.
Last year, the country’s merchandise exports were valued at $61.810 billion, up nine percent from the $56.698 billion posted in 2013.
Over the last 12 months, the Japanese yen has depreciated by 20 percent against the US dollar, while the euro has weakened by 35 percent versus the greenback with the world’s top economy showing signs of recovery.
Domingo said the depreciation of the euro and yen could cut exporters’ profit margins and dampen the growth of the country’s exports as Europe and Japan are among the biggest markets for outbound shipments of Philippine goods.
“That is a concern because it looks like the dollar will continue to appreciate,” Domingo added.
But while exports could post lower growth than initially expected for the year, he said the country’s economy is still expected to remain strong this year and even in the coming years.
This, as the country continues to benefit from the lower oil prices which leads to lower production costs and more money in consumer pockets.
“Because of the big reduction of oil prices, we are going to be one of the biggest beneficiaries in the world economically,” Domingo said.
Domingo had said the economy could grow faster than eight percent this year, if oil prices remain below $60/barrel.
The country’s higher gross domestic product per capita which is leading to more consumer spending, as well as stable wage rates, skilled work force and
growth in both the information technology-business process management and manufacturing sectors, are also seen to continue to drive economic growth.
The economy grew 6.1 percent last year after expanding 7.2 percent in 2013.
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Exports seen slowing down this year | Business, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com
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Economy remains strong in Q1 – BSP
By Kathleen A. Martin (The Philippine Star)
Updated March 14, 2015 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - The economy remains strong in the first quarter due to strong household consumption, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said.
“Prospects for the domestic economy remain favorable as private domestic demand is expected to continue to deliver positive impulses to the economy, aided by sustained remittance inflows and low inflation,” the BSP said in a report.
Economic growth accelerated to 6.9 percent in the fourth quarter from a dismal 5.3-percent growth in the third quarter last year.
This brought the full-year expansion to 6.1 percent, short of the government’s 6.5- to 7.5-percent target but still the second fastest in Asia in 2014.
“Sustained and broad-based expansion in bank lending is expected to continue to underpin domestic economic activity. Improved government spending is also seen to further support domestic demand,” the BSP said.
“Capital formation should contribute to economic growth with construction and investments in durable equipment expected to remain strong,” the central bank said.
The government hopes to grow the economy by seven to eight percent this year, which is among the highest estimates in the region.
Analysts have stressed the acceleration of public spending is key to achieving this growth amid sustained expansion in the services and manufacturing sectors.
“These positive growth dynamics are reflected in the results of the most recent BSP Consumer Expectations Survey which showed improved consumer sentiment for Q1 2015 as the confidence index (CI) returned to positive territory at 0.7 percent,” the central bank said.
Respondents of the survey have said family financial conditions are expected to be “more favorable” in the first quarter and to remain stable for the year.
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Economy remains strong in Q1 – BSP | Business, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com
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