FOIC PN Award from Indonesia

LIEUTENANT COLONEL EDGARD A AREVALO PN(M)
Director, Naval Public Affairs Office





Naval Diplomacy. The grateful Republic of Indonesia through President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyuno confers to Vice Admiral Golez the Bintang Jalasena Utama on 16 November 2009. In the investiture ceremony held at the Headquarters, Indonesian National Forces, the President cited the Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command’s “invaluable services rendered in the improvement and strengthening of a good joint cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Indonesia in general, and National Military Navy of both countries in particular” that earned for him the Indonesian Navy Star, First Class. General Djoko Santoso, Commnader-in-Chief of the Indonesian National Forces presented the award in an elaborate ceremony on behalf of the President.

Statement of Naval Public Affairs Office re-Firefight in Mohammad Ajul, Basilan

LIEUTENANT COLONEL EDGARD A AREVALO PN(M)
Director, Naval Public Affairs Office

Wednesday, 30 December 2009

Navy Seals and Marines in pursuit operations vs bandit Abu Sayyaf Kidnap Group and the remnants of Basilan Jailbreak clash with lawless elements group.

Firefight erupted between Navy troops and undetermined number of armed men 7:25pm, 29 December 2009 at Brgy Candiis, Mohammad Ajul, Basilan.

VADM FERDINAND S GOLEZ, Navy Chief condoles with the families of a Lieutenant Junior Grade and a Petty Officer Third Class (PO3) of the Navy Special Operations Unit 6 based in Naval Forces Western Mindanao were Killed-In-Action (KIA). A Seaman First Class (SN1) was wounded but now in stable condition in a military hospital.

Rear Admiral Alexander Pama, the commander of Naval Forces Western Mindanao Command directed the extrication of casualties from the armed engagement site while the operation continues vs the group headed by Abu Sayyaf subleader Muntong Pula.

“We will be relentless in the pursuit operations even during the holiday. We have to get these convicts and terrorists and bring them to justice. There’s no reason for a revelry with them lurking in the hinterlands of Basilan.”

Lieutenant Colonel Edgard A Arevalo PN(M), Navy Spokesman.

Statement of the Naval Public Affairs Office re Sinking of MV Catalyn B and MV Baleno 9 as of 271430H Dec 09

LIEUTENANT COLONEL EDGARD A AREVALO PN(M)
Director, Naval Public Affairs Office

Sunday,27 December 2009

After four days of aerial search by our Navy Islanders and two days of sea surface search for missing passengers by four of our ships, we are yet to see survivors from Catalyn B. Accounts from survivors that the ship capsized in less than two minutes reinforces our apprehensions that those twenty one (21) missing could have gone down with the ship.

We are hoping otherwise in case of the reported 22 still missing among the 88 reported personnel of MB Baleno 9 (per Coast Guard PIO: 70 passengers; 18 crew; 62 survivors; 4 casualty; 22 missing). After navy aerial search at 7:55 AM onwards today and accounts of survivors that more could have perished, the Navy search and rescue teams aboard PS 32 to be joined by PG 394 race against time to save any of or all the missing passengers. We are soliciting prayers that may the rescuers find the survivors at the nick of time. (End)

Statement of Naval Public Affairs Office re-sinking incident of MV Baleno 9

LIEUTENANT COLONEL EDGARD A AREVALO PN(M)
Director, Naval Public Affairs Office

Sunday, 27 December 2009

In regard to the reported capsizing of MV Baleno 9, a RORO Type vessel plying Calapan Oriental Mindoro-Batangas City route, Philippine Navy Chief Vice Admiral Ferdinand S Golez AFP orders the forthwith dispatch of Disaster Response and Rescue Teams of the Fleet-Marine Ready Force to conduct search and rescue. BRP Iloilo (PS32) with medical team departed Cavite at 04:13 A.M. for Verde Island where the incident happened. Navy Islander with tail number PNI 312 takes off for aerial search 7 A.M. Another aircraft, PNH 412 on-call. Meanwhile, a smaller and more agile Navy vessel PG 394 directed to depart Subic as soon as possible to proceed vicinity Verde Island. “In the face of all these untoward incidents anew and amidst our limitations, our countrymen can depend on your Navy for succor,” says Vice Admiral Golez. (End)

Navy Responded to a Call after Boats Collide

LIEUTENANT COLONEL EDGARD A AREVALO PN(M)
Director, Naval Public Affairs Office

Friday,25 December 2009

Navy alerts anew its search and rescue response teams to take action to a disaster call from a collision between M/B Catalyn B and F/V Anatalia at vicinity 4 kilometer northwest of Limbones Island, Cavite yesterday. Forty-six others have been rescued, twenty-four are still reportedly missing, while there are three who were recovered.

Naval Disaster Response Task Unit-National Capital Region(NDRTU-NCR) has been organized to formally undertake the search and rescue mission headed by COMMO JOSE MIGUEL S RODRIGUEZ AFP. Navy’s BRP Sulpicio Fernandez (PG853) with full complement of 3 officers and 15 crew and 2 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat from the Naval Special Operations Group had been in the search area for two days now to assist the Philippine Coast Guard. Two Naval vessels, BRP Dagupan City(LC551) and BRP Iloilo(PS 32), also proceeded in the area. Likewise, Navy Aircrafts PNI 312 and PNH 421 took off from Naval Base Heracleo Alano and help out in the search and rescue. A medical team from Cavite Naval Hospital (CNH) was also augmented to render assistance to those who are in need of medical attention and care.

A series of tragedies have struck the Philippines over recent months and this is another painful incident that befell our countrymen, especially this Christmas. But as the nation is being confronted by these challenges, your Philippine Navy units remain organized, equipped and are suited for deployment at a moment’s notice. Your Navy works and performs even non-combat roles hand-in-hand with other government and non-government agencies to help our countrymen in need.

Statement of the Naval Public Affairs Office RE- Kidnapping Incident in Maluso, Basilan

Tuesday, 10 November 2009
BY: LTCOL EDGARD A AREVALO PN(M)
Director, Naval Public Affairs Office

Marines are hot on tracks of the group responsible in the recent kidnapping incident of two persons reportedly abducted early today, 10 November 2009 in Masluso, Basilan. At around 9AM, BGEN EUGENIO CLEMEN, Commanding General, 1st Marine Brigade based in Basilan dispatched a company of Force Reconnaisance Marines and another Special Operations Platoon of Marines from MBLT-1 to pursue the unidentified kidnappers. The Marines has so far recovered a fragmentation grenade believed to be of the kidnappers in an area where the abductors purportedly halted to rest in transit to the jungles. A company of Army troopers from 32IB also pursues the kidnappers according to BGEN CLEMEN. Meanwhile, a Division Reconnaisance Company from the Army’s 1st Division based in Zamboanga is now rushing to Basilan onboard a Navy boat to reinforce the Marines.

We hope to intercept or catch up with the kidnappers before they reach the mountains and immediately rescue the victims.

No one claims responsibility yet.

Farm-to-Market Road in Basilan Inaugurated; Local Execs Urge Public to Cooperate with the AFP

Tuesday, 03 November 2009
BY: LTCOL EDGARD A AREVALO PN(M)
Director, Naval Public Affairs Office

The ground works for a major road in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan that connects three barangays which has seen recent encounters between the AFP and the bandit Abu Sayyaf Group was inaugurated on Wednesday, 28 October 2009.

BGEN EUGENIO N CLEMEN AFP, Commander, 1st Marine Brigade, Gov. Jum J. Akbar, and Mayor Ingatun Lukman G. Istaru of Tipo-Tipo led the inaugural ground-breaking ceremony. The nine (9)- kilometer farm-to-market road project in Tipo-Tipo will connect the provincial road to the Barangay roads of Sungkayot, Silangkum, and Matata-- sites of recent bloody armed encounters between the AFP and ASG. The project was a joint undertaking of the AFP and the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P). The 1st Mobile Naval Construction Battalion of the Naval Construction Brigade leads the implementation of the project.

Governor Akbar of Basilan Tipo-Tipo Mayor Istaru expressed their full support in the project and conveyed their appreciation during the ground-breaking ceremony. The Governor urged the Basilenos to cooperate with the military in ensuring completion of the project and report all acts by threat groups that will derail its timely completion.

Mayor Istaru for his part attributed the roots of criminalities in his town to the absence of roads that will connect the people to schools, clinics, market, and other infrastructures necessary for development. The two officials jointly urged their constituents to support and protect all projects initiated by the AFP for the betterment of the province.

RADM ALEXANDER P PAMA AFP, Commander, Naval Forces Western Mindanao stressed in his remarks the economic and strategic value of the road rehabilitation which will redound to the well being and security of the community.



RADM ALEXANDER P PAMA AFP, Commander, NFWM giving his remarks on the groundbreaking ceremony.



Governor Jum J. Akbar listens to CNFWM briefing on the plan of rehabilitation.





RADM PAMA, Gov. Akbar, CPT CLAYPOOL and BGEN CLEMEN laying the time capsule marking the start of the project.






LT CADISAL of 1MNCBN explains the details of the road rehabilitation at the project site.