AFP ready to declare Marawi crisis over soon — WESMINCOM

 Entertainment
Oct 282017
 

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte expresses his high praises to the troops of the 1st Infantry Battalion (1IB) who were preparing to leave at the Laguindingan Airport in Cagayan de Oro City on October 20, 2017. The 1IB were among the first units deployed in Marawi City when the battle against the terrorists broke out almost five months ago. ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA, Oct 21 (Mabuhay) — If things go as planned, the military may be ready to declare the conflict in Marawi City over by Sunday, or five months since it began, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Mindanao Command (WESMINCOM) chief said Saturday.

“I believe we can,” Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez told reporters in Camp Ranao, Marawi City.

While close to finishing clearing operations in the main battle area, the AFP has been holding off any declaration as remnants of Islamic State-linked terrorist forces remain in the conflict zone with several hostages.

President Rodrigo Duterte had on Tuesday declared the city “liberated from terrorist influence” following the killing of terror leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute.

On Thursday, he confirmed the killing of Malaysian terrorist Mahmud Ahmad, known to be Hapilon’s right-hand man.
Still, the military is looking for several individuals, including Hapilon’s three sons, known to still be in the battle area, and two remaining foreign terrorists.

Authorities earlier said foreign terror leaders took over after Hapilon and Maute were killed.

At least 1,108 people, mostly terrorists, have died since clashes erupted in the city on May 23. Some 400,000 residents in Marawi City and nearby towns were also forced to evacuate, as the crisis left much of the city in ruins.
Government has begun laying down plans to rebuild Marawi, once a bustling urban and cultural capital and the country’s only Islamic city.

The military has also commenced a gradual pullout of troops from the battle zone. (MNS)

Duterte offers ‘any position’ to outgoing AFP chief

 Entertainment
Dec 102016
 
Duterte offers ‘any position’ to outgoing AFP chief

President Rodrigo Duterte speaks with newly-installed AFP chief Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año during a command conference at the AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Wednesday, December 7, 2016. (MNS photo) MANILA, Dec. 7 (PNA) – President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday thanked outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines chief-of-staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya for a job well done and offered him to choose any position he wants after his retirement, even the position of Defense secretary. Visaya, who was replaced by Philippine Army Chief Lieutenant General Eduardo Año as new AFP chief, retired on the eve of his 56th birthday after 37 years of distinguished military service. In his speech during the change of command ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo, President Duterte told the outgoing chief of the 125,000-strong military that he can have any position he wants. “I would like to express the gratitude of, for and in behalf of the Filipino people to Gen Visaya for a job really well done. Sir, Gen Visaya, mamili ka ng pwesto dyan sir,” he told the general. “Choose your position. That is how grateful the nation is to you. Gusto mo kausapin mo si Delfin (Lorenzana), okay din yan” Duterte said. Lorenzana is the incumbent Defense secretary.Visaya, who is part of the Matikas Class of the Philippine Military Academy of 1983, was appointed as the AFP chief-of-staff last July. Prior to his appointment, he was head of the Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM). A native of Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, Visaya, is a Read More …

Basilan deaths rise to 12

 News
Apr 122014
 
Basilan deaths rise to 12

Philippine Daily Inquirer 3:37 am | Sunday, April 13th, 2014 ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—The death toll in the fighting between Muslim rebels and soldiers in the southern Philippines has risen to 12, officials in the area said Saturday. Over 28 soldiers were also reported wounded in running gunbattles that began on Friday in the towns of Ungkaya Pukan and Tipotipo in Basilan province between government forces and suspected Abu Sayyaf terrorists. The latest report from the Western Mindanao Command said the casualties included five suspected Abu Sayyaf members and two government soldiers, correcting earlier reports that listed only three casualties on the side of the Islamist fighters after the military attacked their bases in Ungkaya Pukan and Tipotipo on Friday. Capt. Jefferson Mamauag, a Philippine Army spokesperson, was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying that seven Abu Sayyaf members had been killed, “with authorities now searching for their burial sites.” Mamauag also said three members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), another Muslim guerrilla force with whom the government has just signed a peace agreement, were also killed Friday, but “their bodies were as yet unrecovered.” According to Alton Angeles, municipal planning officer of the town where most of the fighting occurred, MILF guerrillas were fighting alongside the government troops. However, MILF vice chair Ghazali Jaafar told AFP the rebel leadership had yet to receive a report of MILF casualties. “It’s possible people got killed because there was a firefight,” Jaafar told AFP by telephone. Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao; AFP, Read More …

Palace dares solon: Prove reward for Tiamzon couple's arrest was skimmed

 News
Apr 112014
 
Palace dares solon: Prove reward for Tiamzon couple's arrest was skimmed

Malacañang on Saturday challenged a lawmaker to substantiate his claims that some government officials may have pocketed part of the reward money for the capture of top officials of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte questioned the basis of Bayan Muna Rep. Isagani Zarate in claiming secretaries Voltaire Gazmin (defense) and Manuel Roxas II (interior) may have kept part of the money. “We don’t know what the basis is for that and I have not seen the good congressman make any statement (kung) ano ang basehan at ano ba yan,” Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. “We’re certain that is not true,” she added. A report on Manila Standard Today had quoted Zarate as saying the two secretaries may have kept almost half of the reward money for the arrest of Wilma and Benito Tiamzon. Zarate claimed documents from the Defense and Interior Departments showed the bounty for the Tiamzon couple was pegged at P10 million each, or P20 million total. But he claimed the Armed Forces of the Philippines “understated” the amount and said the reward collected was P11.52 million, or P5.6 million per head. Zarate said Gazmin and Roxas have been quiet about the AFP’s understated funds for reward money. “This involves a total of P41.45 million, of which amount, the AFP claimed to have collected only some P22.4 million. So where is the rest of the reward money?” he said. — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News 

AFP: Naval blockade in place vs. Sabah abductors

 News
Apr 052014
 
AFP: Naval blockade in place vs. Sabah abductors

The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Saturday said a Philippine Navy unit has set up naval blockade against suspects in the abduction of a Filipina worker and a Chinese tourist at the Singamata resort near Semporna in Sabah on Wednesday. In a text message to GMA News Online, AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said the Naval Task Force 62 has started its operations, even as units of the military’s Western Mindanao Command continue their search and rescue operations in the Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi areas, “where the two kidnapped victims were supposedly brought by kidnappers from Sabah.” In Malacañang, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on state-run dzRB the AFP is also in contact with the Philippine National Police to help in the search. “So far, [may] combined efforts ng AFP at saka ng PNP… sa pag-recover at paghahanap doon sa dalawang kidnap victims,” she said. Asked if the government is set to coordinate with Chinese authorities in the search, Valte said: “I’ve not heard of any proposal to do that, at this time.” A report from Agence France-Presse on Friday indicated China is pressuring Malaysia to rescuekidnapped Chinese tourist. Earlier, Zagala said the Abu Sayyaf Group may be behind the abduction. He said the victims were kidnapped by seven armed men believed to be members of an Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) unit in Tawi-Tawi. One of the members of the unit is Murphy Ambang Ladia (also known as Haji Gulam), a former member of the Moro National Read More …

AFP: Civilian ship sent to avoid standoff at Ayungin

 News
Mar 302014
 
AFP: Civilian ship sent to avoid standoff at Ayungin

A dilapidated Philippine Navy ship LT 57 (Sierra Madre) with Philippine troops deployed on board is anchored off Second Thomas Shoal (local name: Ayungin Shoal) Saturday, March 29, 2014 off West Philippine Sea. An hour from the shoal, the Chinese coast guard ship closed in on the Philippines supply vessel and twice crossed its bow. AP PHOTO/BULLIT MARQUEZ MANILA, Philippines—The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Sunday said it sent a government civilian ship to Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) over the weekend to avoid confrontation with Chinese naval forces patrolling disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea. Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, AFP public affairs office chief, maintained that the mission of the civilian vessel, which figured in a two-hour standoff with two Chinese Coast Guard ships on Saturday, was to resupply Marines manning the grounded Philippine Navy ship on Ayungin Shoal and replace them with a new team of soldiers. “The objective was just to resupply our troops. The mission is done,” Zagala told the Inquirer in a phone interview. “We sent a civilian vessel to avoid a confrontation [with the Chinese forces]. We simply want to reprovision and rotate our troops there,” he said. “We used a civilian vessel to show them our intent, which was to reprovision and rotate our personnel, and nothing more,” Zagala said, adding that it was a regular mission. Other countries with territorial claims in the South China Sea also resupply their troops, he said. Until March 9, when the Chinese Coast Guard Read More …

AFP intensifies offensives as NPA anniversary nears 

 News
Mar 222014
 
AFP intensifies offensives as NPA anniversary nears 

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has  raised the alarm on possible hostilities by the New People’s Army as the Communist Party of the Philippines’ armed wing approaches its founding anniversary, a military official said on Saturday. In a text message to GMA News Online, Armed Forces public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said they have intensified “combat operations in all areas of interest against [the communist rebels] to prevent them from launching attacks and for [government troops] to dictate on the momentum of the focused military operations.” “This increase of operational tempo is inherent in every command as we deny the enemy from their terroristic acts against our people,” he added. Last week, at least four suspected NPA rebels, two of whom are allegedly high-ranking officers, were captured by the military after a firefight in Sorsogon. Captain Bethany Cadungan, spokesperson for the Army’s 903rd Infantry Brigade, said Elias Florentino Pura, Rodrigo Lasar, William Doroja, and one alias “Ino” were captured after around 10 minutes of fighting. Lt. Col. Medel Aguilar, 9th Infantry Division spokesman, said Pura surrendered and yielded an M653 baby armalite rifle. The military also seized a cal. 45 pistol, two improvised explosive devices, a hand grenade, a laptop, and backpacks containing personal belongings. Pura is the secretary of Larangan 1, Komprob (Komiteng Probinsya) Sorsogon while Ino is the finance officer of the NPA in Sorsogon, the military said. He is also reportedly the finance officer of the Bicol regional party committee. Colonel Joselito Kakilala, commander of Read More …

AFP standing by to resume search for missing Malaysian jet 

 News
Mar 222014
 
AFP standing by to resume search for missing Malaysian jet 

The Armed Forced of the Philippines is ready to resume the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 even as the focus of the search has shifted to the Indian Ocean. “We will continue should the need arise,” AFP spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala told GMA News Online on Saturday. Zagala added that the military suspended the search last Sunday after finishing the scan areas within Philippine territory where the missing plane could be. In an earlier report, the AFP said they searched all areas within Philippine territory but found nothing. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing past midnight on Saturday, March 8, an hour after it took off from Kuala Lumpur.  During the initial search and rescue operations, the AFP sent out three Navy ships and two airplanes to help international efforts to locate the missing plane. — Andrei Medina/JDS, GMA News

Solon dismayed at failure to resolve Cudia's case before PMA graduation

 News
Mar 162014
 
Solon dismayed at failure to resolve Cudia's case before PMA graduation

222 PMA Class of 2014 graduates urged to serve honestly. The graduates of the Philippine Military Academy “Siklab Diwa” Class of 2014 throw their caps in the air at the graduation rites held in Fort Gregorio Del Pilar in Baguio City on Sunday March 16. Thom Picana A lawmaker expressed dismay on Sunday over the failure of the Philippine Military Academy and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to resolve the case of dismissed PMA cadet Aldrin Cudia, barring him from attending graduation rites. ABS party-list Representative Catalina Leonen-Pizarro said the AFP should have acted with haste on Cudia’s appeal so he could have still marched along with the Siklab Diwa Class of 2014 if he were allowed to graduate. “[Cudia’s] case is still hanging while the graduation is ongoing. The problem now [is] if suddenly the appeal of Cudia be granted, then he would have already missed the rites. Sayang naman,” she told GMA News Online in a text message. Last week, Pizarro filed a House resolution that sought to hasten the AFP and PMA’s review of Cudia’s case and resolve it before the graduation rites. The lawmaker said her resolution might now be considered moot and academic since Cudia’s case is still unresolved although the graduation ceremonies are over. According to its website,  the ABS (Arts Business and Science Professionals) party-list was created “to protect and advance the collective interests and concerns of Filipino professionals who constitute the highly trained and skilled manpower of the country.” Defense Secretary Voltaire Read More …

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