In a prior "NPA Armed Contacts for the Third Quarter" entry I discussed the NPA attack on Mayor Henry Dano's home in the municipality of Lingig in Surigao del Sur Province. In that August 6th, 2011 attack by the NPA's Front 20, the Conrado Heredia Command of the SMRC, or Southern Mindanao Regional Committee, guerillas in plain clothes presented themselves as NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) Agents working a case in that town. As per Standard Operating Procedure the agents merely wished to make a courtesy call on Mayor Dano to apprise him of their presence and reason for it. Dano's residential compound was being guarded with an NCO, or Non-Commissioned Officer, Corporal Alrey de Samparado and a soldier, Private First Class Alan Saban, from the 75IB (Infantry Battalion). The soldier on duty, Saban, allowed three "NBI Agents" to enter the gated compound and was promptly disarmed of both his M16 and his 45 caliber sidearm. The guerillas then re-opened the compound's gate allowing a throng of fellow guerillas into the compound.
Using Saban as a decoy the NPA then infiltrated Dano's home and held him, his family, and his second security escort, Corporal Alrey de Samparado, at gunpoint as they searched the premises for weapons and intelligence. As I noted in my entry "NPA Armed Contacts for the Fourth Quarter, Part I," the usual NPA prisoner is released at the two week mark. As I also noted however, the impasse in the GPH-NDFP Peace Process (Government of the Philippines and National Democratic Front of the Philippines as the umbrela entity encompassing the NPA and its political wing, CPP, or Communist Party of the Philippines is known) has led to significantly longer captivities. The "impasse" revolves around a 1995 Joint Agreement known as JASIG, or the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees. As one might surmise JASIG was designed to protect NPA/CPP members involved in the Peace Process. Unfortunately for Mayor Dano et al the Government has failed to abide by the document with more than a dozen JASIG-protected personalities currently imprisoned in Philippine prisons.
Finally, in the last days of September on NDFP Peace Panel Chairperson Luis G.Jalandoni's fresh from his last sojourn to the Philippines (he is in exile in the Netherlands) both sides managed to make a tad bit of progress on the issue so that on September 28th the NPA ordered the release of Mayor Dano and his two security escorts, Saban and de Samparado. However, their release was put on hold as the AFP continued pushing tactical operations. Finally, on Sunday, October 9th, 2011, the NPA was able to release all three in the municipality of Trento's Barangay Pulang Lupa, in Agusan del Sur Province. At 3PM, in Sitio Upper New Visayas' Purok #5 the NPA's Front 20 held the typical NPA propaganda party with Surigao del Sur Governor Johnny Pimentel doing his part for Manila. At the Governor's side were the three wives of the prisoners who collapsed in tears upon first seeing their husbands enter the jungle clearing.
After the usual rigamorole Mayor Dano was escorted by Governor Pimentel to Davao City for a de-briefing and medical exam while Corporal de Samaparado and Private First Class Saban were driven to Brigade Headquarters in Bislig City, in Surigao del Sur Province. I am sure the last POL, or Proof of Life released by the NPA will be the first thing discussed. In that POL, released at the end of September, both men swore that they were quitting the AFP, and offered heartfelt apologies for their "counter-revolutionary activities" and "crimes against the people." Of particular note AFTERWARDS was an admonishment by the NPA in which it stated on October 6th that although both men were being released on humanitarian grounds, both men owed a "blood debt to the people" and that they were only being given a "conditional release" which left them still liable to execution in the future.
The bee in the NPA's bonnet was that both men, allegedly Military Inelligence assets, had played significant roles in an operation while both were formerly attached to the 36IB in which they were, according to the NPA spin meisters, for the death of a cadre in Front 6 of the NCMRC, or Northcentral Mindanao Regional Committee. Likewise, during their current role as Security Escorts for Mayor Dano and attached to the 75IB they allegedly provided intelligence that led to the 6th Scout Rangers Company and 25IB over running a rendevouz of five NPA Fronts on May 29th, 2011. The meeting, at an NPA encampment in the municipality of Cateel in Davao Oriental Province, led to the lover of Front 20's Secretary, or leader, becoming a quadripalegic. That lover, Vanessa "Ka Enchang" de los Reyes was one of three guerillas personally airlifted by Davao City Vice Mayor slash local warlord Rodrigo "Roddy" Duterte in a Government helicopter so as to get Ms.de los Reyes life saving medical care in Davao City.
IF either man had any real role in that sordid affair I have no doubt that Front 20 members would have already killed them. Front 20, co-incidentally, aside from being the Front operating in the municipality of Lingig, was also the island's Custodial Front. Any prisoner taken on Mindanao was held by Front 20 but with that May 29th operation that responsibility passed to Front 53, the Herminio Alfonso Command of the SMRC. Yet, Mayor Dano and these two Security Escorts were retained by Front 20 more out of logistical needs than anything else. Although Front 53 now holds that role it was already saddled with four BJMP, or Bureau of Jail Management and Prisons' employees who were captured by Front 88 of NCMRC while freeing high ranking cadre Dennis Rodinas on July 21st, 2011. Eventually six civilian prisoners would be added when, on August 10th, Front 88 "captured" six door to door salesmen who, as of this writing on Monday, October 10th, remain in captivity. Therefore Front 20 was delegated the care of Mayor Dano and these two AFP members. Had there been a real connection to Ms.de los Reyes' injuries this wouldn't have been allowed to transpire.
Showing posts with label Front 88. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Front 88. Show all posts
Monday, October 10, 2011
NPA Armed Contacts for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part I: The Release of Four BJMP Personnel
In my entry, "NPA Armed Contacts for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part," I discussed the NPA's capturing of four BJMP, or Bureau of Jail Management and Prisons, employees during an operation to free high ranking NPA guerilla Dennis Rodinas in July of 2011. With the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines' capture of a large NPA encampment in the municipality of Cateel, in Davao Oriental Province on May 29th, 2011, Front 20, the Conrado Heredia Command of the SMRC, or Southern Mindanao Regional Committee ceased functioning as the Custodial Command of Mindanao. Instead Front 53, the Herminio Alfonso Command of the SMRC assumed that duty. So it was that after initially being taken captive by Front 88 of the NCMRC, or Northcentral Mindanao Regional Committee the four men:
1) Inspector Murphy Bomoway Todyog, Warden of the Misamis Occidental Provincial Jail in Ozamiz City
2) Inspector Erico Dacillo Llamasares, Warden of the Cagayan del Oro City Jail who had been hitching a ride home in a round about fashion
3) Special Jail Officer 3 Rogelio Begontes
4) Jail Officer 1 Rolando Delta Bajoyo Jr.
were passed from NPA Front to Front until they reached the Custodial Command, Front 53, which is centered upon the border of Davao City and North Cotabato Province. The capture of BJMP personnel created quite a stir because heretofore such functionaries were considered verboten as they are technically non-combatants although a creative interpretation of IHL/LOAC, or International Humanitarian Law/Laws of Armed Conflict CAN render them otherwise. In any event it definitely marked a turning point in the NPA's 42 year old insurgency and sent a definite chill up the spine of many a civil servant. All the more so when, on August 10th, the NPA formally bestowed POW (Prisoner of War) Status upon the four men. Obstensibly a positive development in the immediate sense because it guaranteed civil treatment of the four men in accordance with the Geneva Convention since the NPA, via its above board representative the NDFP, or National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and the Government, had jointly inked the CARIHLHR, or Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights as the first of four projected Interim Agreements of the GPH-NDFP Peace Process is known.
However, the conferring of POW Status boded poory for the long term because it had shown that the NPA was willing to ratchet up the stakes and would now possibly be focusing on capturing more than AFP, PNP (Philippine National Police), and CAAs (Civilian Active Auxiliaries as the cornerstone of the AFP tactical facet of its COIN, aka Counterinsurgency Programme are collectively known). If the NPA was now willing to capture BJMP personnel who would be immune? Conceivably any state representative was now fair game.
The actual rationale behind this "widening" of the conflict was the impasse in the GHP-NDFP Peace Process. As I have discussed in depth in my "GPH-NDFP Peace Process" entries the Talks began wonderfully in Oslo, Norway in February of 2011 but with an undercurrent of tension related to the failure of the Government to uphold the bi-lateral Joint Agreement known as JASIG, or the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees that both sides had entered into way back in 1995. Since again, I have discussed JASIG in depth in my aforementioned "GPH-NDFP Peace Process" entries, I will not bore my readership with yet another recounting except to say, for brevity's sake, that it involved the protection of all CPP/NPA members directly involved in the Peace Process from arrest and subsequent detention. With well over a dozen (at one point nearly two dozen) figures in prison the Government's upholding of JASIG leaves a lot to be desired.
In every NPA capture of the last decade prisoners have been released at about the two week mark with a couple of exceptions lasting more or less four weeks. The four BJMP prisoners have spent nearly four months incognito. During these ften weeks major AFP tactical operations have taken place in what the AFP likes to optimistically label "Search and Rescue Missions" but what in reality actually amount to a "gross disregard for the lives of such prisoners." Indeed, the four men had been scheduled for release on October 5th after being offered in exchange for an AFP SOMO/SOMA (Stop of Military Operations/Stop of Military Action) on September 29th. When the desired SOMO/SOMA didn't materialise the NPA opted to still go forward with the planned releases setting the aforementioned date of October 5th. When, on October 4th the AFP began amping up the intensity in its tactical operations the NPA scuttled the planned release. Specifically cited was an operation by the 57IB (Infantry Battalion) within the municipality of Magpet in North Cotabato Province. Only after North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Talino Mendoza screamed bloody murder did the 57IB sheepishly cut the operation short and pull out of town. Having achieved this extremely minor concession atop the larger promise of the Government in Manila to work on the JASIG issue, the four men were released on Saturday, October 8th, in Magpet's Barangay Balite.
During the three hour propaganda fest the mayors of two Bukidnon Provincial towns, Kibawe and Kitaotao joined the Mayor of Makilala (North Cotabato Province) in sitting through that uber-boring snooze fest as Front 53's leader, Ka Jody, enjoyed his first hand over and put everybody to sleep with non-sensical claptrap about Mao and the Revolution. Also on hand were representatives of local multi-sectoral front groups as well as Governor Mendoza, Vice Governor Gregorio Ipong and Catholic clergyman of the Liberation Theological cesspool UCCP, and other assorted hanger ons desperate to share in an event the nation's media ignored.
The four released men were immediately driven to Kidapawan City, the provincial capital of North Cotabato where yet another propaganda fest- this time for the Government- took place at the Bishop's Official Residence. There Mr.Bajoyo, now in tears, mooned over the NPA, and I quote verbatim, "We are so grateful that the NPA treated us so well, they treated us like brothers." Stockholm Syndrome anyone? In more important news perhaps, the two senior men, Warden Inspectors Todyog and Llamasares are now under investigation for their roles, if any, in the NPA operation that sent them obstensibly into captivity. The van transporting several inmates including a very high value NPA prisoner, the object of the NPA operation that led to the four BJMP personnel being taken, was without a security escort and more importantly, had taken an unsual route. Seeing as how that route is never taken it stands to reason that the NPA had inside assistance since Front 88 was able to implement a checkpoint in advance of the van's arrival. Maybe a couple of men wish they hadn't been "released."
1) Inspector Murphy Bomoway Todyog, Warden of the Misamis Occidental Provincial Jail in Ozamiz City
2) Inspector Erico Dacillo Llamasares, Warden of the Cagayan del Oro City Jail who had been hitching a ride home in a round about fashion
3) Special Jail Officer 3 Rogelio Begontes
4) Jail Officer 1 Rolando Delta Bajoyo Jr.
were passed from NPA Front to Front until they reached the Custodial Command, Front 53, which is centered upon the border of Davao City and North Cotabato Province. The capture of BJMP personnel created quite a stir because heretofore such functionaries were considered verboten as they are technically non-combatants although a creative interpretation of IHL/LOAC, or International Humanitarian Law/Laws of Armed Conflict CAN render them otherwise. In any event it definitely marked a turning point in the NPA's 42 year old insurgency and sent a definite chill up the spine of many a civil servant. All the more so when, on August 10th, the NPA formally bestowed POW (Prisoner of War) Status upon the four men. Obstensibly a positive development in the immediate sense because it guaranteed civil treatment of the four men in accordance with the Geneva Convention since the NPA, via its above board representative the NDFP, or National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and the Government, had jointly inked the CARIHLHR, or Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights as the first of four projected Interim Agreements of the GPH-NDFP Peace Process is known.
However, the conferring of POW Status boded poory for the long term because it had shown that the NPA was willing to ratchet up the stakes and would now possibly be focusing on capturing more than AFP, PNP (Philippine National Police), and CAAs (Civilian Active Auxiliaries as the cornerstone of the AFP tactical facet of its COIN, aka Counterinsurgency Programme are collectively known). If the NPA was now willing to capture BJMP personnel who would be immune? Conceivably any state representative was now fair game.
The actual rationale behind this "widening" of the conflict was the impasse in the GHP-NDFP Peace Process. As I have discussed in depth in my "GPH-NDFP Peace Process" entries the Talks began wonderfully in Oslo, Norway in February of 2011 but with an undercurrent of tension related to the failure of the Government to uphold the bi-lateral Joint Agreement known as JASIG, or the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees that both sides had entered into way back in 1995. Since again, I have discussed JASIG in depth in my aforementioned "GPH-NDFP Peace Process" entries, I will not bore my readership with yet another recounting except to say, for brevity's sake, that it involved the protection of all CPP/NPA members directly involved in the Peace Process from arrest and subsequent detention. With well over a dozen (at one point nearly two dozen) figures in prison the Government's upholding of JASIG leaves a lot to be desired.
In every NPA capture of the last decade prisoners have been released at about the two week mark with a couple of exceptions lasting more or less four weeks. The four BJMP prisoners have spent nearly four months incognito. During these ften weeks major AFP tactical operations have taken place in what the AFP likes to optimistically label "Search and Rescue Missions" but what in reality actually amount to a "gross disregard for the lives of such prisoners." Indeed, the four men had been scheduled for release on October 5th after being offered in exchange for an AFP SOMO/SOMA (Stop of Military Operations/Stop of Military Action) on September 29th. When the desired SOMO/SOMA didn't materialise the NPA opted to still go forward with the planned releases setting the aforementioned date of October 5th. When, on October 4th the AFP began amping up the intensity in its tactical operations the NPA scuttled the planned release. Specifically cited was an operation by the 57IB (Infantry Battalion) within the municipality of Magpet in North Cotabato Province. Only after North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Talino Mendoza screamed bloody murder did the 57IB sheepishly cut the operation short and pull out of town. Having achieved this extremely minor concession atop the larger promise of the Government in Manila to work on the JASIG issue, the four men were released on Saturday, October 8th, in Magpet's Barangay Balite.
During the three hour propaganda fest the mayors of two Bukidnon Provincial towns, Kibawe and Kitaotao joined the Mayor of Makilala (North Cotabato Province) in sitting through that uber-boring snooze fest as Front 53's leader, Ka Jody, enjoyed his first hand over and put everybody to sleep with non-sensical claptrap about Mao and the Revolution. Also on hand were representatives of local multi-sectoral front groups as well as Governor Mendoza, Vice Governor Gregorio Ipong and Catholic clergyman of the Liberation Theological cesspool UCCP, and other assorted hanger ons desperate to share in an event the nation's media ignored.
The four released men were immediately driven to Kidapawan City, the provincial capital of North Cotabato where yet another propaganda fest- this time for the Government- took place at the Bishop's Official Residence. There Mr.Bajoyo, now in tears, mooned over the NPA, and I quote verbatim, "We are so grateful that the NPA treated us so well, they treated us like brothers." Stockholm Syndrome anyone? In more important news perhaps, the two senior men, Warden Inspectors Todyog and Llamasares are now under investigation for their roles, if any, in the NPA operation that sent them obstensibly into captivity. The van transporting several inmates including a very high value NPA prisoner, the object of the NPA operation that led to the four BJMP personnel being taken, was without a security escort and more importantly, had taken an unsual route. Seeing as how that route is never taken it stands to reason that the NPA had inside assistance since Front 88 was able to implement a checkpoint in advance of the van's arrival. Maybe a couple of men wish they hadn't been "released."
Monday, September 19, 2011
NPA Armed Contacts for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part VI: The NPA Mistakenly Kills Three Men and Terrorises Six Others
In my recent "NPA Armed Contacts for the Third Quarter of 2011" entry I chronicled the NPA's attack on Nano Trading and Mining Corporation in the municipality of Impasug-ong in Bukidnon Province. Nano, as I noted, is an Indian-based multi-national corporation that at this particular site, located in Barangay Kapitan Bayong's Purok #5, acts as the transport and loading agent for locally owned chromite mines. On August 6th, 2011 guerillas from Front 88 of the Northcentral Mindanao Regional Committee, or NCMRC, approached the mine compound and when a group of labourers were leaving after their shift and turned heel trying to warn others, they were fired upon by the NPA.
Eleven men were hit, with one, Jose Castro, dying immediately. The other ten were rushed to the nearest hospital but unfortunately, by the time they arrived two more of the victims:
1) Raymond Castro
2) Victor Aparilla
were dead as well. The other eight:
1) Rodelio Cabaring
2) Marvine Pinera
3) Alfie Sobison
4) Rey Soriano
5) Glenn Hernandez
6) Allan Barandanes
7) Brindo Buagan
8) Jermael Magno
were admitted and are recovering.
Of course Nano was targeted for its failure to pay "Revolutionary Taxes," a codeword for extortion. The NPA cited destruction of the environment, which given the NPA's lack of action against paying "customers" just makes the Communist guerillas look even sillier than they usually appear. They also cited the firms operation manger, Paul Magto, for his supposed failure to pay his labourers in a timely fashion.
On Monday, September 19th, 2011 however the NCMRC admitted that its guerillas had been operating on outdated intelligence that had the firm's basecamp housing an arsenal of automatic rifles and rifle grenades. During the attack the NPA captured a single 45 caliber pistol, an airsoft (fires plastic pellets) rifle and a chainsaw but was also accused of stealing a valuable watch and two cellphones as well. NCMRC says that it will be returning the phones and watch which it admits taking and also admits that there was P400 ($9) stuffed inside of a compartment of the airsoft piece. Why the confession? Because the NPA was forced to admit that its guerillas committed several grave errors in attacking unarmed labourers. It asked the families of the dead and wounded labourers to forgive its "errors" and to accrpt the NPA's "apologies."
Also worth noting, if just for the sheer stupidity it reflects, NCMRC claims that it was primarily targeting the company because Operations Supervisor Paul Magto, the man it initially accused of not paying his workers, would "indiscriminately" fire his pistol, "intimidating" local villagers. Right, because murdering three labourers with M16s makes villagers happy? The NPA hopes to right their stupendous wrong by offering the families of the dead and wounded labourers cash and medical assistance. Ironically, when the Government offers to do the same to rectify ITS mistakes the NPA spin meisters belittle the offer(s), saying that cash cannot make up for negligence and outright abuse. Ironic indeed.
On August 10th six young men from the municipality of Initao in Misamis Oriental Province travelled to the town of San Fernando in Bukidnon Province. As door to door salesmen of "banig," or sleeping mats, the men travelled quite a bit but when none had called home over the course of some days their families in Initao became increasingly worried, fearing that the men might have been abducted by one of the KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom organisations infesting Mindanao.
As the NCMRC was boohooing over that senseless carnage at Nano it also admitted that Front 88 had "arrested" the aforementioned missing men. The reason? According to NCMRC all six were "spies" for the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines, or AFP. Although intelligence assets DO assume such covers they do as individuals or as teams of two men. Six men do not blend in easily and as such are never utilised. It seems that the NPA is beginning to grow paranoid once again. Several months ago the SMRC, or Southern Mindanao Regional Committee, abducted an ice cream vendor in Davao City's Paquibato District and likewise accused him of "spying." He was killed as is often the case with civilian assets. Ironically it was the forerunner of the NCMRC, the NMRC, or Nothern Mindanao Regional Committee that launched the first of the nationwide purges, the infamous Kampanyang Aho (Garlic Campaign) that ended up killing well over 1,000 innocent men, women, and even children who were deemed to be "spies." Sadly, most were NPA members who truly believed in their cause. Some things never change.
Eleven men were hit, with one, Jose Castro, dying immediately. The other ten were rushed to the nearest hospital but unfortunately, by the time they arrived two more of the victims:
1) Raymond Castro
2) Victor Aparilla
were dead as well. The other eight:
1) Rodelio Cabaring
2) Marvine Pinera
3) Alfie Sobison
4) Rey Soriano
5) Glenn Hernandez
6) Allan Barandanes
7) Brindo Buagan
8) Jermael Magno
were admitted and are recovering.
Of course Nano was targeted for its failure to pay "Revolutionary Taxes," a codeword for extortion. The NPA cited destruction of the environment, which given the NPA's lack of action against paying "customers" just makes the Communist guerillas look even sillier than they usually appear. They also cited the firms operation manger, Paul Magto, for his supposed failure to pay his labourers in a timely fashion.
On Monday, September 19th, 2011 however the NCMRC admitted that its guerillas had been operating on outdated intelligence that had the firm's basecamp housing an arsenal of automatic rifles and rifle grenades. During the attack the NPA captured a single 45 caliber pistol, an airsoft (fires plastic pellets) rifle and a chainsaw but was also accused of stealing a valuable watch and two cellphones as well. NCMRC says that it will be returning the phones and watch which it admits taking and also admits that there was P400 ($9) stuffed inside of a compartment of the airsoft piece. Why the confession? Because the NPA was forced to admit that its guerillas committed several grave errors in attacking unarmed labourers. It asked the families of the dead and wounded labourers to forgive its "errors" and to accrpt the NPA's "apologies."
Also worth noting, if just for the sheer stupidity it reflects, NCMRC claims that it was primarily targeting the company because Operations Supervisor Paul Magto, the man it initially accused of not paying his workers, would "indiscriminately" fire his pistol, "intimidating" local villagers. Right, because murdering three labourers with M16s makes villagers happy? The NPA hopes to right their stupendous wrong by offering the families of the dead and wounded labourers cash and medical assistance. Ironically, when the Government offers to do the same to rectify ITS mistakes the NPA spin meisters belittle the offer(s), saying that cash cannot make up for negligence and outright abuse. Ironic indeed.
On August 10th six young men from the municipality of Initao in Misamis Oriental Province travelled to the town of San Fernando in Bukidnon Province. As door to door salesmen of "banig," or sleeping mats, the men travelled quite a bit but when none had called home over the course of some days their families in Initao became increasingly worried, fearing that the men might have been abducted by one of the KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom organisations infesting Mindanao.
As the NCMRC was boohooing over that senseless carnage at Nano it also admitted that Front 88 had "arrested" the aforementioned missing men. The reason? According to NCMRC all six were "spies" for the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines, or AFP. Although intelligence assets DO assume such covers they do as individuals or as teams of two men. Six men do not blend in easily and as such are never utilised. It seems that the NPA is beginning to grow paranoid once again. Several months ago the SMRC, or Southern Mindanao Regional Committee, abducted an ice cream vendor in Davao City's Paquibato District and likewise accused him of "spying." He was killed as is often the case with civilian assets. Ironically it was the forerunner of the NCMRC, the NMRC, or Nothern Mindanao Regional Committee that launched the first of the nationwide purges, the infamous Kampanyang Aho (Garlic Campaign) that ended up killing well over 1,000 innocent men, women, and even children who were deemed to be "spies." Sadly, most were NPA members who truly believed in their cause. Some things never change.
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