Philippines War on ISIS, Abu Sayaf, Maute: News & Discussions

[Banglar Bir]

Whistle-blower says ISIS war is opposition plot to oust Duterte
ADAM GARRIE
Philippine media have been sharing a post from retired Philippine military veteran Abe Purugganan which claims that the ISIS war on Philippines is part of an internal coup organised by members of the opposition Liberal Party with an aim to illegally oust democratically elected Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Mr. Purugganan claims that he is publishing information provided by a whistle-blower who works inside the opposition Liberal Party of Philippines.


As a point of reference, the Maute Group is synonymous with ISIS in Philippines.

The entire post is posted below:

“There is a lot of noises and chatters flooding the cyberspace, you got to use your discernment to filter all these information.

Here is another post about an update on the alleged plan of the opposition to oust Pres Duterte.
————-
LETS PLAY FIRE WITH FIRE ”

These are the exact words stated by Loida Lewis and her fellow oligarchs on a meeting months ago with Liberal Party members abroad.

Source is from a Liberal party official. The yellow dont know they have a traitor working for them….He / She said that Lewis and Liberal Party members met up abroad and also used the loud speaker of their mobile phone to communicate with Antonio Trillianes. He/she said that he /she was sure it was Trillianes on the speaker phone bec. his voice was very familiar and the way he talks really sounded like Trillianes.

Their plan was to coordinate with Maute and Abusayyaf leaders including Liberal party supporters from the government in Marawi.

Lewis and other oligarchs said that since “Digong is in side with the Marcoses and supports Martial Law, why dont we Play Fire With Fire “.

One oligarch also said that the plan was for the maute group and other bandits to join forces and create chaos in Mindanao since most of the relatives of the Maute group are in Marawi. They are sure that they will protect their family ( -Maute group- ) and will use these civilians who are relatives of the Mautes to pretend and be a victim of martial law.

They already arranged paid media to cover the drama and acting of abuses and even planned bandits to dress up as AFP members and take pictures of abuses.

Their main plan is to use Martial law to destabilize the government. Force Duterte to declare martial law and create a drama just like before during Marcos time and abuse the civilians by the fake paid army and media and create chaos.

This is how martial law got out of hand during President Marcos time. The Aquinos and other oligarchs set up the government. xxx

Eto pala yung sinasabi ni Trillianes noon na may pasabog sila pagdating ng Mayo… Note that one LP senator was in Marawi 3days before”.

The post has been taken seriously by the generally reliable Philippine media outlet News Graph.

According to News Graph, the source of the leaked information is a worker inside the Liberal Party whose name has not been disclosed for his protection. As a point of reference, this is if anything, more reliable than the totally anonymous leaks that have been spilling out of the Trump administration.

There is indeed a logic to the information contained leaks from the Liberal Party whistle blower. Duterte’s opposition have been deeply critical of his decision to declare temporary martial law on the island of Mindanao. Many would be desirous to exploit the situation in order to attempt to create ‘regime change’ in Philippines. Indeed many are all ready agitating in such a direction.

The information from the alleged leak could imply that the entire scenario is orchestrated as a kind of sick pact between ‘real’ and ‘bogus’ ISIS fighters and opposition parties in Manila with the clear intent to force Duterte in to the present situation wherein martial law has been deemed necessary.

As the post implies, such kinds of orchestrated instability was common before the era of Ferdinand Marcos.

If this information turns out to be true, it could go a long way in explaining the clockwork like timing of the ISIS offensive when President Duterte was away and in Moscow no less, meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
These claims should be scrutinised further but nevertheless, they should be taken seriously
http://theduran.com/whistle-blower-says-isis-war-is-opposition-plot-to-oust-duterte/

@BANGLAR BIR why did u waste so many words and your time in ritting this all. It can be said in one statement.. and that is ..... is " ISIS is CIA/MOSSAD's strategic project ( Jailed criminals employment in hostile territory) to achieve foreign objectives".

As its against all International rules to publish articles without the proper authentic source.

 

[Jugger]

If Duterte succeeded in making Philippines a more equal and fair society, ISIS would have a harder time selling their insane message to desperate and depressed young men

Isn't it obvious that in a fair and equal society isis will never succeed in creating a caliphate.
Look at the countries where isis has established its caliphate, all those countries are failed states with an unjust system and corrupt leadership which is biased and imprudent against its own people.

 

[Banglar Bir]

Isn't it obvious that in a fair and equal society isis will never succeed in creating a caliphate.
Look at the countries where isis has established its caliphate, all those countries are failed states with an unjust system and corrupt leadership which is biased and imprudent against its own people.

 

[kankan326]

The ultimate reason is: PH army is too weak.

 

[Pinoy]

Analyst says Marawi siege a US proxy war vs. Duterte
Jun. 02, 2017 ALEX D. LOPEZ

NOT ACCOUNTED. As of May 31, ARMM-HEART data said 3,228 civilians were still reported missing or stranded while 2,265 were already rescued. (Alexander Lopez/davaotoday.com photo)

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – An analyst said the attack in Marawi City is a form of a proxy war that the US is staging against President Rodrigo Duterte, whose pivot now leans towards what he called “a Eurasian alliance with China and Russia.”


In his recently-published article in online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”, F. William Engdahl, a strategic risk consultant and lecturer who holds a degree in politics from Princeton University described as “cloddish” the move initiated by the Central Intelligence Agency of the US against Duterte in Marawi.


Engdahl said the attack took place in time when Duterte is in Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin and after his visit and meeting with China’s Xi Jinping.


“The Duterte Putin talks, in turn, followed Duterte’s attendance in Beijing on May 15 for the first New Silk Road or Belt Road Forum. America’s colonial asset since 1898 was clearly walking away from the Washington ‘reservation’,” he pointed out in the article.


He added the Marawi siege is a “desperate Washington try to topple the very popular (80% popularity in polls) Duterte, who successfully won the presidency last June over a US-backed Mar Roxas, a US-educated former Wall Street banker.”


The US, Engdahl said, cannot afford to break away with the Philippines for it “would pose a devastating strategic geopolitical loss to the US military containment strategy against China and Russia in the Pacific.”


He also described the Maute group and Abu Sayyaf involved in the siege as having ties with the US-created ISIS fake Islamist operation and highly-financed by Saudi money.


“It comes as no surprise to anyone closely following the evolving dialogues between Duterte and the leaders of China and now, Russia that the CIA would try to destabilize Duterte at this critical time. They simply hide behind the black skirts of their psychopathic drug-running Maute and Abu Sayyaf, both now tied to the CIA and Mossad-created and Saudi-financed ISIS,” Engdahl said.


What the US is worried most was the series of agreements that Duterte made with Russia aimed to deepen bilateral defense, strategic and economic relations between Philippines and Russia, he added.



The two countries also signed an agreement on defense cooperation that will serve as a legal framework for military-to-military exchanges, training, intelligence-sharing, Engdahl said.


He also took note how the western media portrayed Duterte as “a crude country bumpkin capable of vulgar statements.”


“After closely watching Duterte and his choice of close advisers now for almost a year, I’ve come to the conclusion a country bumpkin Duterte is definitely not. Rather, he is a shrewd political actor who is determined to bring his country out of the colonial servitude status it has held since the first Spanish colonialization in 1565.”


He also described Duterte as the first president from Mindanao with Visayan descent.


The residents of Visayas, Mindanao and other Philippine islands, he added, led the war for independence against Spain in 1896.


“The United States, posing as the supporter of the Visayan-led war of independence from Spain, betrayed the trust assured the Philippines, double-crossed them and signed a Treaty with Spain, the Treaty of Paris of 1898, under which Spain ceded Cuba and The Philippines to the United States. The USA refused to recognize the independence of their erstwhile ally, the Philippines, and took the country by military force, America’s first genuine imperial grab. The nascent First Philippine Republic then formally declared war against the United States in 1899, unsuccessfully. It was put under US military control. It took until 1946 before the country could be recognized as an independent sovereign state, at least in name,” Engdahl asserted in New Eastern Outlook.


Far from what the western media is saying about Duterte, the analyst said the President has shown determination to make the Philippines “a sovereign nation able to choose with whom it allies and for what ends, and how its economy develops.”


The CIA, he added, is banking on such situation and is now using its local mercenaries, the Maute group and Abu Sayyaf “to try to get rid of Rodrigo Duterte.” (davaotoday.com)

http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/analyst-says-marawi-siege-a-us-proxy-war-vs-duterte/



Why is ISIS Operating in the Philippines?
By Stephen Lendman
Global Research, June 02, 2017

In response to violence allegedly instigated by ISIS in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao, imposed military rule, and threatened to extend it nationwide to defeat the threat.

What’s going on? Why did ISIS begin operating in the Philippines? Weeks after taking office in mid-2016, Duterte blasted Western imperial Middle East policies, saying the Obama administration and Britain “destroyed the (region)…forc(ing) their way into Iraq and kill(ing) Saddam.”

“Look at Iraq now. Look what happened to Libya. Look what happened to Syria.”

He blasted former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for failing to act responsibly against what’s gone on for years – on the phony pretext of humanitarian intervention and democracy building.

He called Obama a “son-of-a-bitch” for his unaccountable actions – no way to make friends in Washington, especially if his geopolitical agenda conflicts with US aims.

On the day he declared martial law, he met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow for discussions on future military and economic cooperation.

Philippine president given red carpet treatment in Beijing, with both sides agreeing to resume talks on South China Sea (Source: South China Morning Post)

He seeks improved economic and military ties with China. Ahead of visiting Beijing last October, he said

“only China…can help us,” adding:

“All that I would need to do is just to talk and get a firm handshake from the officials and say that we are Filipinos and we are ready to cooperate with you, to help us in building our economy and building our country.”

“If we can have the things you have given to other countries by the way of assistance, we’d also like to be a part of it and to be a part of the greater plans of China about the whole of Asia, particularly Southeast Asia.”

He promised to cool tensions over South China Sea disputes.

“There is no sense fighting over a body of water,” he said.

“We want to talk about friendship (with Beijing). We want to talk about cooperation, and most of all, we want to talk about business. War would lead us to nowhere.”

He announced no further joint military exercises with America, saying he’s open to holding them with China and Russia.

Shifting away from longstanding US ties doesn’t go down well in Washington. Are efforts by ISIS to establish a Philippines foothold part of an anti-Duterte Trump administration or CIA plot independent of his authority?

According to a June 2 Duran.com report, retired Philippine military official Abe Purugganan claims ISIS violence in Mindanao is part of an opposition Liberal Party plan to undermine Duterte and oust him from office – citing information from a party whistleblower.

Below are the comments The Duran posted, saying:

“There is a lot of noises and chatters flooding the cyberspace, you got to use your discernment to filter all these information.”

“LETS PLAY FIRE WITH FIRE,” explaining “(t)hese are the exact words stated by Loida Lewis and her fellow oligarchs on a meeting months ago with Liberal Party members abroad,” adding:

Their plan is to use ISIS or ISIS-connected terrorists to instigate violence and chaos in Mindanao, wanting Duterte’s government destabilized and ousted.

If the information reported is accurate, it explains what’s now going on, likely to worsen, perhaps spread to other parts of the country.

Last week, Duterte said

“if I cannot confront (ISIS terrorists threatening the country), I will resign. “If I am incompetent and incapable of keeping order in this country, let me step down and give the job to somebody else.”

If US dirty hands are behind the ISIS insurgency, he’s got a long struggle ahead, trying to overcome the attack on him and perhaps Philippine sovereignty.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/why-is-isis-operating-in-the-philippines/5593126



Marawi City siege death toll now at 175
Saturday, June 03, 2017

ILIGAN CITY -- An official of the military said 120 extremists, 36 soldiers, and 19 civilians have died 10 days since the beginning of the fighting in Marawi City.

Colonel Jo-ar Hererra, spokesperson of the Army’s 1st Infantry "Tabak" Division, the artillery, airstrikes, and ground operations continue to be focused on Banggolo village where an undetermined number of militants are holed up.

Herrera said more troops have arrived to reinforce troops already in the thick of the fighting.

The death toll from the "friendly fire" incident, however, was lowered to 10 from 11.

This developed after two government officials on Thursday gave conflicting death tolls for Wednesday's airstrikes.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Restituto Padilla said the official death toll was 10 dead and eight wounded.

Officials blame failure of communication for the bungled air offensives initially staged to attack members of the Maute group in Marawi City.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenza on Thursday said the government forces might suspend airstrikes but it will be up to the ground commanders.

A board of inquiry will be investigating the cause of the friendly fire.

After incident, the faulty aircraft has been grounded while the pilot involved in the unfortunate incident was placed on hold as he undergoes debriefing.

Sultan Fahad Salic, former Marawi City Mayor, meanwhile, has denied providing support to members of the Maute terror group.

"Wala akong kinalaman sa pag supporta sa mga Maute group nanag bibigay ng kaguluhan sa Marawi City (I don’t know anything about giving support to the Mautes),” Salic said.

The former Marawi City mayor said it would be unthinkable for him to support the extremists since he has family in the city which has been destroyed by the fighting.

Salic's elder brother Solitario Ali echoed the former’s sentiments saying the young extremists are difficult to influence since.

Solitario is a consultant of the Office of the Presidential Assistant On Peace Process. (With reports from SunStar Philippines)

Read more: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-d...3/marawi-city-siege-death-toll-now-175-545411

 

[21stCentury]

Look at how dangerous and bully-like the U.S.A is...oh you don't want to be our bitch? ok, we'll invade your country and kill your president. The U.S.A. wants to murder president Durerte, even Durerte knows this, and he even stated it clearly that the American CIA wants to kill him (CIA have a long record of sabotage, murder and assignation of foreign heads of states). This is all the reason why NO BODY should ally with the U.S.A it is incredibly corrupt and has only one agenda: destabilization of the world , install dictators that support U.S.A domination in the region , extort/steal resources , and kill anyone that doesn't obey American foreign policy.

 

[sinait]

The ultimate reason is: PH army is too weak.

Its not easy for the the PH army in an urban setting and its difficult to differentiate between the insurgents and the hostages. The PH army cannot just open fire on anybody they see until being fired upon and therefore have to advance cautiously.
Its not a simple case of all those on the other side are the enemy forces.

 

[Shotgunner51]

THE REUTERS GRAPHIC: the Battle for Marawi in the Philippines
June 3, 2017, at 8:02 a.m.

(Reuters) - Nearly 180 people have died in fighting between Philippine forces and Islamic State-linked groups, led by the Maute group, since they seized the southern city of Marawi on May 23. The attack on the city in the island of Mindanao is the biggest warning yet that the Islamic State is building a base in Southeast Asia. Maute gunmen armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades have controlled central areas of the city despite air and ground assaults by government forces. Most of the city’s 200,000 residents have fled.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/a...phic-the-battle-for-marawi-in-the-philippines
http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/rngs/PHILIPPINES-ATTACK/010041F032X/index.html

 

[grey boy 2]

Good news, looks like our weapons allocation has been started, here's a picture of Philippines police with our "QBZ-95 assault rifle" 看来我国给菲律宾的轻武器援助已经到货了，图中为菲律宾国家警察部队

 

[Shotgunner51]

QBZ-95 assault rifle

I guess that's not PLA 5.8mm, likely to be 5.56mm export version. Wasn't aware of this delivery, do you know how many types of arms, quantity and date?

 

[Beast]

They need to supply UCAV drone quickly. Even its Chinese operated one.

 

[jhungary]

I guess that's not PLA 5.8mm, likely to be 5.56mm export version. Wasn't aware of this delivery, do you know how many types of arms, quantity and date?

Those are QBZ-97 (NATO 5.56 cal Assault Rifle) They were the same as export version of QBZ-95 and Civilian Own QBZ-97, export as Type-97 Rifle.

Philippine ordered 26,000 QBZ-97 Rifle from China in late 2016 (IIRC, November 2016) and the weapon are delivered to Security Battalion from the PNP, much like the Beats Cop anywhere else. The order was made because of the Prior Deal from the US via SIG Sauer was blocked by US senate, it created quite a storm back last year when Durete Called the US Son of the B*tch for refusing to sign off of the deal, however, the US have since resumed M4A1 delivery to Philippine Armed Force and Police Unit since February 2017

 

[R Wing]

Well, I would say it is more or less align to a 1998 film (The Siege) When the US uses force to quell a terrorised city. In that movie Bruce Willis (who played a general) said

"The Army is a broadsword, not a scalpel. Trust me, senator, you do not want the Army in an American city."

Most of the film is factually incorrect, but this line alone, if only the top brass in the US heeded to this line, they would have not make a mess out of the two war they are fighting.

To fight an ideology, you never use brute force, the law is, you push, they push back, it's about how long you can applied pressure until, and eventually, boiled over. And when it does, then it is the time when you are at the most vulnerable.

To fight an ideology, you need to preform a "Surgical Strike" and by that, I don't mean you drop smart bomb on tactical target, but rather, you hit your enemy where it hurts most, not Command and Control centre, not Front line bunker, but rather the "value" of the "cause".

Punch line is, you fight ideology with an ideology, you need to make people think your idea is better than the one they are following, I am not saying to bribe or something, but I am talking about grassroots solution. such as education, negotiation, and most importantly illumination.

You fight them hard on battlefield, you may kill 1 or 2 of them, but then his/her friend, his/her relative may then join the cause, that mean you kill 1 or 2, ended up making 10 or 20 recruitment opportunities for them.

Duerte is a hardliner, he does not know how to delicately handle this situation, he can go around Marawi killing insurgent, but without a proper civil action supporting that, the more you kill actually make more enemy.



First of all, there still exist Extremism in China, just because it went underground does not mean it does not exist.

The problem between China and Philippine is different, one is an open insurrection, another is a closeted movement. Where one (in Philippine) enjoy support within their soil, the other (in China) enjoy support overseas.

China can still suppress the "resistance" does not mean the resistance went away, it just waiting on a chance to pound, we saw that all over Chinese History, every dynasty overthrown was because of either Political instability or People Revolt, don't forget People Revolt is how Communist gain their government in China just 67 years ago, so why do you think another People Revolt is not going to happen in the future??

On the other hand, Philippine is an open insurrection, which mean the tension has already reaches boiling point, where the local population is hostile against the government. You can only pacifies when the movement does not get any momentum, when they do, they will fight back when you push, this is why they have an open insurrection in Philippine.

And No, I would not say Australia have traded freedom for security, freedom is more or less the same, yes, there had been a lot more monitoring and there had been a lot more restriction on certain thing, but freedom is not traded for security, on the other hand we had almost none attacks, big and small over the last 20 years. A few shooting here and there, but then it does not go over the national average anyway.

Totally agree with you, and we in Pakistan understand this lesson better than almost anyone else.

The power of the counter-narrative is the most important --- unfortunately this usually doesn't get prioritized (instead direct action does, probably because generals are more used to using force). The hammer and the scalpel are two tools that can help you bring the situation under control and possibly protect civilians in the short-term... but, like you said, till the ideology is fought, there is less hope.

Have you studied the Sri Lankan counter-insurgency effort against the Tamil Tigers (and related movements)?

 

[BATMAN]

Philippine military rejects Daesh claim of Manila attack

Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla rejected the claim, saying the attack “does not have the slightest signature of terrorism whatsoever.”
“As in previous incidents, this group is prone to claim and admit every criminal incident and label it as its own,” Padilla said.

 

[Shotgunner51]

What we know about the Resorts World Manila gunman
Bea Cupin @beacupin
Published 12:15 AM, June 04, 2017 Updated 12:38 AM, June 04, 2017

Testimonies from the taxi driver who dropped him off, closed circuit television camera (CCTV) footage from the casino, and the accounts of witnesses give a glimpse of the still unnamed gunman who attacked Resorts World Manila

MANILA, Philippines – With a backpack in tow and using the hood of his sweatshirt to cover his head, a man casually walked into Resorts World Manila in Pasay City, and started a series of events that would lead to the death of 38, including himself.

In the early hours of June 2, the man – whom police have yet to identify – scared customers and employees of the popular entertainment complex after he brought out an M4 assault rifle.

In the chaos, some of those fleeing began screaming “ISIS,” referring to the international terrorist group. Within minutes, police and other security personnel arrived at the complex.

Hours later, national police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa announced that the gunman was dead and that there were no casualties. (READ: TIMELINE: Resorts World Manila attack)

Later that morning, however, news came of the high death toll – 37 employees and guests dead not because of the gunman, but because of suffocation due to the fires he had set inside the casino.

Police have yet to release the identity of the gunman, but they’ve listed down a few things they know about him, thanks to testimonies from the taxi driver who dropped him off, and closed circuit television camera (CCTV) footage from the casino.

Who was he?

The suspect was described as someone who was tall and had fair skin. “As you can see, mestizo,” said Metro Manila police chief Director Oscar Albayalde in a press briefing on Saturday, June 3.

According to testimony from the taxi driver who dropped him off, the man spoke fluent Filipino. Initial reports indicated the man was speaking English while inside the casino, leading police to initially describe him as “foreign-looking.”

The suspect hailed a cab from San Lazaro in Manila. On his way to Resorts World from San Lazaro, the suspect apparently asked the taxi driver to switch the radio to a news station instead of music.

Police are still awaiting test results that may give them more clues about the gunman – the autopsy, blood tests from samples retrieved in the casino, dental records, and a DNA test.

How did he get in?

The man got off at the drop-off area close to the parking entrance at around 12:07 am on June 2. From there, he somehow entered the premises through the parking lot and used an elevator with two other women.

In a statement, Resorts World security noted that he was “in plain clothes, with a back pack, and with no visible firearms.” Turns out, he had an M4 rifle inside his bag.

The man alighted at the second floor and moved to the parking area where he wore a mask, his ammunition vest, and took out his rifle.

From the parking area, the man entered the mall proper at around 12:11 am. He walked past the metal detector, prompting mall security to chase after him. He then took out the assault weapon, causing the security guard and other people nearby to run away in panic.

What was inside his bag?

He had with him several bottles of flammable liquid (either gasoline or kerosene), a M4 assault rifle, and a .38 caliber gun. The M4 rifle’s serial number was defaced while the .38 gun’s serial number was traced back to a 1998 registration.

He had with him around 3 magazines of ammunition, totaling around 90 rounds.

What did he do inside?

The man walked past customers and employees of the mall and went to the casino area. Resorts World began evacuating its customers and staff while its security team tracked the suspect and called the police.

He entered Prosperity Court, an area which houses gambling tables, slot machines, and restaurants. He fired his gun without hitting anybody and started pouring flammable liquid onto 3 gambling tables.

He began shooting at the LCD at Bar 180 and also set the area on fire. The man also torched several slot machines.

Why did he do it?

Police believe robbery was the motive because after setting parts of the casino on fire, the man proceeded to the area behind the cashier. He opened several doors by firing onto them using his rifle, at around 12:18 am.

He was able to enter the chip bank room, where he lingered for a while. Police thought he was searching for cash. Instead, he stole high-value chips amounting to P113.1 million.

How did he die?

The gunman went down to the basement area using the stairs, where Resorts World security personnel were able to track him down. He exchanged gunfire with security personnel and got wounded in the process.

“Thereafter, the gunman appeared to be weakened causing him to drop and abandon the bag of plaques,” Resorts World said.

He went back up as police and Resorts World security personnel again began trying to track him down.

The gunman eventually found his way to the hotel on the 5th floor. From there, he entered a room, exited it again and set aflame linen. He entered the room, which police believe he set on fire too. He then shot himself in the mouth.

Albayalde said they showed the CCTV footage to media, partly to dispel persistent rumors about the gunman. They also showed it to prove that it was not an act of terror. (READ: Officials contradict each other on Resorts World Manila attack)

ISIS, through its propaganda arm, claimed responsibility for the incident. But police have dismissed this, pointing out that ISIS has a habit of claiming all sorts of incidents around the world. (READ: Terrorism and ISIS at Resorts World Attack?)

President Rodrigo Duterte also said the Resorts World attack "is not ISIS" as the international terror group was known for acts that were "more brutal." – Rappler.com

http://www.rappler.com/nation/171891-what-we-know-resorts-world-manila-gunman