Plans to supplant ISAFP under study

The Department of National Defense (DND) is planning to create a new intelligence agency which will eventually replace the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).

This was revealed by ISAFP head Brig. Gen. Eduardo Año who said that the proposal is still undergoing study as the planning guidance issued by DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin aims to create a bigger intelligence organization.

He also dismissed talks that ISAFP will be abolished.

"It's just that the intelligence unit of the AFP will be part now of the whole defense department," he further said, noting that the new spy agency will be like that of the US Defense Intelligence Agency.

Año pointed out that nothing is final as of the moment as the plan is still undergoing review.


"Not within 2014, probably that will be (by) 2015... But of course, we are always trying to change the organization for the better, it's the dynamics of the organization," he said.

Article Source: PNA

Aquino appoints former spy chief to head SOLCOM

MANILA, Philippines -- President Benigno Aquino III has appointed a former head of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to head the Southern Luzon Command, military spokesman Colonel Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. said.

Major General Caesar Ronnie Ordoyo was among several generals whose promotions Aquino has approved.

Ordoyo, current commander of the 6th Infantry “Kampilan” Division is scheduled to take command of the Lucena City-based Solcom on March 4.

Acting Solcom commander General Nonato Alfredo Peralta, who heads the 2nd Infantry “Jungle Fighter” Division based in Tanay, Rizal, will turns over the Solcom to Ordoyo.

Ordoyo is a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Mapitagan” Class 1980.

Replacing Ordoyo at the 6th ID is Brigadier General Romeo Gapuz, current assistant commander of the 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division based in Cagayan de Oro City. Gapuz belongs to the PMA “Dimalupig” Class 1981.

Gapuz will be replaced by Colonel Romeo Gan (PMA “Matikas” Class 1983), currently commander of the 401st Infantry Brigade who, in turn, will be replaced by Colonel Gregory Cayetano (PMA “Maharlika” Class 1984).

Aquino also approved the promotions to major general of Danilo Servando (PMA Class ’81), commander of the Army Support Command; Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. (PMA Class ’81), commander of the 7th Infantry “Kaugnay” Division; and Nicanor Vivar (PMA “Sandigan” Class 1982), commander of the 3rd Air Division.

Promoted to brigadier general/commodore are Eliseo Posadas, commander of the 503rd Infantry Brigade; Bobby Calleja, commander of the 203rd Infantry Brigade; Orlando De Leon, commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade; Dante Costes, commander of the Communication Electronics and Information Systems Service; George Catameo, assistant deputy chief of staff for Reservist and Retiree Affairs; Galileo Gerard Kintanar, commander of the 15th Strike Wing; and Ademar Tomaro, commander of 602nd Infantry Brigade.

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Jaime Sinapit | InterAksyon.com | February 28, 2013 | Article Link

AFP monitors five Jemaah Islamiyah members in Central Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) chief Major Gen. Caesar Ronnie Ordoyo said that five members of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) are providing bomb-making and marksmanship training to lawless elements in Central Mindanao.

Ordoyo said that the AFP strictly monitors the movements of the five to prevent the latter from disappearing in their sights.

He declined to give the specific place where the five JI members are conducting their training sessions.

The ISAFP chief said that the five's presence in the country could be attributed to the Philippines' enormous and porous maritime borders and ability of the JI operatives to mingle with the local populace and speak the language.

As this develops, Ordoyo also maintained that Malaysian extremist Zulkifli bin Abdul Hir, alias "Marwan" was killed in the airstrike in Jolo last February along with two other terrorists.

He said that until sectors claiming "Marwan" is alive could present "proof of life" evidence, the military would list the terrorist as dead.

A Malaysian counter-terror official earlier claimed that "Marwan" is still alive albeit badly wounded and hiding in Jolo.

"We believe Zulkifli bin Abdul Hir, alias 'Marwan', is still alive," Malaysian counter-terrorist official Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said.

Meanwhile, the AFP believed that the five foreigners who were earlier kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf in mainland Mindanao were no longer in Basilan but instead were being held captive in Sulu.

They are Richard Warren Rodwell, 53, an Australian national, who was forcibly taken from his house in Barangay Pangi in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, on Dec. 4, 2011; Birdwatchers Lorenzo Vinciguerra, 47, and Dutchman Ewold Horn, 52, who were abducted on Feb. 1 in Panglima Sugala, Tawi-tawi; Japanese national Toshio Ito, 63, who was abducted in Pangutaran, Sulu, while on a treasure hunt on July 16, 2010, and Biju Kolara Veettil, 36, an Indian national kidnapped in Patikul, Sulu, while visiting his Filipino in-laws on June 22, 2011.

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Priam F. Nepomuceno | Philippine News Agency/InterAksyon.Com | May 23, 2012 | Article Link

Philippine Air Force chief gets 3rd star

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has approved the promotion of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) chief along with five other senior Air Force officers, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced yesterday.

Maj. Gen. Lauro de la Cruz got his third star (lieutenant general) from the President three months after his designation as PAF commander.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1980, De la Cruz took over the helm of PAF from retired Lt. Gen. Oscar Rabena last January.

Also promoted to major general is Brig. Gen. Edgardo Rene Samonte, while Colonels Julius Ceasar Guillermo, Salvador Melchor Mison Jr., Rolando Jungco and Virgilio Hernandez got their first star (brigadier general).

Guillermo is the current commander of the 420th Airlift Wing while Mison is the Wing Commander of the 220th Air Lift Wing.

Jungco, on the other hand, is the incumbent AFP Adjutant General, while Hernandez is the deputy chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).

Meanwhile, Samonte is the commander of the PAF Air Education and Training Command based in Lipa City, Batangas.

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Jaime Laude | The Philippine Star | April 4, 2012 | Article Link

387 military personnel undergo random drug tests; all test negative

MANILA, Philippines—Hundreds of officers and employees of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ intelligence service have been subjected to random drug tests, a military spokesman said.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Colonel Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. said that drug tests were conducted Tuesday on 387 officers, enlisted men and civilian employees, who all tested “negative.”

Burgos added that the drug tests were in compliance with the AFP’s directive dated July 17, 2011, forming the anti-drug Task Force Moses, which has been tasked to specifically eliminate drug use and other related crimes.

An AFP employee who tests positive for drug use would be subject to investigation by the Provost Marshal and could be dismissed from the service if found guilty, Burgos said.

He added, however, that there are also provisions for rehabilitation.

He also said that all military personnel must undergo mandatory drug test before they can be promoted and before they can leave the country to study abroad.

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Frances Mangosing

INQUIRER.net

6:30 pm | Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

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ISAFP to lead probe of drug users within AFP

MANILA, Philippines—The Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) announced it would lead efforts to weed out drug users from the 85,000-strong military.

In a statement Wednesday, Brigadier General Caesar Ordoyo, the ISAFP chief, said he and all the 386 personnel at the ISAFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo were recently subjected to a drug test.

All of them — comprised of officers, enlisted personnel and civilian employees — tested negative for illegal drug use.

Operatives and other field personnel of the AFP’s main spy unit will also be subjected to the drug test.

Ordoyo said they underwent the drug test “as a matter of setting moral ascendancy” since ISAFP has been tapped to investigate colleagues suspected of using illegal drugs.

The Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force have organized their own anti-drug task groups or counter-intelligence units.

ISAFP, meanwhile, will handle the AFP general headquarters, the seven unified commands and the AFP-wide service support units.

Last July, ISAFP Task Force Moses was created to lead the anti-drug counter-intelligence efforts.

Headed by the ISAFP deputy chief, Col. Virgilio Hernandez, Task Force Moses has operational control over the task groups of the Army, Navy and Air Force.

ISAFP Task Group Jacob was also formed as the primary operating arm of Task Force Moses. The task group is headed by ISAFP chief of staff, Col. Melquiades Ordiales.

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By Dona Z. Pazzibugan
Philippine Daily Inquirer

6:19 pm | Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

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