Delfin Lorenzana

Five-month battle ends in Philippine city: defence secretary

Clark - Muslimchronicle

A five-month battle against Islamic State supporters in the southern Philippines that claimed more than 1,000 lives has ended, the nation's defence secretary said on Monday. "We now announce the termination of all combat operations in Marawi," Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Clark, a northern Philippine city. source: AFPRead more

Philippines soldiers kill two top commanders of pro-IS militant alliance in Marawi City

Manila - Muslimchronicle

Philippine troops killed two top commanders of a militant alliance in an operation in southern Marawi City on Monday, authorities said, a big boost to a military battling the spread of IS's radical ideology. Isnilon Hapilon, IS's anointed "emir" in Southeast Asia, and Omarkhayam Maute, one of two Middle East-educated brothers at the helm of the militant alliance, were killedRead more

Philippine defense chief says pro-IS militants offer to surrender

Manila - Muslimchronicle

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Thursday that an undermined number of the Maute extremists that laid siege to the southern Philippine city of Marawi have offered to surrender. Lorenzana said a local official, Lanao del Sur Rep. Mauyag Papandayan, relayed to him the pro-Islamic State militants' plan to surrender and give up the fight. The pro-IS extremists haveRead more

Philippine gov't to intensify offensive to quell IS terrorists

Manila - Muslimchronicle

The Philippine government on Sunday warned Islamist militants and their sympathizers to surrender or face the full force of the law. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana issued the warning a day after the Philippine Congress approved the extension of martial law in the entire Mindanao until the end of the year. He said security forces are determined to defeat terrorism withinRead more

Duterte: Chinese ships allowed to survey Philippine territory

Manila - Arab Today

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday that he had agreed to allow Chinese surveillance ships into Filipino waters, contradicting his defense minister who described their presence as “very concerning.” Duterte also said that he did not want to have a “fight” with China over Benham Rise — waters recognized by the UN as indisputably Philippine territory — partly becauseRead more

China dismisses Phillipine defense minister's words as groundless

Beijing - ArabToday

China on Friday said words by the Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana were groundless conjecture and urged him to do more to contribute to mutual trust. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a daily press conference when responding to a question that Lorenzana said he was concerned by Chinese vessels at various locations close to the PhilippinesRead more

Top militant wounded in Philippines

Manila - Arab Today

A top leader of an militant group who is on the US list of “Most Wanted Terrorists” has been wounded in military airstrikes, the Philippine defense minister said Saturday. Isnilon Hapilon was indicted in Washington for his involvement in the 2001 kidnapping of three Americans in the Philippines, and has a $5-million bounty on his head from the US government.Read more

US to start building facilities in Philippine military camps this year

Manila - ArabToday

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Thursday that the U.S. military will start building facilities in Philippine military camps this year. Lorenzana told reporters that the plan is part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) that Washington and Manila signed in 2014. "According to the Pentagon, they will start constructing some facilities in the EDCA chosen camps. IRead more

Southeast Asia not a ‘proxy’ for superpower rivalry, warns Philippines

Singapore - Arab Today

The Philippines has told major global powers that Southeast Asia was not a “proxy” for superpower rivalries, as Washington and Beijing compete for influence in the region. Conflicting claims over the South China Sea, which straddles vital commercial shipping lanes and is believed to sit atop vast natural gas deposits, have placed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) atRead more

Philippines rejects rebels’ condition for ceasefire

Manila - ArabToday

The Philippine defence chief on Tuesday rejected a demand by communist guerrillas for government troops to withdraw from rebel-influenced communities in the countryside for the insurgents to extend a monthslong ceasefire. Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said troops would continue to be deployed in all rural areas where they have to suppress lawlessness and added that the New People’s Army guerrillasRead more