IP commission says ‘hamletting’ not the way to protect lumads
THE NATIONAL Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) on Thursday rejected President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s plan to “hamlet” IP, locally referred to as lumads, to protect them from harm and the influence of the communist New People’s Army (NPA).
Business World Online

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Madrigal visits AFP major services, wants total victory against communist terrorists
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. visited the three major services of the AFP on Wednesday morning, rallying them to end insurgency and bring lasting peace to the country.
Manila Bulletin

Gov't forces won't stop attacks vs. NPA amid hostage-taking
The government troops will not give in to the communist group's demand to halt offensives against the New People's Army (NPA) in exchange for the freedom of soldiers and militiamen who have been held captives.
CNN Philippines, Philippine News Agency

Military could have been ‘tricked’ by NPA in Agusan del Sur, says DND chief
DEFENSE SECRETARY Delfin N. Lorenzana said there is a possibility that the military was infiltrated by the New People’s Army (NPA) in Agusan del Sur, which led to the attack and hostage-taking of two Army soldiers and 12 members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) on Wednesday.
Business World Online

AFP chief slams deceitful Red truce
The abduction of 12 militiamen and two soldiers in Sibagat, Agusan Del Sur on Wednesday showed that the New People’s Army declaration of a holiday ceasefire was merely an act of deceit, Armed Forces chief Gen. Benjamin Madrigal said Wednesday night. To prevent similar attacks, the AFP chief ordered all troops to be more alert and pro-active in their security measures.
Manila Standard, Philippine News Agency

Cops told to be vigilant after Negros ambush
All police officers in Cebu were advised to take precautionary measures following the killing of Senior Insp. Porferio Gabuya Jr., the deputy chief for operations of Guihulngan Police Station on Wednesday, December 19.
Cebu Daily News

AFP, PNP in Cordillera on full alert vs NPA
The Armed Force of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Cordillera have assured that residents and tourists alike will be secured from threats of the Communist New People Army Terrorists (CNT), especially this Christmas season.
Philippine News Agency

No Christmas break for soldiers after N. Samar landmine attack
The Philippine Army has questioned the sincerity of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) declaration of holiday truce following the landmine attack in the capital town of Northern Samar that wounded four soldiers and two civilians on Tuesday. In a statement issued Wednesday night, the Army’s 43rd Infantry Battalion base in Lope De Vega, Northern Samar, said the actual situation on the ground signified the rebels' lack of intention to observe ceasefire this holiday season.
Philippine News Agency

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On Duterte’s plan to enforce hamletting
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) denounces Duterte’s plan to hamlet rural residents which will surely result in widespread and gross violations of human rights and grave sufferings on the toiling masses.
PRWC

CPP congratulates NPA for successful tactical offensives in answer to martial law
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) applauds the successful tactical offensives mounted by the New People’s Army (NPA) in Agusan del Sur, Samar, Sorsogon and elsewhere over the past two days. The NPA tactical offensives are resounding blows against the Duterte regime’s martial law rule in Mindanao and across the country.
PRWC

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Kin of victim allegedly killed by NPA to get aid
THE Police Regional Office in Davao vowed to assist the families of the victims who were killed by the members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in filing of cases against the suspects after a body was retrieved in Talaingod, Davao del Norte during Oplan Lakbay Hukay.
Sunstar Davao

103 ex-NPAs in Bukidnon get P4.6-M aid
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) office has released a total of PHP4,615,700 in cash aid to 103 former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Bukidnon this year. This was disclosed by Glenda Hope A. Beley, local government operations officer of DILG-Bukidnon during a press conference on Wednesday, coinciding with the awarding of the Enhanced-Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) benefits to 50 former rebels in the province.
Philippine News Agency

Malilong: Children in the time of all-out war
TWELVE years ago, a policeman was killed in an ambush in my hometown in Masbate. He was on his way home after driving his wife Inday, a public school teacher, to school when he was waylaid by six men. His killers were believed to be New People’s Army members. At that time, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had declared an all-out war against communist insurgents.
Sunstar Cebu

19IB presents 300 NPA members and supporters to Task Force Balik-Loob in North Cotabato
Over 300 NPA members, supporters and members of their Underground Mass Organizations (UGMO) were presented by the 19th Infantry Battalion to Task Force Balik-Loob in two separate ceremonies held at Magpet, North Cotabato on Wednesday, December 19, 2018.
Kalinaw News (Civil-Military Operations Regiment)

Former CPP-NPA Terrorists Regain IHL Protection
Fifty (50) former CPP-NPA Terrorists who surrendered to the government restored their civilian status and regained protection provided by International Humanitarian Law (IHL) as they received assistance from the Government through the Enhanced-Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) during a ceremony in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon today, December 19, 2018, around 9:00 AM.
Kalinaw News (Civil-Military Operations Regiment)

Peace Talks

‘NPA may be using hostages as leverage for resumption of peace talks’–Lorenzana
THE New People’s Army (NPA) may be using the militiamen and soldiers it kidnapped recently as “leverage” to demand the resumption of peace talks between the government and the communists, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Thursday.
The Manila Times

Incidents/ Operations   

Lawyers group cries out vs ‘surveillance’
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) on Thursday accused the military of “increased surveillance” and harassment of the human rights group. NUPL president Edre Olalia sent out a message to the media about reports that armed men in motorcycles, cars and a military truck were seen in the vicinity of the NUPL office in Quezon City early on Thursday morning.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Philippines climbs to 10th spot in Global Terrorism Index
Terrorism in the Philippines worsened in 2017, climbing up two spots and ranking 10th among 163 countries most affected by terrorism. The Philippines is the lone Southeast Asian country to rank in the Global Terrorism Index and also ranked first in the terrorism index in the Asia-Pacific region, where 11 were killed in attacks by Islamic State militants in 2017 - all of which happened in the country.
CNN Philippines, ABS-CBN News

Palace says gov’t not taking terrorism lightly
Malacañang on Thursday laid down the steps taken by the government to ensure peace and order in the country after the Philippines ranked high in a global survey of terrorism's impact this year. The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2018 released by think tank Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) showed that the Philippines ranked 10th among countries most affected by terrorism, moving up two notches from the 2017 ranking.
GMA News, Philippine News Agency, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sunstar Manila

Alleged bomber nabbed in GenSan
Police operatives arrested here on Wednesday night a suspected member of an Islamic State-inspired local terrorist cell, foiling an alleged bombing plot in the area. Chief Supt. Eliseo Tam Rasco, regional director of the Police Regional Office-12, said Thursday suspect Jamio Sala alias Jamiung and Jum Jum was nabbed in a joint law enforcement operation at round 7:30 p.m. Wednesday along Osmena Street in Barangay Dadiangas East here.
Mindanews, NDBC News, Philippine Star

MARAWI

Future Bangsamoro gov’t urged to give Marawi a special focus
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Mujiv Hataman on Wednesday, December 19, said the new Bangsamoro government, if ratified by the people in 2019, should give “special focus” on Marawi City and help its war-devastated people to recover.
Rappler

New Army brigade chief in Lanao vows orderly polls
The newly-installed brigade commander of the Army's 103rd Infantry "Haribon" Brigade has vowed to make the upcoming elections orderly, while continuing to pursue remnants of militant extremist groups. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. made the assurance as he assumed command of the 103IB on Tuesday, replacing Brigadier-General Generoso Ponio.
Philippine News Agency

SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE WORLD      

Global Terrorism Index 2018
This is the sixth edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI). The report provides a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 20 years, covering the period from the beginning of 1998 to the end of 2017.
Download: Institute for Economics and Peace

The Economic Value of Peace 2018
This report is the latest release by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) on the economic impact of violence and conflict to the global economy. It provides an empirical basis for understanding the economic benefits resulting from improvements in peace. Estimates of the economic impact of violence are provided for 163 countries and independent territories, covering over 99.5 per cent of the global population. 
Download: Institute for Economics and Peace

Indonesia uses tougher anti-terror law to detain suspects for holidays
Indonesian police have detained about 20 suspected militants as security is stepped up ahead of the Christmas and New Year's holiday season, a commander said on Thursday. National police chief Tito Karnavian said the detentions were made preventively under a revised anti-terrorism law approved in May, after suicide bombings claimed by Islamic State killed more than 30 people in the city of Surabaya.
Thomson Reuters

Main U.S. ally in Syria warns troop pullout will lead to ISIS resurgence
The United States' main ally in Syria on Thursday categorically rejected President Trump's claim that Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants have been defeated and warned that the withdrawal of American troops before accomplishing that goal would lead to a resurgence of the extremist group. 
CBS News

Does Trump Lie to Say ‘We have defeated ISIS in Syria’?
At 11:52AM on Wednesday, December 19th, CBS News headlined “White House orders Pentagon to pull troops from Syria immediately” and reported that, “Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and now serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said it’s ‘simply not true’ [which Trump, had said there, that] ISIS is defeated in Syria.”
Modern Diplomacy

Newspaper coverage of Muslims is negative. And it’s not because of terrorism.
Last week, an Islamist attacked the Strasbourg Christmas market in France and, once again, news outlets were filled with stories about Muslims and violence. Many observers believe that’s typical. Researchers have found again and again that coverage of Muslims in the American and global media is predominantly...
The Washington Post

Europe Faces Continuing Terror Threat, While Concerns in U.S. Ebb, Study Finds
U.S. allies in Europe face a continuing “significant threat” of terrorist attacks from Islamic extremists, even as terrorism is taking a back seat in U.S. security planning that increasingly focuses on challenges from China and Russia, according to a report due for publication this week.
The Wall Street Journal

China's Information War Against the Uyghurs
From Russia’s meddling in the U.S. 2016 presidential election to China’s “influence operations” in Australia and the United States, it is clear that the manipulation of information in pursuit of political and strategic objectives has become a major dynamic of contemporary international security.
The Diplomat

Far-right and far-left extremists use abuse for own agenda - Sarah Champion
The ex-shadow minister said "we have created a vacuum which enables other groups to come in and exploit that". Her comments followed an investigation into "Justice for Women and Children", who some campaigners say are the UK's first far-right group led by women.
BBC News
 

BANGSAMORO ORGANIC LAW

Iqbal: BOL is an inclusive law that will bring lasting peace
“BOL is a political solution to Mindanao conflict, “Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman of MILF Peace Implementing Panel emphasized during a Dialogue for Peace held in South Upi, Maguindanao on December 18.  The dialogue was facilitated by Kalilintad Peace Building Institute (KPI).
Luwaran

PHILCONSA: Perennial anti-peace bearer
The Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa) has consistently adopted an anti-peace stance since the GPH-MILF Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) in 2008 up to the current Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
Luwaran

Politicians cautioned against use of BOL to malign one another
Peace activists have called on politicians campaigning for or against the Bangsamoro Organic Law to refrain from discourses that can derail the delicate southern peace process. The issue is now an irritant among rival political quarters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and in towns outside where the January 21 plebiscite for the ratification of the BOL is to be held.
NDBC News, Philippine Star

BOL info drive on track, sectoral groups listed as next ‘targets’
The Commission on Election (Comelec) on Thursday said its information drive for the plebiscite of Republic Act (RA) 11054, also known as the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), next month  enters it second phase and is now targeting listed sectoral groups.
Business Mirror

MAGUINDANAO AND COTABATO CITY

LANAO PROVINCES

BASILAN

SULU 

TAWI-TAWI 

DRUGS

PDEA to continue campaign vs. small-time illegal drug dealers
Despite prioritizing high value targets, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said it will still run after small-time drug dealers plying their trade at the barangay level, according to Derrick Carreon, PDEA spokesman.
Manila Bulletin

Palace: No special treatment for Chinese drug convicts
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement after Beijing and Hong Kong renewed their calls for the Philippines to ensure that the rights of Lo Wing-fai, Chan Kwok-tung, Kwok Kam-wah and Leung Shu-fook are respected.
Manila Bulletin

De Lima to Panelo: Tell drug war victims’ kid folks killed for resisting arrest
Senator Leila de Lima dared Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Thursday to tell the 11-year-old child of a couple reportedly killed in the government’s drug war that her parents died for resisting arrest.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Operations/ Incidents

P7.6-M in shabu seized in northern Negros upland village
Two drug personalities were arrested in a buy-bust operation that yielded PHP7.674 million in suspected shabu in the mountainous area of Upper Mahayahay in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental early morning on Thursday. A report of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office identified the suspects as Hanjie “Jack” Alquiza, 37, a high-value target, and Roden Zaraga, 41, a street level target.
Philippine News Agency

‘Elvis Presley,’ cohort caught selling marijuana in Pasig
Two male drug suspects, including one who goes by the alias “Elvis Presley,” were caught selling marijuana in Pasig City on Thursday afternoon. According to the Eastern Police District (EPD), Geraldo Lazaro and Elvin Peña, who uses the alias of the late King of Rock, were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Mamerto Compound, Barangay Rosario, Pasig.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

1 alleged drug pusher slain, 2 busted in Quezon
An alleged drug pusher was killed, while two others were arrested in  police buy-bust operations in Lucena City and Sariaya town in Quezon province on Wednesday, police said on Thursday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Recovery and Rehabilitation  

560 more surrenderers graduate from QC drug rehab
A total of 560 drug surrenderers from the Quezon City drug rehabilitation center have recently graduated after completing the rehabilitation modules and counseling. During the commencement ceremony on Wednesday, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte congratulated the graduates for being able to finish the treatment.
Philippine News Agency

ILLICIT FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

NCRPO intensifies 'Oplan Katok' vs. loose firearms
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, Director Guillermo Eleazar has ordered to intensify the campaign against loose firearms and gunrunners to significantly reduce cases of indiscriminate firing in Metro Manila as well as in anticipation of next year’s mid-term elections. Eleazar earlier reiterated his instructions to intensify “Oplan Katok” operations “to let the people feel that we are dead serious” in our campaign to rid society of illegal firearms and instruments of crime.
Philippine News Agency

CROSS-BORDER TRADING/ SMUGGLING  

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

ILLICIT FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS 

Duterte wants to tap NICA in crafting guidelines on entry of foreigners at Subic freeport
President Rodrigo Duterte has directed certain government agencies to consult the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) in the crafting of guidelines on the entry of foreigners as temporary visitors at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales.
GMA News, Cebu Daily News

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Arroyo as next finance or budget chief? Diokno says 'all speculation'
Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno dismissed rumors that House Speaker Gloria Arroyo is eyeing the finance or budget secretary post after her term expires in 2019. Diokno was asked on Wednesday, December 19, about Arroyo’s supposed interest in his job.
Rappler

OPINION: Duterte, allies reap most benefits from fake news
Fake news is the scourge of a social media-addicted society.  Fake news is defined by Collins Dictionary as “false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting.”  It’s also being used to discredit anything that one disdains. That’s why you hear the likes of Presidents Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte, known sources of fake news, accusing legitimate news organizations as being peddlers of fake news.
ABS-CBN News

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DISASTER

MINDANAO

Davao-Quanzhou direct flights seen to draw more Chinese investors
More Chinese investors are expected to invest here following XiamenAir’s launch on Tuesday of its Davao City-Quanzhou twice weekly direct flights “to serve as an air bridge to better enhance bilateral trade relations” between Davao and Jinjiang.
Mindanews

ELECTION RELATED

Comelec mulls extension of source code review period
Interested groups still have a chance to conduct a review of the source code of the automated election system (AES) to be used in the May 13, 2019 National and Local Elections (NLE), as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking to extend the review period. “The review committee is recommending extending the review period. For now, we have until January 31 at the De La Salle University,” said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez in an interview Wednesday.
Philippine News Agency

Election-related Violence

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

JUDICIARY

JBC opens positions for Associate Justices in CA, CTA
Positions for Associate Justices in the Court of Appeals (CA) and Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) are now open, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has announced. In a statement last December 18, JBC said it is now open to receive applications or recommendations for CA Associate Justices and CTA Associate Justices.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

CJ Bersamin visits shelter for children in conflict with law
Together with members of his staff, Manila City judges and court personnel, and those from the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA), Bersamin visited Thursday (December 20) the Manila Youth Reception Action Center, a government-run shelter for minors near the Manila City hall.
Manila Bulletin

LEGISLATIVE

Recycling Arroyo
Former President, and, since July of the year that’s about to end, Speaker of the House of Representatives Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was generous in her praise for her accomplices during her speech this Wednesday when the aptly named Lower House adjourned for the Christmas break.
Business World Online

42 House reps, 2 senators seek release of P1.9-B road tax funds
Forty-two members of the House of Representatives, almost all of them allies of President Rodrigo Duterte, and two senators had asked the Road Board for a total of P1.98 billion in funds raised through road user’s tax, according to documents released to the media by House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

DEFENSE AND SECURITY

Lorenzana reveals names of PH's first-missile capable frigates
The two missile-armed frigates now being constructed by South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) will be named BRP Antonio Luna and BRP Jose Rizal, two of the country's leading patriots. This was bared by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana when asked on the possible names of the two ships Thursday.
Philippine News Agency

ECONOMY AND INVESTMENTS

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD

OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

GRAFT AND CORRUPTION

FOREIGN RELATIONS  

Qatar seeks to boost ties with PH
The Qatari government is intent on increasing its bilateral cooperation with the Philippines as it looks into signing 10 more partnership agreements with the country. In its primer on the Qatar-Philippines relations, the Qatari Embassy in Manila recently listed the "agreement expected to be signed in the near future" in the fields of energy, customs law, youth, sports, combatting transnational crime, cooperation between central banks, education, human rights, military, and marine industries.
Philippine News Agency

PH, Indonesia renew agreement on education cooperation
The Department of Education (DepEd) of the Philippines, led by Secretary Leonor Briones, and the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia renewed their “productive cooperation” under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during a welcome dinner for Education Minister Prof. Dr. Muhadjir Effendy in Pasig City.
Manila Bulletin

West Philippine Sea

Troops to continue patrolling WPS: DND chief
The country will continue patrolling the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday. He added that this will be the thrust of the defense establishment for the coming year.
Philippine News Agency

LABOR

DOLE reiterates proper salary payment for employees in December holidays
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reiterated to employers the proper payment of wage for workers during special or non-working and regular holidays in December this year. In a Labor Advisory No. 19 signed by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III last Dec. 5, DOLE reminded employers to follow the rules for workers’ salary.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

TRANSPORTATION

NAIA cites improved facilities, security as major feats in 2018
Improved facilities and enhanced security are the major achievements at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in 2018, two top executives have told the Philippine News Agency (PNA). First is the completion of the rapid exit taxiways, noted Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Ed Monreal.
Philippine News Agency

DOTr to Angkas: We're willing to listen, but stop defying SC
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) told Angkas on Thursday, December 20, that it is willing to talk and listen to the company's concerns, even as Angkas "defies" the Supreme Court (SC). In a statement, the DOTr pointed out that Angkas "continues to brazenly defy" the SC order to temporarily stop its operations.
Rappler

HEALTH 

DOH awaits OSG move to charge pharmaceutical firm for Dengvaxia mess
The Department of Health (DOH) said that it is still awaiting the move of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to hold French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur liable, a year after the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine issue erupted.
Manila Bulletin

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

EDUCATION

Expand scholarships to private college studes, gov't urged
Even with free tuition in public universities and colleges, Senator Sonny Angara is pushing for the expansion of scholarship grants to students enrolled in private higher education institutions. Angara has lauded the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)'s recent memorandum of agreement signing with 792 private institutions nationwide so that private college students would also benefit from the Free College Law or Republic Act 10931.
Philippine News Agency

ENERGY

POVERTY

HOUSING

TOURISM

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

Pagasa on dry spell watch
Seventeen of Mindanao’s 27 provinces have experienced below normal rainfall in the past two months, a weather condition that was likely to evolve into an El Niño phenomenon, or dry spell, an official said. Anthony Joseph Lucero, acting chief of the Mindanao Pagasa Regional Services Division (MPRSD), said the rainfall decline, which ranged from 21 to 60 percent from the average, triggered dry conditions in the affected areas.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY

DEVELOPMENT SECTOR