MANILA, Philippines – “Give Mindanao the best men in uniform. Mindanao deserves nothing less.”

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III on Tuesday, January 31, called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to stop sending scalawag cops to Mindanao as a form of punishment.

“Mindanao should be treated by the PNP with the same respect that all Filipinos deserve regardless of their faith, their culture, and their economic status,” said Pimentel in a statement to media.

It’s been a long-running joke in the ranks – which is sometimes meant – that erring cops or those who fall out of favor end up assigned to police units in Mindanao.

The joke has become something of a policy in recent months, with PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa’s announcement that cops with suspected links to illegal drugs had been or wouldl be sent to Mindanao.

President Rodrigo Duterte said as much during a late-night press conference on Sunday, January 29.

“Give Mindanao the best men in uniform. Mindanao deserves nothing less,” said Pimentel, who noted that he was “expressing the dismay and apprehension of law-abiding citizens in the South for being the ‘favored dumping ground’ for rogue policemen.”

Duterte, Dela Rosa, and Pimentel all hail from Mindanao. Duterte was mayor of Davao City for over two decades, while Dela Rosa, who was born in nearby Davao del Sur, was Davao city police chief. Pimentel was born in Cagayan de Oro City.  

“The President said we need to beef up our presence in Basilan, Jolo, Tawi-Tawi. We need men there. Again, I hope the governor or officials of ARMM (the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) or of Mindanao who are complaining because their region, province is not a dumping ground… I’m sorry. But that’s the instruction of the President,” said Dela Rosa in a press briefing on Monday, January 30.

He added: “We need to chase after the Abu Sayyaf and in Lanao [del Sur], the Maute Group. Mayors, like the one in Marawi City, complain that they have no police. We’ll add more police there. We’ll bring them [errant cops] there. They can change their ways there.”

It’s not the first time that erring police got reassigned to Mindanao under the Duterte administration.

When Dela Rosa took office in July 2016, he rounded up supposedly corruption cops assigned to anti-illegal drugs units and re-assigned them to different areas in Mindanao.

In an interview with Rappler in July, Dela Rosa explained that this was a stopgap measure, to put a hold on the police personnel’s alleged illegal activities. This was part of their efforts to cleanse their ranks in the war on drugs.

It’s a reasoning that doesn’t sit well with Pimentel.

“They should not be recycled and sent to far-away postings as punishment. This will merely transfer the problem, not put a stop to it,” he said.

Instead, the Senate President said, police should be charged administratively so they can be kicked out of the police force to be “[sent] back to the Police Academy for re-education and re-orientation of values.”

The Senate has investigated several instances of cops apparently going rogue under the Duterte administration.

Late last year, the Senate probed the death of Albuera Mayor Roland Espinosa Sr, among the first local chief executives Duterte accused of being linked to illegal drugs. Espinosa was shot by police inside his jail cell, supposedly because he fought back.

The National Bureau of Investigation had tagged the incident a “rubout.”

Just last week, the Senate heard the case of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo, who was kidnapped from his home in Angeles City and killed inside Camp Crame, the PNP headquarters.

The primary suspects in his slay include several police from the PNP’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Groups (AIDG).

Jee’s murder triggered sweeping changes in the PNP. Duterte ordered the dissolution of the AIDG and a stop to all anti-illegal drugs operations by police.

The PNP will instead focus on anti-criminality efforts and an “internal cleanse” targeting errant cops. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Government peace negotiator Hernani Braganza said he is counting on the communist National Democratic Front (NDF) to keep its ceasefire commitment amid fears that the rebel group is going to withdraw it soon. (READ: Soldiers report skirmishes with NPA in 7 areas)

"We agreed to meet again on February 22 to discuss the possibility of having a bilateral ceasefire agreement. This was a commitment by both parties since round 1. So far both parties remain committed to having a bilateral ceasefire," Braganza told Rappler on Tuesday, January 31. 

The panels agreed to hold a side meeting in The Netherlands in late February to discuss the possibility of elevating the current ceasefire arrangements into a more stable bilateral ceasefire deal that will put in place common rules for the military and the New People's Army (NPA) to follow. (READ: PH, NDF make significant headway in talks despite clashes)

But NPA spokesperson Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos is scheduled to hold a press conference on Wednesday morning, February 1, prompting speculation that the armed group of the communist movement will announce a decision to return to the battlefield.

The government panel is counting on the NPA not to do this until after the February meeting in The Netherlands. 

'Ceasefire still in place'

A series of armed encounters that the military has blamed on the rebels threaten to end the ceasefire. Two soldiers were killed, one was abducted, and at least 3 were wounded across Luzon and Mindanao in the last 3 days. (READ: Duterte's peace adviser slams NDF over series of rebel attacks)

NDF chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said on Tuesday afternoon that the ceasefire is still in place. He blamed the clashes on the aggressiveness of the military, citing the first firefight in Makilala, North Cotabato that killed one rebel.

"As of today, the unilateral ceasefire declaration of the CPP and NPA is still in place," Agcaoili said. 

The NDF, the guerrillas' political arm, has previously warned that its forces were inclined to withdraw its 5-month-old ceasefire declaration. (READ: Gov't in backchannel talks to protect ceasefire)

Backchannel talks were conducted and the government panel considered the threat averted after the NDF committed to discuss a possible bilateral ceasefire agreement that could make the current ceasefire arrangements more stable. 

Braganza said it is important to hold the ceasefire as the panels begin difficult talks on proposed reforms to the countyry's social and economic policies. 

Braganza recalled how firefights on the ground have negatively affected the peace talks and once prompted a government a walkout. 

"It's not good for the talks. There are incidents that may lead to delays or impasse in the talks," said Braganza. – Rappler.com

DUBAI, UAE – Gulf monarchies, notably Saudi Arabia, and other major Muslim nations have been spared the US travel ban because they are crucial allies of Washington and not "failed states", experts say.

President Donald Trump's controversial executive order on Friday singled out citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen to prevent "radical Islamic terrorists" from entering the United States.

But the ban, which could still extend to other states, has exempted Muslim-majority nations associated with major attacks in the West.

Out of the 19 hijackers of planes used in the September 11, 2011 attacks, 15 came from Saudi Arabia, also the birthplace of Al-Qaeda founder and attack mastermind Osama bin Laden.

The other four included the Egyptian plot leader, two Emiratis and a Lebanese.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf and Arab nations are also home to scores of jihadists who have joined Al-Qaeda and its rival Islamic State group, both of which have been behind deadly attacks in Europe.

But the kingdom, cradle of the austere Sunni doctrine of Wahhabism, has traditionally been a strategic ally of Washington.

"Trump appears to consider – in line with longstanding mainstream US policy – the Gulf states as crucial allies for the United States government," said Adam Baron, a visiting fellow and Yemen specialist at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

"The nations appear to have been chosen due to their governments' poor relations with the US or their precarious state," he said.

Saudi Arabia has been in war with Al-Qaeda for more than a decade, hitting what it calls the "deviant group" with an iron fist. It is also in the US-led coalition fighting ISIS, along with other Gulf states.

US partners

The ban is not about "countries where we have close partnerships with their counter-terrorism forces and where there is a well-developed structure of intelligence cooperation", said Anthony Cordesman, from the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

The same applies to Egypt, the Arab world's most-populous nation and birthplace of the transnational Muslim Brotherhood – branded as terrorist by Cairo and main Gulf states.

"Egypt and Saudi Arabia are seen as the main US partners in the region," said Victor Salama, political science professor at Cairo University, highlighting a "convergence in points of view" between Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

"Sisi was the first to congratulate Trump" from the Middle East after the November election, Salama noted.

Intelligence cooperation with Cairo could also mean Washington finds the "Egyptian services reliable enough to trust them in controlling their nationals", said Tawfik Aclimandos, a lecturer in political science at Cairo University.

Hot on the heals of the travel ban, Trump called Saudi King Salman and UAE strongman Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi's crown prince.

Trump agreed with both on cooperation to fight "radical Islamic terrorism", the White House said.

He also agreed with the Saudi monarch to "rigorously" enforce the nuclear agreement with Riyadh's arch-foe Iran, an agreement that Trump had opposed.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Since Saudi Arabia is the enemy of Iran in the region and Iran is the enemy of Israel, then the US is the friend of Saudi Arabia," argued Mathieu Guidere, a Paris-based professor of Middle East geopolitics.

Business interests

But as much as strategic ties affect the ban, the decision was based on "indicators of failed states" that are "unable to ensure security and exchange data with the US about their citizens", Guidere said.

The billionaire president's business interests have also been cited as why some countries were not on the list.

A map compiled by Bloomberg showed that Trump has business ties with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE.

But analysts downplay such a claim.

"Getting the occasional fee for selling a brand name is not really enough to motivate a president," said Cordesman.

Beyond the Middle East, Trump has business interests in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country that has long struggled with Islamic militancy and suffered deadly attacks.

"He doesn't want to jeopardise that," said Tobias Basuki, a political analyst from Jakarta-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

He said that Indonesia as "a democracy" is not a threat.

"Of course within his so-called constituency, no one is afraid of Indonesia. Right-wing conservatives don't even know where Indonesia is, so it's not a problem for him," Basuki said.

But regardless of where it hits, the ban "will be problematic no matter where Trump wants to apply it, whether weak or strong states", said Ibrahim Fraihat, conflict resolution professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

"It violates basic human rights," he said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The document signifying the Philippines' ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change has been submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte for his signature.

The "Instrument of Accession" was submitted to Duterte during the Climate Change Commission and Advisory Board en banc meeting on Tuesday, January 31, at the Palace, said Climate Change Commissioner Emmanuel de Guzman.

At the meeting, the last of 33 certificates of concurrence (COCs) were signed by Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.

The COCs are documents affirming that the various Philippine government agencies understand and approve the agreement and vow to do their share in implementing the country's commitment under the deal.

"I am elated with the completion of the certificate of concurrence for the Paris Agreement by our national government agencies," said De Guzman.

"Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay signed the last COC and submitted the Instrument of Accession (Ratification) to the President for his approval and signature, and for transmission thereafter to the Senate for concurrence," added the commissioner.

Senate concurrence is the final step in order for the Philippines to ratify the historic climate pact as over 120 other countries have done. Senate approval would mean the climate deal becomes a treaty.

By ratifying the agreement, the Philippines signifies its intent to be legally-bound to the accord at the international level. 

"This is an important development towards the country's joining the climate change accord and the early delivery of its benefits to our Filipino people," said De Guzman.

He said the Philippines stands to gain much from ratifying the deal, including assistance from the international community in financing climate adaptation programs, and improving the capacity and knowledge of of government and private sector in handling climate-related phenomena like stronger typhoons and more destructive droughts.

Aside from the transmittal of the ratification document to the President, another highlight of the meeting was Duterte's designation of Senator Loren Legarda as "de facto" chairperson of the Climate Change Commission.

Duterte, as President, is technically the commission's chairman.

Legarda's new role gives her "oversight" functions and empowers her to make some decisions usually left to the President.

"Historically, the President, given his many responsibilities, could not attend to the many concerns of the Commission as its chair," De Guzman told Rappler.

Ratification by July

A total of 194 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in France's capital in December 2015. 

It made history as the first-ever legally-binding global agreement on climate change signed by almost all countries.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III previously expressed confidence that the Philippines would be able to ratify the agreement by July.

There were worries that the Philippines, known to have been among the developing nations that had championed the deal, would not ratify it after President Duterte announced he would not honor international agreements binding the Philippines to limit its carbon emissions.

Duterte has said he is suspicious of the deal, claiming it unfairly constrains the economic growth of developing nations which need emission-heavy industrialization to grow. (READ: Duterte: Climate change real but Paris treaty unfair)

He also questioned how the deal would impose sanctions on wealthy nations like the United States and Europe should they fail to reach their promised carbon emission reductions.

There were fiery debates about the issue of ratifying the Paris climate deal in Cabinet meetings.

Finally, Duterte put the matter to a vote. He ended up conceding despite his reservations because a majority of his Cabinet voted to ratify the agreement. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – “Pressures from the top” and “financial incentives” have created an “informal economy of death” to drive police killings in the Philippines’ war on drugs, according to an Amnesty International report.

“This is not a war on drugs, but a war on the poor. Often on the flimsiest of evidence, people accused of using or selling drugs are being killed for cash in an economy of murder,” said Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International’s Crisis Response Director.

Hassan added: “Under President [Rodrigo] Duterte’s rule, the national police are breaking laws they are supposed to uphold while profiting from the murder of impoverished people the government was supposed to uplift. The same streets Duterte vowed to rid of crime are now filled with bodies of people illegally killed by his own police.”

On Wednesday, February 1, Amnesty released its report titled, "If you are poor you are killed”: Extrajudicial Executions in the Philippines’ “War on Drugs.”

It came out two days after the Philippine National Police (PNP) were ordered to pull out of the drug war because of corruption within its ranks.

Duterte’s war on drugs enjoys popular support but has been harshly criticized for its high death toll. Since July 2016, police have tallied more than 7,000 deaths in the war on drugs. More than 2,000 have been attributed to police operations but the bulk are vigilante-style killings with possible links to illegal drugs. The PNP calls these cases “deaths under investigation.” (IN NUMBERS: The Philippines' 'war on drugs')

“Acting on instructions from the very top of government, the Philippines police have killed and paid others to kill thousands of alleged drug offenders in a wave of extrajudicial executions that may amount to crimes against humanity,” the international human rights organization said in its report.

Police have long been plagued by allegations of resorting to extrajudicial killings in the name of the drug war, a claim PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa has long denied. The PNP chief, who was once police chief in Davao when Duterte was mayor, insisted that they presumed regularity in all police operations.

Dela Rosa himself admitted that the presumption could no longer be made after a South Korean businessman was kidnapped and killed, allegedly by police who used the drug war as a smokescreen.

Paid to kill

In a release to media, Amnesty said its report documents "how the police, working from unverified lists of people allegedly using or selling drugs, stormed into homes and shot dead unarmed people, including those prepared to surrender."

The report documented 33 cases involving 59 deaths. According to Amnesty International, researchers spoke to 110 people from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao “detailing extrajudicial executions in 20 cities across the archipelago.”

“The organisation also examined documents, including police reports,” said Amnesty.

According to a cop with the rank of Senior Police Officer 1, police were being paid between P8,000 (US$161) to P15,000 (US$302) per kill. The payment supposedly came in cash from “headquarters.”

Police used the term “encounter” – implying that drug personalities fought back – to mask extrajudicial killings as legitimate operations, the report said, quoting the same cop.

“We’re paid in cash, secretly, by headquarters…There’s no incentive for arresting. We’re not paid anything,” the report quoted the policeman, who has served in the PNP for over a decade, as saying. The cop is a member of one of Metro Manila’s anti-illegal drugs units. The Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) has since been ordered dissolved by Duterte.

As a result of the cash incentive, said the cop, “it never happens that there’s a shootout and no one is killed.”

“Nanlaban (Fought back)” is the term most police officers use when asked why a drug suspect was gunned down.

Police even made deals with funeral parlors, Amnesty found, getting cash for every dead body. Cops also supposedly stole from the homes of their victims.

“The police are behaving like the criminal underworld that they are supposed to be enforcing the law against, by carrying out extrajudicial executions disguised as unknown killers and ‘contracting out’ killings,” said Amnesty.

Alarming crisis

Hassan said the situation in the Philippines “is a crisis the entire world should be alarmed by.”

“We are calling on the government, from President Duterte down, to order an immediate halt to all extrajudicial executions. We are also calling on the Philippines Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute anyone involved in these killings, regardless of their rank or status in the police or government,” she said.

But should the Philippine government prove unresponsive, Hassan said the international community should turn to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court "to carry out a preliminary examination into these killings, including the involvement of officials at the very top of the government.”

Duterte has been criticized in the past for his often flamboyant pronouncements when talking about drug suspects. Dela Rosa has also gotten into hot water for his public pronouncements, particularly when he encouraged “surrendered” drug users to burn the houses of known drug lords.

A crackdown on illegal drugs was among Duterte’s promises when he ran for president in the 2016 elections.

By law, it’s the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) that is the lead government body in all efforts against illegal drugs. But under Duterte drug war, the PNP turned into the de facto lead agency – and face – of all efforts.

In a late-night press conference in Malacañang Sunday evening, January 29, Duterte said a huge chunk of police were corrupt. Now that the 160,000-strong PNP is barred from all anti-illegal drugs operations, the war on drugs will be spearheaded by PDEA. – Rappler.com 

UNITED NATIONS – UN-led peace talks on Syria have been postponed until February 20, the UN special envoy told the Security Council on Tuesday, January 31, according to diplomats at the closed meeting.

The talks in Geneva had been scheduled to begin on February 8 but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week announced they would be delayed, without providing reasons.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said the delay would give the Syrian opposition more time to prepare and ensure that the talks are as inclusive as possible, two diplomats told AFP.

Russia, Iran and Turkey last week led talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana on shoring up a ceasefire in Syria, where more than 310,000 people have died in nearly six years of war.

The council met behind closed doors to hear a report from De Mistura on preparations for the Geneva talks amid concerns the Astana discussions could open up a new track of negotiations.

"We have been concerned that the Geneva talks have been delayed and we would be concerned if there were any watering down of the basis of those talks," British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters ahead of the meeting.

"It's very important that there is confirmation that the UN will lead the next round of talks," said Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog, this month's council president.

During the Astana talks, Russia, Syria's main ally, presented opposition rebels with a draft constitution that was immediately rejected by the groups.

The unilateral move by Russia raised concern in Western capitals.

"The UN has to be front and center in the political process," said French Ambassador Francois Delattre.

He cited the need to respect the Geneva communique agreed with Russia that calls for a transition in Syria.

"We start with a transition, then the constitution, and then the elections," said Delattre. "I think if we can all stay on this line, then we can move."

Previous UN-led talks have broken down over disagreements on ensuring a transition in Damascus that would lead to President Bashar al-Assad's exit from power.

Western powers have for weeks questioned the purpose of the Astana talks and raised concern that they could sideline the Geneva talks.

Turkey, which backs rebel forces, has for the first time conceded that a peace deal that excludes Assad from power might not be possible.

The new date was announced after US Ambassador Nikki Haley meet with De Mistura on Monday to discuss the way forward in Syria.

Invitations to attend the Geneva talks will be sent out on February 8, De Mistura told the council, according to diplomats. – Rappler.com

AKLAN, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the dredging of the Aklan River to stop, following protests from residents of Bakhaw Norte in Kalibo.

The National Environmental Crime Task Force was directed to implement the cease and desist order on the dredging operations of Santarli (STL) Panay Resources Company Limited. 

DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Arturo Valdez led the task force on Tuesday, January 31, during the inspection of MV Zhong Hai 18, which STL has commissioned to dredge the heavily-silted Aklan River. 

"Nag-reklamo ang mga tao sa dredging operations. Nag-issue kami ng cease and desist order, kaya na-enforce namin to stop the operations," Valdez said. 

(The people complained about the dredging operations. We issued a cease and desist order, so we enforced the ceasing of operations.)

The vessel, with 18 Chinese nationals on board, was also not cleared for departure from Philippine waters pending the filing of charges against the crew.

"May kaso silang haharapin sa atin. Pag umalis ang barko na walang clearance, ma-blacklisted sa mga international ports at ipapadakip pa rin natin ang crew. Nakita natin sa mga compartments ng barko may mga dredged material na nakuha sa Aklan River. Kumuha tayo ng mga samples ng mga bato para malaman natin ang klase," Valdez said.

(They will face a case. If the ship leaves without clearance, they will be blacklisted in international ports and we will ask for the crew to be detained. We saw dredged material stored in the ship's compartments. We took some samples so we can study the material.)

'Kalibo, I heard you'

In a statement, DENR Secretary Gina Lopez said her department will file cases against the Chinese nationals, whom she said had no papers or permits to conduct dredging operations.

She added that the dredging operations has adversely affected the area.

"The ship's dredging has caused soil erosion in sandbars that act as a natural barrier against natural disasters... It is also affecting more than 40 households and the people are up in arms from Kalibo mayor William Lachica, the Church and the Metro Kalibo Water District. We also witnessed four houses eroding down the river," Lopez said.

"Kalibo, I heard you. The local residents were with DENR all the way – from submitting complaints about STL's dredging, to enforcement coordination, and even offering our men in uniform something to eat after the operations. Now Brgy Bakhaw Norte can sleep peacefully at night once again without the dredging sounds and fish can again pass through the river channels. Today, the eco warriors inside of us is alive and well," she added.

Following the complaint of Bakhaw Norte residents, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO)-Aklan chief Ivene Reyes issued on January 26 a show-cause order compelling STL to justify its dredging activities.

STL has yet to answer why no legal action should be imposed against the company, after a multipartite monitoring team reported the violations of MV Zhong Hai 18. 

The monitoring team noted that 1,200 cubic meters of sand was dredged and stored in two compartments of the vessel last week.  

Earlier, some 100 residents of Bakhaw Norte staged a march protest and rally outside the offices of PENRO, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the provincial government of Aklan to urge officials to stop the dredging operations. 

Under its Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the provincial government, STL is tasked to dredge 15 million cubic meters of sand in Aklan river for 3 years. The dredged material will be transported by a bulk carrier ship commissioned by STL to Singapore.

It is also stipulated in the MOA that STL will pay the Aklan government P5 per cubic meter of material it dredges. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The communist New People's Army (NPA) declared on Wednesday, February 1, that it is terminating its 5-month-old ceasefire with the Philippine government following a series of skirmishes with the military. (READ: Soldiers report skirmishes with NPA in 7 areas)

"The August 28, 2016, unilateral declaration of interim ceasefire issued by the Central Committee of the CPP (CPP-CC) and the National Operations Command of the New People’s Army (NPA-NOC) is hereby terminated," NPA spokesperson Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos said in a statement.

"The Negotiating Panel of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) shall be given notice today of this termination by the Negotiating Panel of the National Democratic Front (NDFP)," the statement added.

The ceasefire termination will take effect after 10 days or on February 10.

The NPA, the armed wing of the CPP, ordered its units to "take full initiative in planning, coordinating and carrying out military campaigns and tactical offensives" against state forces, paramilitary groups, and people involved in illegal drugs and illegal gambling, among others. 

The NPA cited the alleged ceasefire abuses by the miiltary and the delayed release of political prisoners as reasons for terminating the ceasefire.

The NDF had previously warned that it was inclined to end the ceasefire but the government panel believed it had averted this threat when the National Democratic Front (NDF) – the group representing the rebels in talks with governmetn – agreed to hold a side meeting in February to discuss the possibility of a bilateral ceasefire agreement. (READ: PH, NDF talks make significant headway despite clashes)

'Talks should continue'

The armed group responsible for Asia's longest running communist insurgency said peace talks should continue even as fighting resumes on the ground. 

"In our experience and in the experience of other peoples, it is possible to negotiate while fighting until the substantive agreements are forged to address the roots of the armed conflict and lay the basis for a just and lasting peace," the NPA statement said.

The NPA's announcement comes after a series of skirmishes with the military since Sunday. 

Two soldiers were killed, one was abducted, and at least 3 were wounded in a series of armed encounters since Sunday. They were unexpected because of the ongoing ceasefire between the two armed groups. 

The military claimed the NPA rebels attacked at least 7 areas in Luzon and Mindanao despite its ceasefire declaration. Two soldiers were killed in Isabela, one was abducted in Surigao Del Norte, and at least 3 others were wounded in various parts of Mindanao during these attacks.

The NDF said the NPA only defended itself from the military which, it added, became increasingly aggressive since the firefight in Makilala, North Cotabato that killed one rebel. It was the first clash to break the ceasefire. 

5-month ceasefire 

The military and the NPA issued separate unilateral indefinite ceasefire declarations in August 2016 in support of the peace talks revived by President Rodrigo Duterte, one of the promises he made during the campaign.

But the ceasefire had grown untenable on the ground as both camps protested each other's activities. The NDF also protested government delays in releasing political prisoners. 

NDF panel members had suggested in media interviews a "talk while fighting" scenario, where the negotiations continue on even as the NPA goes back to war.

The government, hoping to extend the ceasefire, had pressed the NDF to sign a bilateral ceasefire agreement that will put in place common rules for the military and the NPA. It was envisioned to make sure that misencounters are avoided.

The government said a ceasefire is necessary to make the environment conducive for the difficult talks on key reform proposals. (READ: PH, NDF talks: Both sides need to make painful compromises)

The panels failed to sign a bilateral ceasefire agreement during the 3rd round of talks in Rome in January, but the two panels agreed to discuss the joint deal later this month in The Netherlands. 

The peace panels have yet to issue statements as of this posting.– Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – A group of US diplomats declared their opposition to President Donald Trump's travel ban Tuesday, January 31, despite the White House warning that they should get behind his agenda or resign.

A large group of diplomats from posts around the world submitted a "dissent memo" through an official State Department channel, a spokeswoman confirmed.

When it was reported on Monday, January 30, that such a memo was being prepared, Trump's spokesman Sean Spicer issued an extraordinary warning that the officials "should either get with the program or they can go."

Trump's White House argues that the ban is necessary to slow arrivals from countries plagued by violent extremism while his administration draws up tough new rules to weed out potential terrorists.

"If somebody has a problem with that agenda, that does call into question whether they should continue in that post or not," Spicer told reporters. "This is about the safety of America."

According to leaked drafts of the memo, the US envoys argue that Trump's decision to suspend refugee arrivals and ban visitors from 7 mainly-Muslim countries is a betrayal of American values.

"We are better than this ban," they declare, scorning Trump's plan to introduce "extreme vetting" for visa applicants as a "high, vague and nebulous bar" for travelers from the seven countries to meet. 

"A policy which closes our doors to over 200 million legitimate travelers in the hopes of preventing a small number of travelers who intend to harm Americans from using the visa system to enter the United States will not achieve its aim of making our country safer," the memo reads.

Trump's order bans the arrival of citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for at least 90 days. All refugees are barred for 120 days, while Syrian refugees are blocked indefinitely.

The order triggered mass protests at US airports, as arriving refugees and travelers from the targeted countries were turned away, and stoked outrage around the globe.

The State Department's internal "dissent channel" was created during the Vietnam War. The last time it was used was in June 2016, when about 50 diplomats urged president Barack Obama to reconsider his opposition to US military strikes against Syria.

But its use just 10 days after a new president was inaugurated – and even before Trump's nominee for secretary of state has been confirmed – is unprecedented. – Rappler.com

BOGOTA, Colombia – Colombian FARC rebels gathered in demobilization zones on Tuesday, January 31, to start a historic disarmament process to end Latin America's last major armed conflict, authorities said.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are due to disband with UN supervision under a peace deal with the government after 52 years of conflict.

Meanwhile, the country's last active rebel group, the smaller National Liberation Army (ELN), was taking the final steps towards its own peace talks with the government.

The government's top delegate for the peace process, Sergio Jaramillo, said a total of 6,300 FARC fighters were due to reach the disarmament zones by Wednesday, February 1, and thousands had already arrived.

"What is happening is really most extraordinary. This is the peace process in action," he told a news conference.

He said there had been no major incidents in what the government has called the FARC's "last march."

Fighters traveled by boat, canoe, bus, truck and on foot as they headed to 26 zones where they will disarm and eventually re-enter civilian life.

But a monitoring group warned that only one of the camps was fully ready.

"The preparation of the disarmament zones is at 30 to 35%," said Leon Valencia, head of the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation.

The ELN, meanwhile, said Monday, January 30, the government had begun releasing certain detainees to clear the way for peace talks.

In return, the ELN is to release a former lawmaker it is holding hostage, Odin Sanchez, on Thursday, February 2.

The government is due simultaneously to release two other imprisoned ELN members and grant them a pardon.

The ELN announced Tuesday that it was also holding another hostage, a Colombian soldier previously reported missing by the army, whom the rebel force seized last week.

It said it was willing to release him, too.

ELN negotiators are gathered in the Ecuadoran capital Quito, where talks with the government are scheduled to start on February 7.

After last year's contested peace accord with the Marxist FARC, President Juan Manuel Santos says he wants a deal with the ELN to seal a "complete peace" in Colombia.

The Colombian conflict grew out of a crushed uprising over land rights in the 1960s.

It has killed more than 260,000 people and left 60,000 missing, according to authorities.

The conflict has drawn in not only the Colombian armed forces, the FARC and the ELN, but also drug gangs, right-wing paramilitaries and other leftist rebel groups that have since disbanded. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – People on the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder may live two years less on average than those at the top, according to a large-scale study published Wednesday, February 1.

This makes social rank a bigger risk factor for illness and premature death than either high alcohol consumption or obesity, and it nearly equals the risk posed by physical inactivity, researchers said.

On average, a low social rank shaved over 25 months off the average lifespan, compared with 6 months for heavy alcohol intake and 8 months for obesity, according to Lifepath, a European Commission-funded consortium that conducted the study.

For diabetes, the risk was almost 4 years in lost life, and for smoking nearly 5.

The study was the first attempt to weigh the health risk of socioeconomic status against other "modifiable" factors, the authors said, at least in high-income countries. 

"Low socioeconomic status is one of the strongest predictors of premature mortality worldwide, but health policymakers often do not consider it a risk factor to target," Lifepath said in a statement. 

"Because these circumstances are modifiable, they should be included in the list of risk factors targeted by global health strategies," said Silvia Stringhini of the Lausanne University Hospital, the lead author of the study. 

Smoking, drinking and physical inactivity are already the focus of national and global public health policies.

Social rank could be improved by government policies on tax or education, for example, said the study, published in The Lancet.

The researchers reviewed data from 48 previous studies covering more than 1.7 million people from 7 countries – Australia, Britain, France, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland and the United States. 

They conceded that their research was limited by the fact that they had used the participants' occupation – whether a street sweeper or a CEO – as the sole measure of socioeconomic status. – Rappler.com

ANGELES CITY, Philippines – The Central Luzon Police said on Tuesday, January 31, that a Korean living in Angeles City may be making a business out of tipping scalawag cops, telling them who among his fellow Koreans they could target for extortion.

Regional Chief Superintendent Aaron Aquino told Rappler he has identified at least one Korean acting as an alleged middleman in what he calls a modus among local cops to extort money from Korean victims.

“There’s one Korean by the name of Thomas, that is his English name. I don’t know his Korean name, we have no information about his real name at this time. Definitely, we will file necessary charges against these Koreans,” Aquino said.

His name, according to sources, is Thomas Jung, but he is not facing charges at the moment. Instead he is a witness in a case filed against 7 policemen of Angeles City Station 5 for illegally arresting, detaining, and robbing 3 Korean tourists of P300,000.

Jung refused to answer questions from reporters who repeatedly sought his side from the time he arrived at the Pampanga Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Angeles Tuesday afternoon, until the time he left the fiscal's office Tuesday night.

One of the 3 tourists, Lee Ki Hun, 35 years old, returned to the Philippines on Tuesday to file kidnap-for-ransom and robbery charges against the 7 policemen.

The house they were staying at inside Friendship Plaza Subdivision – where businessman Jee Ick Joo was abducted – was raided by the station 5 cops last December 30, 2016 on grounds of illegal gambling. The cops allegedly took the Koreans' shoes, golf clubs, jewelry and cash. (READ: Koreans and crime in Angeles City)

‘Vital witness’

The cops also allegedly detained the 3 inside station 5 for 7 hours and extorted from them a total of P300,000 before letting them go. Another Korean supposedly came to the tourists’ rescue, withdrawing from a nearby ATM and delivering the cash to the station to secure their release.

Jung, according to Aquino, was the same person who delivered the cash.

“He is the one who gave the P300,000 to Mr Park and Mr Lee at the police station 5 in Angeles City. He is that person, Thomas,” Aquino said.

The criminal charges were filed before the Angeles City Fiscal Office on Tuesday night after a 10-hour-long case conference with the investigators from the Pampanga Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Asked about the specifics of Jung’s alleged involvement in the incident and on what basis he was made a witness, CIDG Region 3 Chief Senior Superintendent Edwin Quilates simply said: “He is a vital witness to the kidnapping case.”

Jung’s links to Lee and the other two tourists are still unclear. Lee also refused to answer questions from reporters, as he and Jung left in one car. 

With them was another witness, Filipina maid Lucilyn Torres who was arrested and detained with the 3 tourists. Police sources told Rappler Torres was newly hired by the 3 tourists to help them in their rented house inside Friendship Plaza. The same sources said her alleged link to one of the 7 policemen is also being investigated.

Torres denied she knows any of the 7 policemen.

Aquino said there is an obvious pattern. ‘May modus against Koreans, ilang bases na ring ginagawa. ‘Yung apat sa pitong pulis na sangkot ngayon, apat doon ay nadawit na dati," Aquino told Rappler in a phone interview.

(There is a modus against Koreans, this has happened a number of times. In fact 4 of the 7 policemen involved now had also been implicated in a similar case before.)

‘Bad Koreans’

Aquino presided over on Tuesday a two-hour meeting attended by police directors in the region and members of the Korean community inside Camp Olivas in San Fernando, Pampanga. There he told Korean officials that if there are bad Filipino cops, “there are also bad Koreans.”

“They are the ones who pinpoint the would-be Korean victims. In short, they are the spotters, the fixers. If the cops get money, they have cut from that money,” Aquino said.

Another indication of the link between Koreans and local police was revealed in the meeting by Kyungho Yoon, consular assistant of the South Korean embassy who is based in Subic, Zambales.

According to him, there are Koreans living in Olongapo who have official IDs either from the Land Transportation Office, National Bureau of Investigation, or Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (HPG) even if they don’t work there. 

“I don’t know how they could get the IDs. And I think those Koreans with police or NBI ID, they are not the good guys,” Yoon said.

Olongapo City Police Acting Director Senior Superintendent Melchor Cabalza III said they will investigate the matter. Korean officials also acknowledged the issue and said they will take the necessary action to address the problem.

Protection

Koreans in Pampanga have their own Korean police deployed to the province by virtue of a Korean Desk created in 2015. The Korean police officer, Chief Inspector Lee Ji Hoon, is stationed inside the Pampanga CIDG office in Angeles City.

The tourist and complainant Lee will be staying in the Philippines for a few days to complete the legal processes required in filing the case. 

“We explained to (Lee) that we will  assist him in any way and we have promised to provide the security needed,” Quilates said.

The 7 policemen of station 5 have been fired on administrative charges, along with their two station commanders. Angeles City Police Chief Senior Superintendent Sidney Villaflor was also fired last week for "lacking in supervision" over his men.

Angeles City Mayor Ed Pamintuan had earlier announced they would bolster security measures for Koreans by creating a supplementary Korean desk inside city hall. – with a report from Jun Malig/Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA (3rd UPDATE) – US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, January 31, nominated federal appellate Judge Neil Gorsuch as his Supreme Court nominee, tilting the balance of the court back in the conservatives' favor.

Trump's pick would fill the long-vacant ninth position on the bench – empty since Antonin Scalia died in February 2016.

"Judge Gorsuch has outstanding legal skills, a brilliant mind, tremendous discipline, and has earned bipartisan support," Trump said at the White House.

"He will make an incredible justice as soon as the Senate confirms him," the new Republican leader added.

Trump then ceded the podium to Gorsuch, who has served on the Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver, Colorado since 2006.

The Supreme Court is the final arbiter of many of the most sensitive issues of American life and law – from abortion and gender issues to gun control.

Its members are named to life terms so their influence is long-lasting. They must win Senate confirmation with at least 60 votes from the 100 members, meaning he will need some support from Democrats.

The 49-year-old Gorsuch – who is known to favor a strict reading of the US Constitution – is the youngest Supreme Court nominee in a generation.

The Colorado native holds degrees from Columbia University and Harvard Law School.

Like Scalia, Gorsuch favors what is known as originalism – the principle that judges should interpret the US Constitution by reverting to how it was understood at the time it was written, with no modern filters.

"As this process now moves to the Senate, I look forward to speaking with members from both side of the aisle, to answering their questions and hearing their concerns," Gorsuch said.

"In our legal order, it is for Congress and not the courts to write new laws. It is the role of judges to apply, not alter, the work of the people's representatives." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Unidentified men gunned down an “identified notorious drug pusher” in the victim's own home in Pateros in the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday, February 1, according to police.

In a text message to reporters, South Police District chief Senior Superintendent Tomas Apolinario Jr said that at around 4:30 am on Wednesday, “unidentified armed men” entered the home of Edicer Sorima in Barangay Sta Ana, Pateros.

The men “shot the victim several times thereby sustaining multiple gunshot wounds in the neck and chest.” Sorima was killed immediately.

The same report said the 35-year-old Sorima was an “identified notorious drug pusher in the community.” 

The suspects reportedly fled the crime scene onboard “unknown type of motorcycles,” according to police.

Sorima is killed days after the police were ordered to pull out of President Rodrigo Duterte’s popular but controversial war on drugs. 

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Monday, January 30, said all anti-illegal drugs police operations would be stopped, amid criticism – from Duterte himself – that many policemen were corrupt.

Duterte had earlier also ordered the disbandment of all police anti-illegal drugs units.

The Philippine police’s pullout from the war on drugs was triggered by the murder of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo inside Camp Crame, the police headquarters. Jee was supposedly kidnapped by police belonging to the anti-illegal drugs group.

However, the PNP’s tally of “drug personalities” killed under “Project Double Barrel Alpha” increased by 4 even after Dela Rosa’s orders.

PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Dionardo Carlos said it was possible that the 3 operations that resulted in 4 deaths “happened before [Dela Rosa’s] announcement.”

Carlos, however, did not provide a breakdown of the time and place where these operations happened.

Since July 2016, police have tallied more than 7,000 deaths in the war on drugs. While over 2,500 are a result of police operations, police have tagged a bulk of the killings as "deaths under investigation." Most of them are summary-style executions with possible links to illegal drugs. 

No vigilante killings too? 

Metro Manila police also noted the absence of dead bodies – primarily victims of suspected vigilante groups – the day after Dela Rosa’s announcement.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, a former PNP chief who now heads the probe into Jee’s murder, said the absence of summary killings alongside the stop to police operations “says a lot.”

“[Dela Rosa]’s announcement only covers the PNP. Why does it seem like the vigilantes are following the same orders too?” Lacson said in a chance interview on Tuesday, January 30.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency will be taking over the war on drugs. Duterte had also "floated" the idea of reviving the Philippine Constabulary to take over the nationwide campaign against illegal drugs.

Days after the PNP's pull-out from the war on drugs, human rights organization Amnesty International released a report detailing corruption and abuse by police. (READ: Cops are paid to kill in PH war on drugs – Amnesty Int'l report)

The report noted that in several intances, the "drug watch list" which police used as a basis to target drug personalities, was erroneous and arbitrary. It is not clear if Sorima was part of any official drug watch list. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Ending nearly 4 years as a fugitive, former police officer Cezar Mancao II surrendered to the police on Monday, January 30, Camp Crame said.

Macao is now under the custody of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Senior Superintendent Belli Tamayo said on Wednesday, February 1.

Previously detained for the 2000 murder of public relations veteran Salvador “Bubby” Dacer, Mancao escaped from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) detention center in May 2013.

Mancao faces murder charges over the killing in 2000 of Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito. His co-accused, former police officer Michael Ray Aquino, was ordered released by a Manila court in December 2012. 

He had previously testified against Aquino, their former commander Senator Panfilo Lacson, and Superintendent Glenn Dumlao, now the head of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group. 

Lacson's men 

Mancao, Aquino, and Dumlao all served under Lacson at the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force and later as PNP chief under the Estrada administration.

Mancao and Aquino fled the country shortly after the charges were filed against them under the Arroyo government.

Mancao returned to the country in June 2009 and was immediately placed in government custody. He was transfered to NBI custody in January 2012. 

Mancao had testified that Lacson, Aquino, and Dumlao were behind the killing of Dacer and Corbito. His testimony helped strengthen the murder charges filed against the 3. 

But the court eventually dismissed the case against them.

Mancao, in a radio interview as a fugitive in 2015, later cleared Lacson of any involvement. He dropped hints at wanting to surrender, but then justice secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima imposed conditions – for him to "come clean." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Appointments (CA) deferred the confirmation of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II over an opposition filed by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Trillanes is in the United States for an official visit but Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto made sure his opposition would be heard and acted upon.

“I support my kababayan (countryman) but as minority leader, I need to also support and give the opportunity to a member of the minority to question at the appropriate time. Senator Trillanes is not present; he is on an official mission. He is requesting time from this body to be able to confront the secretary,” Recto said in a CA hearing on Wednesday, February 1.

Trillanes, in his signed opposition, said Aguirre lacks the “required demeanor” befitting a DOJ secretary and has “total lack of respect” for a senator and the Senate as an institution.

Trillanes specifically pointed out the following statements of Aguirre:

• Walang mga kuwan 'yan, eh… walang mga isip 'yang mga dilawan na 'yan eh. Basta 'yang mga gagong senador na yan eh, para lamang idiin ako (Those yellows are mindless. Those senators are stupid, they just want to implicate me)." Yellow is the color associated with former ruling party, the Liberal Party, and its allies.
• “Sapagkat nasa isip ng 3 senador na yan. Oh 'yung iba nag-isip niyan na kung sila ang nasa katayuan ni Secretary Aguirre: 'Hindi ko na palalampasin 'yung daang-daang milyong panunuhol.' 'Yun ang hindi nila kayang tanggapin eh, na mayroong isang tao na tumanggi sa ganoong kalaking suhol (In the minds of those 3 senators, they could not believe that somebody would refuse millions in bribe money)."
• “Kaya hinahamon ko 'yan. I’m looking forward to the February 7 hearing. Ilabas ninyo, Trillanes, De Lima (That's why I am challenging them. I'm looking forward to the February 7 hearing. Bring out your evidence, Trillanes, De Lima)!"
• “Tell him he’s a son of a bitch. He has nothing but made-up stories. He should check his facts first.”

When asked to respond to the specific points, Aguirre admitted saying such things but only out of “righteous indignation" because of the "baseless" attacks against him.

"It’s okay to attack integrity if you have evidence, but to put down the reputation of someone, which for 70 years I have nurtured, that’s my source of righteous indignation," said Aguirre, who has been accused of doing the very same thing to Senator Leila de Lima, President Rodrigo Duterte's fiercest critic.

In defense of cursing at Trillanes, Vitaliano claimed the Supreme Court already ruled that the phrase “son of a bitch” is not libelous, as it is only the direct English translation of a local cuss phrase.

“Tell him he’s son of a bitch. 'Yun po ay English ng (That is the English translation of) putang ina. The Supreme Court already ruled that it is just ok for the Philippines to use it,” Aguirre said during the hearing.

Non-answers to death penalty

“How can this be the best time to reimpose the death penalty?”

This was one of the questions of Manila 6th district Representative Rosenda Ann Ocampo to Aguirre, highlighting the proliferation of rogue cops.

The justice chief failed to directly answer the question and just reiterated his support for the death penalty bill.

Ocampo was not satisfied and reiterated her question: “I was not asking whether or not you are for the death penalty. I am asking about the timing. If this is the situation, the rogue cops, how can the death penalty be the solution to criminality?"

Aguirre replied but failed to give an adequate response. At one point, a small white piece of paper, which he later read, was passed on to him.

“But I believe also that the determination (pause) that this death penalty should continue to be a, to be a settled and taken up by the two houses of Congress. We should not delay this because I believe, although there are those who believe contrary, that death penalty must be passed as soon a possible.”

The secretary admitted feeling disappointed over the delay in his confirmation but said he is ready to face Trillanes in the next CA hearing on Wednesday, February 15.

“Well, I would be untruthful kung sabihin kong hindi ako disappointed, a little disappointed....Wala namang basehan 'yung mga opposition sa akin (Well, I would be untruthful if I said I was not disappointed, a little disappointed....The opposition against me have no basis),” Aguirre said. – Rappler.com

AVDIIVKA, Ukraine – The UN Security Council Tuesday, January 31, called for an immediate return to a ceasefire in Ukraine where 3 days of fighting in a flashpoint town have left at least 13 dead and thousands of locals without power in freezing conditions.

Endorsing a Kiev-drafted statement that did not raise objections from Russia, members "expressed grave concern about the dangerous deterioration of the situation in eastern Ukraine and its severe impact on the local civilian population."

The Council's unanimous call came as Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed rebels were locked in fighting for a third straight day in the flashpoint town of Avdiivka that has also sparked renewed EU concern about security in its backyard.

The industrial hub came under an unexpected assault Sunday, January 29, from insurgents seeking to wrest back territory controlled by Kiev during the nearly 3-year war.

The clashes have claimed the lives of at least 13 civilians and fighters on both sides since Sunday – the worst outburst of violence since the two sides agreed a new truce on December 23.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko underscored the urgency of the situation by cutting short a visit to Berlin on Monday, January 30, and convened an emergency meeting of his National Security and Defence Council.

Poroshenko is worried that Donald Trump's rise to the US presidency and praise for Russia's Vladimir Putin may add fuel to a conflict that began shortly after Ukraine's 2014 ouster of its Moscow-backed leader and tilt toward the West.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the Kremlin was "extremely worried" but had "reliable information" that renegade units of pro-Kiev fighters were in fact responsible for the initial attacks.

An Agence France-Presse reporter saw the separatists shell the town of about 20,000 people with repeated rounds of Grad multiple rocket systems and artillery fire from the early morning.

"Right now, there is no power. We have not resolved problems with heating homes, and the gas pipe has been shattered," local Ukrainian army unit spokeswoman Olena Mokrynchuk told Agence France-Presse.

The town's military administrator Freedon Vekua told Agence France-Presse he was preparing for a possible evacuation of the town that sits just north of the rebels' de facto capital of Donetsk because of the power outage.

Ukraine is struggling through freezing conditions in which temperatures drop to -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) at night.

"The issue of an evacuation has not been decided fully. We see it as our very last resort because there is still a chance of restoring heating," said Vekua.

The town's heating is provided by a coke plant that has been heavily damaged by the falling shells.

Plant director Musa Magomedov said it would be incredibly difficult to resume gas production were the factory's generators shut down.

That would leave Avdiivka without a source of local power and uncertainty about its future. The fighting has prevented repairs being carried out, Magomedov said.

Global condemnation and concern

The Organization for Security and Cooperation and Europe (OSCE) is responsible for monitoring ceasefire violations and organizing peace talks between envoys from Russia and Ukraine.

It helped negotiate a February 2014 truce deal in Minsk that was co-sponsored by Germany and France and which EU leaders cling on to as the one remaining roadmap to peace.

"The intense fighting around Avdiivka in the last few days... is a blatant violation of the ceasefire, as stipulated by the Minsk agreements," the EU foreign affairs arm said in a statement.

The OSCE said the fighting was "of grave concern" while the US embassy tweeted that it was especially worried about "the 2,500 children who are without water, electricity and heat".

Charge d'affaires Kate Byrnes of the US mission to the OSCE's Permanent Council said that "Russia and the separatists initiated the violence in Avdiivka". 

Washington was "deeply concerned" and called for an immediate ceasefire "to avert a larger humanitarian crisis", State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

The conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people since 2014 – more than half of them civilians – and plunged Moscow's relations with the West to a post-Cold War low.

The Kremlin denies backing the insurgents and only admits that Russian "volunteers" and off-duty soldiers have entered the warzone of their own free will. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – Conservative candidate Francois Fillon was on Wednesday, February 1, fighting fresh claims he gave his family highly-paid fake jobs, a scandal threatening to derail his bid to become French president later this year.

The Canard Enchaine newspaper alleged in its new edition that Fillon obtained jobs as parliamentary aides for his children as well as his wife Penelope that paid a total of around one million euros ($1.1 million).

The fresh claims came as investigators raided parliament and seized documents as part of a preliminary probe into a first set of charges on fake jobs the paper leveled against Fillon last week.

Fillon, 62, was the long-time frontrunner in the French presidential race and had been widely forecast to face far-right leader Marine Le Pen in the runoff in May, but the claims have hit his support.

The Canard Enchaine alleged in its new issue out on Wednesday that it had unearthed proof that Penelope was paid as a parliamentary aide out of public funds available to MPs for an additional 7 years, nicknaming her "Miss Moneypenny".

In another new allegation, the paper said two of the couple's 5 children, Marie and Charles, had earned 84,000 euros ($91,000) working as parliamentary assistants.

It said Fillon employed law student Marie in 2005, just weeks after he was elected to the upper house of parliament. Two years later her brother took over.

The Canard Enchaine alleged last week that Welsh-born Penelope earned around 500,000 euros as a parliamentary aide from 1998 to 2007.

The new claims bring the total sum she allegedly made to more than 830,000 euros.

'Smear campaign'

The paper said it could find no witnesses who could recall her working at parliament. In addition, Le Parisien newspaper reported she did not have an accreditation badge or an email account at the National Assembly.

Fillon responded Tuesday, January 31, by claiming he was the target of a sophisticated smear campaign.

"Such a large-scale and professional campaign has been mounted just to eliminate a candidate by other means than the democratic route," he told a business conference.

He said he was "calm" about the allegations "and now I await the end of this investigation".

Fillon has argued that his wife has "always" worked for him, editing his speeches and meeting people in his constituency.

In addition to the parliamentary job, Penelope worked at a literary review owned by a billionaire friend of her husband's where she allegedly earned another 100,000 euros.

The couple were quizzed separately by anti-corruption investigators on Monday, January 30, and sources said Fillon's staff voluntarily handed over documents in the raid at parliament.

French lawmakers are entitled to employ family members, but attention has focused on what work was actually done.

'Clean' record

The claims are damaging for Fillon, a devout Catholic who was a surprise winner of the rightwing nomination by campaigning on his "clean" record.

In November's primary campaign, he said only he had the moral authority to slash 500,000 civil servants' jobs, cut welfare benefits and increase working hours.

But Fillon has lost momentum since the allegations first emerged.

An opinion poll published on Sunday showed Le Pen, leader of the anti-immigration and anti-EU National Front (FN), would score 25% in the first round on April 23, with Fillon slipping to second place on 21%, virtually neck-and-neck with fast-rising centrist Emmanuel Macron.

Fillon has insisted that his wife, also 62, has played a real, if discreet, role in his long political career.

He says that when he was an MP in Paris she carried out a heavy load of constituency work but was based at their 12th-century chateau near Le Mans in northern France.

Penelope, who has not spoken publicly about the accusations, has styled herself as a low-key political wife.

A trained lawyer, she told Britain's Sunday Telegraph newspaper after her husband became prime minister in 2007 that she preferred staying at home with her family to the bright lights of Paris.

"I'm just a country peasant, this is not my natural habitat," she joked.

In 2008, when her husband was prime minister, she told French TV her role amounted to "accompanying him (on some functions), and it is limited to that". – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – It's going to be a huge change for Senior Superintendent Albert Ferro, former chief of the now-dissolved police Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG), when he takes on his new role as deputy chief of the Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO). 

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa made the announcement on Wednesday, February 1, a few days after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the disbandment of all AIDG units in the country.

Ferro, who was appointed AIDG chief in July 2016, confirmed as much in a text message to Rappler. 

On Monday, January 30, Dela Rosa announced that the PNP would be pulling out from the war on drugs. (READ: Dela Rosa orders PNP: Stop war on drugs)

The order came after it was revealed that several AIDG police supposedly kidnapped South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo from his home in Angeles City. He was later killed inside Camp Crame, just outside the AIDG office. 

During the operation involving Jee, Ferro was in Abu Dhabi to facilitate the arrest of alleged Eastern Visayas drug lord Kerwin Espinosa. 

The AIDG is the elite unit of the Philippine National Police that handles all narcotics investigations and operations, in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

In waging Duterte's drug war, the AIDG focused mostly on "high-value targets" like suspected drug lords.

Prior to heading the AIDG, Ferro was provincial police chief of Compostella Valley. He also once headed the Major Crimes Investigation Unit of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

The FEO, meanwhile, handles and controls the firearms trade in the country. The office issues permits to sell, own, carry, and posses firearms, among other things. 

Senior Superintendent Chiquito Malayo recently vacated the deputy FEO chief post after he was tasked to head the "Counter Intelligence Task Force," the PNP's latest move to rid its ranks of scalawags.

Ironically, Malayo and his task force will soon occupy the headquarters Ferro and the AIDG once called home. 

Speaking before AIDG personnel in Camp Crame, Dela Rosa assured them that they would be given new assignments. He also reminded the police not to drop their pending cases. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Despite the decision of the New People's Army (NPA) to terminate its ceasefire with the government, Chief Peace Adviser Jess Dureza said he wants President Rodrigo Duterte to maintain the government's unilateral ceasefire with the communist rebels.

"We will recommend to the President to maintain the unilateral ceasefire," Dureza said during the anniversary of the Philippine Army's 4th Infantry Division in Cagayan de Oro City on Wednesday, February 1.

Dureza made the statement a few hours after the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, announced it has ended its 5-month-old ceasefire following a series of skirmishes with the military. (READ: Soldiers report skirmishes with NPA in 7 areas)

The NPA said while it is ending the ceasefire effective February 10, the peace negotiations will continue.

Dureza told soldiers in Cagayan de Oro that the government still wants the peace talks to continue despite the latest development.

"Despite the ceasefire withdrawal, the peace talks will continue," he said.

But he emphasized that Duterte, who has yet to issue a statement, would have the final say.

"We leave the decision to the President," said Dureza. – Rappler.com