DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The commanding general of the Philippine Army said the rebels of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army (CPP-NPA) are their next target after the military wraps up its operations in Marawi.

“Gusto nating mangyari, sa katapusan ng 2018, wala nang CPP-NPA kahit isa, sa buong Pilipinas,” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Eduardo Año said in his speech at the Eastern Mindanao Command on Tuesday evening, October 17. (What we want to happen, at the end of 2018, is for there to be no more CPP-NPA in the whole of the Philippines)

Año said the entry of some 13,000 new recruits into the AFP will bolster the government’s anti-insurgency drive. This, while it also recruited some 300 Lumad from different provinces in Davao region.

The military chief, also known as the “rebel hunter” for his achievement in arresting communist leaders including CPP chairman Benito Tiamzon, said wiping out their next target would allow the government to “start the positive economic development especially in Mindanao.”

The goal, according to Año, comes from the orders of President Duterte. Duterte had earlier called the NPA “terrorists” after he announced that he would be scrapping peace talks with them.

In February, Año said the AFP will hit hard against NPA to prevent them from conducting atrocities and criminal activites.

This month, around 70 NPA fighters attacked the facilities of the Davao Agricultural Ventures in Bukidnon.

The NPA said it did so to remind the company “not to aggressively expand in agricultural areas where staple food crops such as rice and corn are cultivated.”

Incidents like this have prompted exporters, including the Pilipino Banana Growers & Exporters Association (PBGEA) to call on government to protect them from further attacks.

On October 17, PBGEA executive director Stephen Antig appealed the military to deploy Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit members in banana plantations.

They say these attacks stunt the growth of the banana export industry which is already saddled by calamities, export regulations, and competition from other exporting countries. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Pope Francis sent a telegram extending his condolences to the Archdiocese of Cebu on Wednesday, October 18, after the death of Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.

"Deeply saddened to learn of the death of Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, I extend my sincere condolences to you, and to the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Cebu," Francis said Wednesday.

The Pope sent this telegram to Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.

"Joining with you in expressing profound gratitude for the late Cardinal's untiring and devoted service to the Church, and for his constant advocacy of dialogue and peace for all the people in the Philippines, I commend his soul to the infinite love and mercy of our heavenly Father," Francis said.

"As a pledge of consolation and hope in the Lord, to all who mourn his passing in the certain hope of the Resurrection, I willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing," he added.

Born in Mogpog, Marinduque, the 86-year-old Vidal died shortly before 7:30 am on Wednesday. 

Like the Pope, members of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines also mourned the death of Vidal, whom Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo described as a "true servant-leader."

Vidal's wake is at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in Cebu City. (READ: Cebuanos pay tribute to Cardinal Vidal) – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, DC, USA – A second US judge ordered a freeze on President Donald Trump's newest travel ban order on Wednesday, October 18, saying it was essentially targeted at Muslims in violation of the US Constitution.

Maryland federal judge Theodore Chuang said the ban of travelers from 6 majority-Muslim countries and North Korea, and on many officials from Venezuela, essentially had not changed from the first two versions, which were shot down in lower courts as discriminating against a single religion.

He pointed out, as in earlier rulings, that Trump had repeatedly promised a ban on Muslims coming into the country during last year's presidential election.

Chuang was the second judge this week to order a block on the open-ended ban, issued in a White House executive order in September and which was to come in effect on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Hawaii federal district judge Derrick Watson also objected to the ban, saying it illegally discriminated against the entire populations of 6 countries – Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – and would not, as it claimed, add to US national security.

Trump has battled with the courts since the first version of the ban, and in June finally gained Supreme Court approval to implement an amended second version for 90 days, which ended last month.

On Tuesday the White House said it would fight the newest ban by Watson, pointing to yet another likely fight in the Supreme Court.

"We are therefore confident that the judiciary will ultimately uphold the president's lawful and necessary action and swiftly restore its vital protections for the safety of the American people," the White House said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Following a two-day jeepney strike that also led to the suspension of classes and work nationwide early this week, the House committee on transportation on Thursday, October 19, will hold a hearing to discuss the strike and the government’s proposed modernization program for public utility vehicles (PUVs), better known as the Philippine jeepney.

Watch the live stream of the House hearing here starting 9:30 am, Thursday

Invited to the hearing are officials from the transportation department, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Land Transportation Office, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the Development Bank of the Philippines, Landbank, and the Highway Patrol Group. 

Also invited are representatives of PUV groups, including the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operation Nationwide (Piston), Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO), Federation of Jeepney Operations Association of the Philippines (Fejodap), and Pasang Madsa.

Piston wants the government to junk the current version of the PUV modernization program, and to conduct new dialogues with the sector. The group says that while it supports modernizing the current fleet of jeepneys, they against the so-called “pro-business scheme” of the plan.

They claim the program is anti-poor, since the new vehicles would cost them at least P1 million. Leftist groups have argued that the government plan, in its current form, would rob drivers and operators of their livelihoods. (LOOK: New jeepneys under PUV modernization program)

The government wants to replace PUVs that are 15 years or older with environment-friendly jeeps with added safety features. The LTFRB estimates around 180,000 jeepneys nationwide will need to be replaced under the modernization program.

The Department of Transportation has hit back against Piston over the 2-day strike, accusing them of “false propaganda and misinformation.”

Jeepneys are the most ubiquitous mode of public transportation in the Philippines. In Metro Manila, it’s the most-used form of transportation. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – The French parliament on Wednesday, October 18, adopted a controversial anti-terror bill that gives the authorities permanent new powers to search homes, shut places of worship, and restrict freedom of movement.

The new law, which will replace the state of emergency imposed after the 2015 Paris attacks, was approved by the Senate on its second reading, despite campaigners warning of a threat to civil liberties.

The lower house National Assembly overwhelmingly approved it last week.

The legislation, which sparked weeks of intense debate in parliament, makes permanent several of the measures included in the emergency laws enacted after the Paris attacks, in which 130 people were killed.

The state of emergency expires on November 1, after being extended six times.

In a major speech on security President Emmanuel Macron said the compromise text reached by lawmakers would allow the authorities to combat terrorism "without abandoning our values and principles."

Addressing an audience of security force members, he urged them to "fully utilize" the powers granted to them by the new law, which allows the authorities to heavily curtail the movements of suspected jihadist sympathizers, to close religious sites that promote radical ideas, and throw up security perimeters around any event deemed vulnerable to attack.

France has been hit by a series of attacks since 2015 by Islamic extremists that have left more than 230 people dead.

Macron said that 13 terror plots had been foiled since the start of 2017.

The new anti-terror legislation has encountered little resistance from a public traumatized by a string of jihadist attacks, despite criticism it will undermine civil liberties. 

A recent poll found 57% of the French were in favor.

Macron said he would bolster intelligence gathering in prisons, which have been a breeding ground for radicalization, and devise programs to prevent young people in troubled neighborhoods from coming under the spell of extremist groups.

The right balance?

The new law will also enable the authorities to carry out more on-the-spot identity checks in border areas, as well as around train stations, ports and airports.

Rights groups have voiced fears that such checks will be used by the police against migrants and minorities, particularly Muslims.

Human Rights Watch criticized what it called a "normalization of emergency powers" and UN experts raised objections in a letter to the French government last month.

Both Macron and his Interior Minister Gerard Collomb argued that the bill struck the right balance between security and individual freedoms.

France has progressively tightened its legal arsenal to tackle terror threats over the years, passing around 15 different laws since 1986.

The October 1 stabbing to death of two women in the southern port of Marseille brought to 241 the number of people killed in attacks claimed by, or attributed to, jihadists since January 2015.

In a separate development, the police this week arrested several people over a suspected rightwing extremist plot to target mosques and politicians, including a government spokesman. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Police are on the lookout for a gunman who shot 5 people in Maryland on Wednesday, October 18, killing 3 of them and wounding two others.

CNN reports Radee Labeeb Prince, 37, is believed to have shot the 5 at Advanced Granite Solutions at the Emmorton Business Park in Edgewood, Maryland.

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler told reporters the shooting was reported at around 9:00 am EST. Prince drove away in a black 2000 Acadia, with Delaware license plate PC064273.

"This does appear to be a targeted attack, limited to that business," Gahler said as he confirmed there were 3 dead and two other victims who were transported to trauma centers in serious condition.

He did not explain Prince's exact association with the business.

While the sheriff told reporters that investigators do not believe anyone else was involved, "there's an individual out there on the loose who committed one of the most heinous acts we've ever seen in our county."

{source}

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SEARCH for SUSPECT: <br>RADEE LABEEB PRINCE 11/5/79 <br>2008 Black Chevy Acadia DE Tag PC064273<br>Call 911 if you see the suspect. <a href="https://t.co/v8y18FOEUi">pic.twitter.com/v8y18FOEUi</a></p>&mdash; Harford Sheriff (@Harford_Sheriff) <a href="https://twitter.com/Harford_Sheriff/status/920675993576263680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

{/source}

The deadly attack in the town of Edgewood, about 23 miles (37 kilometers) northeast of Baltimore, is the latest mass shooting in a country where such killings have become commonplace.

On October 1, a gunman in an upper-floor casino hotel room opened fire on thousands of people gathered at an outdoor country music concert in Las Vegas, killing 58 and wounding more than 500 in the deadliest shooting in recent US history.

To date in 2017 there have been 285 mass shootings -- defined as four or more people shot or killed, not including the shooter -- in the United States, or nearly one per day.  – with reports from the Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines – A day after President Rodrigo Duterte announced the liberation of Marawi City from the influence of the Islamic State-linked Maute group and the Abu Sayyaf groups, residents are asking when they will be able to come home.

Provincial Crisis Committee Spokesperson Zia Alonto Adiong said on Wednesday, October 18, the return of the residents to their homes is on top of the committee's priorities, but there are mechanisms and protocols that need to be followed before this could happen in the “controlled” areas.

Controlled areas refer to the areas not inside the main battle zone and already cleared by the military and the police.

Returning residents will have to be screened before they can return to their homes.

“Is it safe? Is it conducive? Are the basic services present?” Adiong asked, enumerating considerations for a return home.

Teams of Post Conflict Needs assessors are already doing rounds in the cleared areas to determine the situation and what needs to be done moving forward.

Adiong said that though they want to expedite the return of civilians to their homes, the local government of Lanao del Sur will have to make sure that basic government functions in the barangay levels are back, along with water and power.

Adiong added that the mechanisms put in place for their return are for their own safety, pointing out that barangay officials will help in identifying bonafide residents in their respective barangays.

Restoring normalcy

To date, 44% of Marawi City has no power, “These are the areas in the main battle area, at least 14 barangays,” Adiong said.

Adiong also said 34 barangays were heavily damaged by the conflict.

One of the water facilties of the city is inside the main battle area and no one has yet assessed the damage to the facility.

“We need to energize these barangays and ensure that there is adequate water supply before they can return. We don’t want them to complain when they enter,” Adiong said.

There will also be clustering of barangays and phases. The cleared areas will need to be cleaned and barangay officials will have to be the first to return to restore government functions.

“We will not disrupt our intentions to bring back normalcy in Marawi,” Adiong added.

Adiong also said they have already discussed with barangay officials during various workshops the processes for the return of the residents.

Adiong added the planning for the return of the residents had started long before, as the government wanted "to be one step ahead.”

A planned market will also be set up to allow businesses to give life back to the city.

Colonel Romeo Brawner, spokesperson of the miltiary’s Joint Task Group Ranao, said Tuesday, October 17, the rehabilitation of critical infrastructures will prioritize mosques, schools, hospitals and health facilities.

Brawner said that the military and the police will remain in Marawi to make sure that Marawi is safe for the residents and those who will come in to help in the rehabilitation.

The road home

Displaced residents like couple Tata de Leon and Ansari Macarambon and their children have been living in a makeshift tent in Saguiaran town, just 5 kilometers away from Marawi City.

Tata said she doesn’t know how to feel about the deaths of the two terrorist leaders, Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon.

“Happy that they are dead, but we are also sad because they are also Muslims,” Tata said.

Tata also wants to return to their home in Raya Madaya. “Even if we don’t have anything to return to, we just want to return,” she said.

Mascara Jabar Pauntil, a tricycle driver, is happy that the two are dead, but he also doesn’t know when they will be allowed to return to their home, “I just want to go back driving and earn a living, I have two children that I need to take care of,” Pauntil said.

“When are they going to let us go back home?” Lawa Abdulla, a single mother of 8 asked.

Lawa asked if the death of the two leaders would mean the end of martial law in Marawi and that the military would let them in.

“The general sentiments of the residents are for them to come back home to Marawi City,” Adiong said.

The displaced Maranaws will have to wait a little longer, especially those whose homes are in the main battle area. – Rappler.com

RAQA, Syria – US-backed forces combed the ruins of Raqa for survivors and bombs on Wednesday, October 18, after retaking the Syrian city from Islamic State (ISIS) group jihadists and dealing their dreams of statehood a fatal blow.

A lightning final assault by the Syrian Democratic Forces on Tuesday, October 17, saw jihadist defenses collapse faster than expected as the SDF claimed a landmark victory in the three-year fight against ISIS.

SDF fighters flushed jihadist holdouts from Raqa's main hospital and municipal stadium, wrapping up more than four months of fighting to seize what used to be the inner sanctum of ISIS's self-proclaimed "caliphate".

On Wednesday, SDF forces fired into the air and danced the traditional Middle Eastern dabke line dance to blaring music amid the otherwise eerie silence of the city.

Inside the stadium, the militia's flag was raised as bulldozers worked to clear the ground of explosives that ISIS had strewn throughout the city.

Many roads were still closed off, and access to the hospital was blocked while fighters worked to clear it.

Teams of SDF fighters were deployed across the rubble-strewn streets to look for unexploded ordnance and booby traps left by the jihadists.

"They are making sure there are no more sleeper cells" in Raqa, SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali told Agence France-Presse.

"Mine-clearing operations and the re-opening of the city are under way," he said, adding that his organization would only formally announce the liberation of the city once they are completed.

City unsafe

"We urge our people... who fled ISIS rule not to return to the city for their own security until it is rid of terrorist explosives," the Kurdish internal security services said in a statement.

But some SDF fighters are themselves from Raqa.

Under the stadium, SDF member Ahmad al-Hassan returned to an oval hallway lined with makeshift cells where ISIS locked up civilians accused of breaking its ultra-conservative rules.

"This is where they humiliated us," he said, near the room where he was kept for 7 days with 35 other men after he tried to prevent his wife's arrest for briefly showing her face in public.

The loss of Raqa left ISIS ruling over a rump "caliphate" straddling the Iraqi-Syrian border and covering a fraction of the territory it held when it declared its "state" in July 2014.

The US-led coalition supporting anti-ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria said on Tuesday that the jihadists had lost 87% of the territory they held three years ago.

Brett McGurk, the White House's envoy to the multinational coalition, said on social media that ISIS had lost 6,000 fighters in Raqa.

He described the organization as "pathetic and a lost cause".

Raqa was one of the most emblematic ISIS bastions, at the heart of both its military operations and its propaganda.

Several of the most high-profile attacks ISIS claimed in the West, including the 2015 massacres in Paris, are believed to have been at least partly planned in Raqa, earning the city the nickname of "terror central".

Raqa also featured heavily in the propaganda videos, from public beheadings to trainings, that ISIS used to instill fear among the caliphate's residents and appeal to new recruits globally.

'Some surrendered, others died'

Clara Raqqa, a top SDF commander, smiled and squinted into the sun as she stood at the iconic Al-Naim roundabout where ISIS carried out some of its most gruesome atrocities.

"Today, after all these years, we are here," she said. "I remember my childhood here, my teenager years... I'm so happy that we've reached the days of freedom."

Jamila Hami, a volunteer with the Kurdish Red Crescent, said she remembered the dead and wounded people she had seen throughout the months-long operation to take the city.

The 45-year-old said rebuilding the city's medical infrastructure would pose major challenges.

"Yes, Raqa is now liberated, but the next phase for us will be even harder than the one that has passed," she said.

The breakthrough in the operation to retake Raqa came last week when a local deal was struck for the safe exit of several thousand civilians who had been used as human shields by ISIS, while Syrian jihadists surrendered.

Up to 400 mostly foreign ISIS fighters had been believed to remain in the city, prepared for a bloody last stand.

Yet events since the Sunday (October 15) announcement of the operation's final phase gives few clues as to their fate.

"Some surrendered, others died," Talal Sello, another SDF spokesman said, without providing further details.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor relying on a network of sources across Syria, said most of the foreign fighters surrendered and were being held by Western intelligence services.

It was not immediately possible to corroborate his claim.

Colonel Ryan Dillon, the US-led coalition's spokesman, only spoke of 4 confirmed cases of foreign ISIS fighters surrendering and stressed that they were in SDF custody.

"We as the coalition do not hold or control any of these detainees," he said, adding the SDF may make separate arrangements with the detained jihadists' countries of origin for some of them to be handed over and prosecuted. – Rappler.com

NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya's polls chief cast doubt Wednesday, October 18, on his organization's ability to hold a credible vote next week, as opposition leader Raila Odinga vowed to disrupt the election with mass protests.

In the latest bombshell to hit the presidential election, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chief Wafula Chebukati laid bare internal divisions and accused both major parties of interference.

His no-holds-barred statement in which he slammed the "arrogance and narcissism of our political class" came just hours after another commissioner announced she had quit after fleeing to New York in fear for her life.

"Let me be very clear that this is a yellow card to both sides. I will not tolerate the interference in the commission anymore," said Chebukati.

"Political leaders who are supposed to build the nation have become the greatest threat to the peace and stability of the nation."

Kenyans are due to go to the polls on October 26 for a second time, after the Supreme Court last month overturned the result of the initial election due to "irregularities" in the counting process, and mismanagement by poll officials.

The ruling was a rare victory for veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, who claimed the poll was rigged in favor of President Uhuru Kenyatta, and seen as a sign of Kenya's mature democracy and institutions.

However the decision has been followed by acrimony, legal battles and confusion over how to carry out a new election that would be accepted as credible, within a constitutionally mandated 60-day period.

Odinga last week announced he was withdrawing from the race, arguing the move would legally force the IEBC to begin the whole process from scratch, which would allow more time for deep reforms.

However, the commission has pushed forward with plans to hold the election.

On Wednesday Odinga addressed a rally of thousands of supporters, vowing there would be "no election" on October 26.

"​Protests will go on, on the 26th (there) will be the biggest demonstrations in the whole country," he said.

Election 'mockery'

In a statement announcing her resignation as one of 7 IEBC commissioners, Roselyn Akombe said that the panel could not provide a credible election.

"I do not want to be party to such a mockery to electoral integrity," she wrote.

In an interview with the BBC, Akombe said she feared for her life and would not return to her home country in the foreseeable future.

"She is one of our finest brains and it is very sad," said Chebukati of her resignation.

Chebukati said that operationally, IEBC was ready to hold the election, but politically the environment left a lot to be desired.

"We are faced with a dilemma as a country, one between the status of operational preparedness and the political environment for credible elections," he said. 

The Supreme Court had accused the IEBC of bungling the electronic results and basing the outcome on dubious documents that could not be verified.

Free, fair poll 'compromised'

Chebukati outlined steps taken to ensure all tallying forms were standardized, that network coverage to allow transmission of results was improved and that poll officials were better trained.

But he questioned how credible the election would be if Odinga did not take part, raising examples of polls boycotted in Zimbabwe and Burundi, leading to long-term legitimacy issues and economical crises.

"I've made several attempts to make critical changes but all my motions have been defeated by a majority of the commissioners," he told journalists.

He said that without changes to key secretariat staff – the permanent members of the IEBC – a "free, fair and credible election will surely be compromised."

He called on these members to "step aside to allow this team to function without interference."

Kenya's IEBC has a controversial history. A discredited body that presided over a deeply flawed 2007 poll – which triggered violence that killed over 1,100 people – was replaced by commissioners which were forced to resign last year after violent opposition protests.

The body that had overseen elections in 2013 had been accused of bias, mismanagement and was dogged by corruption allegations.

Chebukati later invited Odinga and Kenyatta, embroiled in a dynastic political feud that started when their fathers fell out after independence, to a formal meeting on Thursday, October 19, for talks which he had earlier said would "douse the tension in the air."

Election 'at any cost'

In her statement Akombe said field staff had in recent days expressed concerns about their safety, especially in areas hit by opposition protests against the IEBC.

In the western opposition stronghold Kisumu, rowdy youths on Wednesday disrupted a training session for polling officials, pulling down tents and chasing away trainees, chanting "no reforms, no elections" as they stoned their vehicles.

Akombe accused her colleagues of seeking "to have an election even if it is at the cost of the lives of our staff and voters."

Odinga on Tuesday suspended a protest campaign to push for reforms after three people were shot dead in demonstrations. 

Some 40 people have now died since the election, mostly at the hands of police, according to rights groups. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – A bipartisan effort to stabilize Obamacare's individual health insurance markets ran into political headwinds Wednesday, October 18, when US President Donald Trump warned against the plan if it meant "bailing out" insurance companies.

Senate Republican Lamar Alexander and Democratic Senator Patty Murray announced their deal only a day earlier, raising the prospect that Congress might soon pass legislation that would help low-income Americans purchase health insurance, days after Trump ordered a cut to such subsidies.

"I am supportive of Lamar as a person & also of the process, but I can never support bailing out ins co's who have made a fortune w/ O'Care," Trump tweeted.

The comment left some Republicans skeptical about the viability of the deal, which would authorize some $7 billion in subsidy payments in both 2017 and 2018 to health insurers that help millions of poorer Americans afford coverage.

In exchange, the deal grants states greater flexibility to regulate coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

But Trump's latest conflicting statement about the package appeared to confound Republicans.

"We got a lot of work to do," said number two Senate Republican John Cornyn.

"Until the president's on board, yes, there are probably changes that need to be made to satisfy the president," he added. 

Asked whether her deal with Alexander was still alive, Murray told reporters: "of course it is."

Republican Senator John Kennedy was not so sure.

"I think that probably kills the effort," Kennedy told Fox News, speaking of the Trump tweet.

Senate Health Committee chairman Alexander, who said he believed his bill could pass Congress before the end of the year, insisted the so-called cost-sharing reductions, or CSRs, were not bailouts to insurers.

"We have language in our bill to make sure that those benefits go to consumers, not to insurance companies," Alexander said.

Trump last week signed an executive order scrapping the payments, a move experts warned would cause some insurance rates to spike by up to 30% next year.

While Trump says he wants to eventually repeal Obamacare and replace it with state block grants like the plan which collapsed this summer, Alexander warned that "chaos" could ensue if cost-sharing payments stop and premiums skyrocket in the interim.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer blasted Trump for being "totally inconsistent" about supporting and then opposing the deal.

"He keeps zigging and zagging, our only hope is maybe tomorrow he'll be for this again," Schumer said. – Rappler.com

UNITED NATIONS – Myanmar's government has failed to meet its international obligations and protect Rohingya Muslims from the atrocities taking place in Rakhine state, two UN special advisers said Wednesday, October 18.

The statement from the UN special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng, and the special adviser on the responsibility to protect, Ivan Simonovic, added the international response to the crisis was a failure.

"Despite warnings issued by us and by many other officials, the government of Myanmar has failed to meet its obligations under international law and primary responsibility to protect the Rohingya population from atrocity crimes," said a joint statement.

"The international community has equally failed its responsibilities in this regard," they added.

Since late August more than 500,000 Rohingya have fled an army campaign in Myanmar's Rakhine state that the United Nations has denounced as ethnic cleansing.

The UN Security Council has called on Myanmar to end military operations in Rakhine, grant access to aid workers and allow the safe return of the Rohingya refugees.

The council however has not followed up its appeal with action such as imposing sanctions, a move diplomats said is opposed by China, a supporter of the Myanmar's former junta, and Russia.

"Once again, our failure to stop atrocity crimes makes us complicit. When will we live up to our countless promises of ‘never again’?" the advisers asked.

Myanmar authorities argue the military operations in Rakhine are to root out militants following attacks on police posts in late August.

A recent report by the UN human rights office accused Myanmar of seeking to permanently expel the Rohingya, by planting land mines at the border with Bangladesh where the refugees are sheltering.

UN rights officials spoke to refugees who gave accounts of soldiers surrounding homes and firing indiscriminately as residents ran for their lives, and of uniformed men gang-raping women and girls, some as young as five.

"In some cases, before and during the attacks, megaphones were used to announce: 'You do not belong here – go to Bangladesh. If you do not leave, we will torch your houses and kill you'," the report said.

The UN's top political affairs official, Jeffrey Feltman, returned on Tuesday from 5 days of talks in Myanmar that failed to yield a breakthrough.

Feltman is expected to report to the Security Council on his talks. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – After a clarification made by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that there is no new offer of monetary assistance from the United Kingdom, President Rodrigo Duterte insisted there is such an offer.

“That’s the reason why it’s not true what the British said that there is no offer. They are about to make an offer. [Finance] Secretary [Carlos] Dominguez [III] asked me, I said, ‘No, I will not accept it,’” said Duterte on Wednesday, October 18 in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig. 

After he first made the claim on October 12, the DFA issued a statement saying, “At the moment, there is no new offer of direct monetary assistance to the Philippines.”

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano defended Duterte, saying his own department’s statement does not mean the President is wrong.

In an interview with reporters after Duterte’s speech, Cayetano said it’s possible that the $18-20 million aid offer was made to other departments or agencies without the knowledge of the DFA.

“I cannot predict what’s on the President’s mind. When they clarified with UK, we are saying there are no new grants… Different countries deal with the different departments so we do not know in the DFA if they (US) or any other country are speaking with the PNP (Philippine National Police), DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) or the Department of Finance,” said Cayetano.

When asked which department the aid was offered to, Cayetano said, “I don’t know but that’s my point. If you’re going to always look at the details, he said a hundred things, you’re going to look at the details of one thing, you won’t understand each other.” – Rappler.com

BASILAN, Philippines – A relative of slain terrorist leader Isnilon Hapilon and two members of the Abu Sayyaf Group under top leaders Furuji Indama and Nurhasan Jamir surrendered as combat operations are being intensified in Basilan.

Ben Salina Sapilin, a.k.a. Ben, a cousin of Hapilon, and two other Abu Sayyaf members identified as Rami Ben Sapilin and Muhamadendeng, yielded to the troops in Barangay Macalang, Albarka, Basilan last Tuesday, October 17.

Also surrendered by the group of Sapilin were an M16 A1 rifle, a Caliber .30 M1 Garand rifle, and an M79 rifle.

Sapili, a.k.a. Attik, is listed in the records of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as a follower of Nurhasan Jamiri, while Muhamadendeng, a.k.a. Aburayhad, is a follower of Furudji Indama.

The surrender was facilitated by operating troops of the 74th Infantry Battalion led by 1st Lieutenant Ali Kagui under the supervision of Lieutenant Colonel Jonas Templo, according to Colonel Juvymax Uy, commander of the Joint Task Force Basilan.

“Sapili and his companions are currently in the custody of the 74IB for the debriefing to be facilitated by our intelligence units,” Uy said.

For this year, a total of 124 Abu Sayyaf members have surrendered to government forces. Of this, 68 yielded in Basilan, 33 in Sulu, 21 in Tawi-Tawi, and two in Zamboanga City.

“Our Joint Task Forces will continue to sustain their security operations to bring about the eventual defeat of the Abu Sayyaf operating in the ZamBaSulTa area,” said Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez, Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command.

“With the neutralization of the Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, we believe more of the bandits will surrender and return to the folds of law in the coming days.” – Rappler.com

ZAMBOANGA CITY (UPDATED) – Zamboanga City was placed under a state of calamity on Thursday, October 19, because of extensive  flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains since Saturday.

The Zamboanga City Council made the declaration shortly after it was recommended by the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) chaired by Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco.

The CDRRMC had passed a resolution asking the city council to declare a state of calamity in this city, citing the extensive damage to agriculture and infrastructure following  the massive floods and storm surge triggered by the intertropical convergence zone.

Upon the request of Climaco, the Sangguniang Panlungsod convened  in an emergency session on Thursday to act on the CDRRMC's recommendation.

A report from the City Social Welfare and Development Office disclosed that the massive floods and storm surge had displaced a total of 3,666 families with 18,330 dependents in 17 mostly coastal barangays.

At least 7 people were reported dead, 158 houses totally destroyed, while 327 other houses were partially damaged.

In the agriculture sector, City Agriculturist Diosdado Palacat reported that 1,150 farmers were affected by the floods that destroyed 310 hectares of rice fields, 477 hectares of corn farms, and 144 hectares of  vegetable farms.

Palacat also reported that the inclement weather had destroyed 200 hectares of seaweeds and 857 hectares of fishponds; and damaged irrigation systems.

The estimated cost of damage to agriculture is P45.970 million.

The City Engineer’s Office reported between P16 million to P20 million worth of infrastructure mostly riprapping, roads, bridges and slope protection destroyed.

Moh Arakama, Department of Interior and Local Government City Director, said the extent of the destruction caused by  Typhoon Paolo warrants the declaration of a state of calamity in Zamboanga.

Climaco ordered classes in all levels in public and private schools to remain suspended until Thursday, as recommended by the CDRRMC, in anticipation of heavy rains brought by Typhoon Paolo. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Maute Group made a mother watch her 15-year-old daughter being raped inside the battle area, according to a government documentary. 

The mother and daughter were among the hostages taken by the local terrorist group that sought to carve their own territory in the city. The women were separated from the men, who were tasked with various jobs to help the terrorists. (READ: The life of a Maute hostage in Marawi)

Her daughter got pregnant but suffered a miscarriage, the weeping mother narrated. The mother was not identifed in the video and her face was blurred to protect her and her daughter's identity.

"Sabi niya, 'Bakit ganito nangyari sa akin, Mama?'" the mother recalled her daughter asking her. (She asked, "Why did this happen to me, Mama?")  

She forbade her daughter from having a boyfriend so she could focus on her studies. 

"Kaya nandito kami kasi mag-aral siya sapilot (public) school.Nandito kami kasienrolment," she said. (We're here because she was going to study at the public school. It was enrollment period.)

"Ito pa nangyari. Ginahasa nila anak ko (And this is what happened to us. They raped my child)," she said. 

They were among 17 hostages recently rescued in Marawi City after troops killed the top leaders of the siege – Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute past midnight on October 16.

Another female hostage spoke of how her husband suddenly disappeared. She fears they've killed him only because they found out that he worked for the government. 

"Bawal daw magtrabaho sa gobyerno, sabi nila... Nalaman nila na diyan sila nag-work saconstruction. Pinatay nila. Wala na sila nagbalik," she said.

(They say it is wrong to work for the government. They found out that he was among those involved in construction work. They killed them. They did not return anymore.)

It is unclear if her husband was among the supposed hostages that the terrorists executed early on in the war.

In the video, Armed Forces chief General Eduardo Año promised they will look for her husband's remains. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – More than a dozen more terrorists were killed in Marawi City in latest military operations as troops continued their assault to flush out what they call "stragglers" inside the battle area.

Colonel Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of Task Group Ranao, said Thursday, October 19, 13 terrorists were killed in Wednesday night's operations.

A Rappler source on the ground said up to 27 fighters have been killed in heavy fighting that started Wednesday, October 18. 14 more bodies were reported retrieved Thursday, October 19.

The military is checking if Malaysia's top militant Dr Mahmud Ahmad was among the fighters troops killed. 

Brawner said they could not yet confirm the death of Mahmud. 

"We don't have all the cadavers yet, so no confirmation on Dr Mahmud," Brawner said.

Malacañang said it is still "verifying reports" of Mahmud's death and can give "no official confirmation" until the military identifies the terrorist leader's body.

Mahmud is reportedly among the top financiers of the attack. He supposedly channeled at least P30 million ($600,000) to finance the attack in Marawi City, the military said.

Mahmud survived the assault on Monday, October 16, that killed the top leaders behind the siege. Abu Sayyaf subleader Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute of the family-led Maute Group were shot by government snipers as troops assaulted enemy position to rescue remaining hostages. (READ: The life of a Maute hostage in Marawi)

These terrorist leaders pledged allegiance to international terrorist network Islamic State (ISIS).

President Rodrigo declared the "liberation" of Marawi from "terrorist influence" on Tuesday. – with reports from Bobby Lagsa and Carmela Fonbuena/Rappler.com

SEOUL, South Korea – Ousted South Korean president Park Geun-Hye's corruption trial was put on hold Thursday, October 19, after her lawyers resigned to protest what they called biased proceedings.

The defense team quit en masse on Monday, October 16, when Park condemned the trial as "political revenge", after her detention warrant was extended for another 6 months.

Park – who faces multiple charges including bribery, coercion and abuse of power for offering governmental favors to tycoons – refused to attend the Seoul Central District Court on Thursday, citing her allegedly poor health.

The court had urged her lawyers to reconsider their resignations "to prevent possible disadvantages to the accused" but they had not withdrawn them, senior judge Kim Se-Yun told the hearing.

"This case cannot proceed without defense lawyers... as the charges against the accused may entail a heavy punishment," he said, adding the court will appoint state attorneys to replace them.

He adjourned the proceedings to an unspecified date.

The process is likely to take some time as the defendant's new representatives will have to review more than 100,000 pages of evidence. – Rappler.com

BRUSSELS, Belgium – British Prime Minister Theresa May will appeal to European Union leaders at a crunch summit in Brussels on Thursday, October 19, to push forward the deadlocked Brexit negotiations.

At a meeting moved to a new venue at the last minute due to an eruption of toxic gas, May will urge her colleagues to start looking now at a future trade deal and a transition period after Britain leaves in 2019.

The EU says that there is insufficient progress on divorce issues to move on to the next phase dealing with future relations at this summit, but that it will start internal preparations to do so in December.

May will "encourage them to move the conversation on to consider the future partnership and the implementation period, so that they are ready to engage in that discussion as soon as possible," a senior British government official said.

May also published a letter on her Facebook page promising to make it as easy as possible for EU citizens to stay in the UK after Brexit. The British official said a deal on citizens' rights was "within touching distance."

EU President Donald Tusk warned there would be no breakthroughs at the summit, saying that while there had been "promising progress" London needed to come up with more concrete proposals.

"I don't expect any kind of breakthrough tomorrow – we have to work really hard in between October and December to finalize this so-called first phase and to start our negotiations on our future relations with the UK," Tusk said.

Divorce talks on the rights of EU citizens living in Britain have made the most progress, while issues surrounding Northern Ireland are less far along, and the topic of the bill the EU wants Britain to pay is virtually deadlocked.

'Nice words' are cheap

After five rounds of negotiations produced few results, fears are growing that Britain may fail to strike a withdrawal agreement before its formal departure on March 29, 2019, which would have a major economic and social impact.

Britain's exit bill is the most poisonous issue. May has promised to maintain Britain's contributions for two years after Brexit in March 2019 to complete the current EU budget period, totaling around 20 billion euros ($24 billion).

European Parliament chief Antonio Tajani – whose institution will have a final veto on any Brexit deal – told the BBC on that "20 billion is peanuts. The problem is 50 or 60 (billion euros), this is the real situation."

EU diplomats said the decision to start internal preparations was designed to throw May a bone at the summit, while sticking to the French- and German-led insistence on settling the bill before starting trade talks.

"Writing a few nice words in the summit conclusions doesn't cost much... just 10 billion per sentence," an EU diplomat joked.

The summit takes place over two days, including a special session on Brexit on Friday morning from which May will be excluded.

British officials said that during Thursday's dinner May would highlight her "bold vision", building on a speech in Florence last month in which she unveiled key proposals on the financial settlement and on a two-year transition.

"What the prime minister wants to see is a clear commitment to swift progress from both sides, for an ambitious plan to be set out for what should be achieved in the weeks ahead," the official added.

Macron trade appeal

May was advised against pushing for a full discussion with EU leaders, who view Brexit as an unwelcome distraction from efforts to reform the bloc after years of crisis.

On Thursday French President Emmanuel Macron will push trade onto the agenda with a call to his skeptical EU counterparts to put the brakes on free trade agreements or risk angering citizens who are increasingly wary of globalization.

The leaders will also deal with foreign affairs including Turkey, the crisis over North Korea's nuclear weapons and US President Donald Trump's refusal to certify the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

On Friday morning, October 20, Tusk will discuss an ambitious timeline of 13 summits over the next two years to reboot the EU and introduce major reforms of the eurozone.

On the eve of the summit the meeting was moved from the EU's new 321-million-euro Europa headquarters, dubbed the "Space Egg" because of its futuristic looks, to an older building after a leak of noxious fumes in the kitchen made several people ill. – Rappler.com

Bookmark this page to watch the interview live on Thursday, October 19

MANILA, Philippines – As part of the global campaign #NotForSale, Plan International released a study exploring the forms and mechanisms of how sexual trade happens online. 

They found that Facebook, mobile applications, and even e-commerce websites have been used to connect clients and sex traders easily.

Rappler talks to Paulene Santos, Plan International's campaign and advocacy manager, to discuss the findings of the study and what must be done by the government and civil society to curb the commercial sex industry. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu is in favor of increasing the excise tax imposed on mining companies in the Philippines, he said on Thursday, October 19.

"Absolutely yes, kailangan (it's needed)," the chief of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said during a press conference in Malacañang.

The government imposes on miners a 2% excise tax based on the gross value of minerals, aside from corporate income tax and fees for local government units where their mines are located.

But other countries impose higher tax rates, some collecting 10% excise tax from mining companies.

Cimatu could not say by how much he wants excise tax to be increased but he is aware of options being suggested by some sectors.

"There was this study before. There were some proponents who wanted to increase this 2% to 5% but the mining companies are opposing, that's how it is," he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

"These are things we have to plan properly. But 2% seems too small," he added.

But Cimatu said increasing the excise tax is something he'll bring up with the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC), an interagency body that advises the Office of the President on mining issues.

"There's nothing absolute now but think I will be bringing this to the MICC as part of policy recommendations," he said.

There are efforts in Congress to increase the excise tax on mineral products.

For instance, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri filed Senate Bill 1541, which seeks to increase the excise tax on non-metallic and metallic minerals and mineral products, and quarry products. – Rappler.com