NOY TO AFP: DON'T FIGHT MILF
MANILA,
OCTOBER 22,
2011 (STAR) By Jerry Botial - Former President Joseph
Estrada has not wavered in his position since the time he was in power that an
all-out war against the separatist rebels in Mindanao is necessary.
"I'm still for an all-out war. Pulverize them. End this decisively. This had
been dragging on for a long time. It's almost three decades. We have to wage war
in order to gain peace," said Estrada in an ambush interview yesterday while
distributing relief goods to residents of Navotas City affected by the recent
typhoons.
Estrada also made no distinction between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group, which he had earlier branded as terrorists and
plain bandits.
He also suggested that the time for talk might be over.
"They have been fooling us for a long time. We have much evidence to show for
it," he said, referring to unprovoked ambushes of government troops while
talking peace with the government.
However, he said he does not want to preempt any moves by the present
administration.
Estrada would not comment when asked about public perception that the Aquino
administration is weak and treating the rebels with kid gloves.
The former leader had remarked in previous interviews that the government had
been weak in dealing with the rebels.
He quickly added that the present leadership is doing its best. "Let's just
help him (President Aquino)," he said.
Estrada launched an all-out offensive against the MILF rebels at the
beginning of his administration. Camp Abubakar, the rebels' main camp in Central
Mindanao, was later overrun and captured by government troops.
"We were able to wipe out some 46 camps of the MILF that time," he said.
Those camps were later returned to the rebels after he was ousted from office
barely a year later.
Estrada also claimed that a majority of the people in Mindanao supported him
in his policy against the Muslim rebels, citing his winning in the entire island
in the presidential elections as proof.
He said he believes that not all Muslims in Mindanao are cut from the same
mold.
He also expressed belief that "the government should not allow the
dismemberment of the state" and disagrees with the idea of a sub-state for rebel
groups.
Asked about cheating in the previous elections, Estrada said everyone behind
the fraud should be held responsible, adding that he believes it was Fernando
Poe Jr. who really won in the presidential elections of 2004.
He also accused former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of using her powers
to cheat in the elections.
Arroyo's camp has denied all allegations of cheating in the polls.
Now that Arroyo is sick, Estrada said there is no reason why the former
president should not be allowed to get treatment from medical experts from
outside the country.
FROM THE TRIBUNE
Noy to AFP: Don't fight the MILF By Mario J.
Mallari and Charlie V. Manalo 10/22/2011
President Aquino, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, during the command conference with the military yesterday,
virtually signed the death certificates of more soldiers stationed in Mindanao
as he instructed the military not to pursue or fight the secessionist Moro
Islamic Liberation Front, as he insisted on upholding the agreement of a
ceasefire between government and the MILF, despite yet another two attacks owned
by the MILF against the government troops that left seven government troops
fighting in Zamboanga Sibugay, dead, with several wounded.
The MILF said this was done in retaliation on the attack of the military in
Basilan against the MILF, insisting that the soldiers went deep into MILF-held
area.
Aquino continued to ignore the proposed suspension of the ceasefire agreement
with the MILF and instead ordered the military to review its organizational set
up, particularly in Basilan where the 19 elite Army troops were killed in an
encounter last Tuesday.
Lawmakers from both the administration and opposition camp yesterday scored
Aquino for instigating demoralization within the ranks of the military following
a bloody ambush on a group of government troops by elements of the MILF that
resulted in the death of 19 military personnel.
At a command conference yesterday in Camp Aguinaldo, Aquino again expressed
his dissatisfaction with the performance of the AFP during the past weeks
against the enemies of the state, despite the troops' demoralized state, as
admitted by the Department of Defense, although this was quickly denied by
military spokesmen.
During the command conference, the temporary ceasefire agreement was not even
discussed by Aquino, AFP officials said.
But apparently convinced that the claimed encounter that killed 19 soldiers
in Basilan was the fault of the AFP, Aquino on Friday said that he would
personally investigate this matter to get into the bottom of the incident.
Aquino, in a different venue, said he wants to know why the the deadly clash
took place, and who should be held accountable.
" I will personally investigate what really took place in Basilan and why
such a tragedy happened," Aquino said.
AFP-deputy chief of staff for operations Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. said,
after the command conference that the commander in chief expressed his
dissatisfaction over the AFP with its successive setbacks against enemies of the
state, starting with the attack staged by more or less 200 New People's Army
(NPA) rebels against three mining sites in Surigao del Norte.
At the press briefing after the more than two-hour conference, Mabanta said
the proposed suspension of the ceasefire agreement with the MILF to pave the way
for the pursuit operations against the MILF perpetrators of the Al Barka debacle
was not even discussed.
Instead, the President asked the military to review its organizational set
up, particularly in conflict areas like Sulu and Basilan provinces, which are
known lairs of terrorist Abu Sayyaf group and rogue elements of the MILF, to
improve its capability.
"It has not been discussed," replied Mabanat when asked about the President's
stance on the suspension of the ceasefire with MILF in Basilan province.
"The instruction was the conduct of operation against the MILF should not be
pursued because of the existing ceasefire. However, other lawless elements and
the Abu Sayyaf are entirely different," added Mabanta.
Mabanta also admitted that there is no ongoing military pursuit operations
against the encountered MILF band in Al Barka town, led by fugitive Dan Laksaw
Asnawi, last Tuesday that resulted in the killing of the 19 SF members and
wounding of 14 others.
"We are waiting for legal paper…as of now, (no pursuit operations) because
there is existing ceasefire," said Mabanta.
"There is no hot pursuit operation conducted against the MILF at this point
because of the existing ceasefire mechanism," Mabanta added.
For now, Mabanta said the military will have to settle with filing a protest
before the peace panel and criminal charges against the MILF perpetrators.
"We will have to look what cases will be filed against them…we are on the
verge of doing that right now , identifying perpetrators," said Mabanta.
"He (Aquino) expressed his dissatisfaction…he was dissatisfied with the
performance of the AFP starting with the Taganito incident," said Mabanta.
Asked how the military top brass took the President's disappointment, Mabanta
replied with a straight face, saying that "we took it in good stride. We will
have to step up our operation and improve."
Mabanta also downplayed the reported demoralization in the military ranks as
earlier revealed by Department of National Defense (DND) spokesman Zosimo Jesus
Paredes.
"That's not true. There is no demoralization…maybe hindrance to our duties,"
said Mabanta, stressing that the Basilan debacle is "part and parcel" of the
duty of a soldier.
"Foremost in our minds is the pursuit for peace…we want peace to be
attained…we have to wait," added Mabanta.
Aside from the Basilan debacle, Mabanta said that the President was also
briefed about the Zamboanga Sibugay incidents where seven government troops were
killed by MILF forces on Thursday.
The President arrived at around 2:15 p.m., 30 minutes late of the scheduled
command conference. He left at around 4:25 p.m. without issuing any statement
and proceeded to Camp Crame, the national headquarters of the Philippine
National Police (PNP).
Ang Galing Pinoy Rep. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo scored Aquino, saying he
should not be too fixated on the peace process to the point of surrendering the
government's authority to rebels.
"We condemn in the highest possible term the latest attack of the MILF
against government forces resulting to the death of at least 19 military
men,"Arroyo said in a text message. "This MILF attack against the government
forces should serve as an eye-opener for the Aquino administration to rethink
its position on the ongoing peace process. While we are all in support for the
government's peace initiative, it must not let itself be hostaged with threats
of withdrawal from the peace process by the MILF. To do so would not only be
tantamount to surrendering its inherent authority to the rebel forces but would
also result to massive demoralization among the ranks of our military forces,"
he said.
Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, for her part, said Aquino should first learn
the whole story behind the bloody encounter between government and MILF forces
in Basilan before scolding the military or making pronouncements about the peace
process.
"The President seemed to be too quick to pronounce that the clash will have
no implication towards the peace negotiations with the MILF when it is still
unclear as to who first violated the ceasefire agreement between the two
parties,"said Magsaysay.
"Compounding the fact is the President's public expression of displeasure
over the military for its involvement in the clash, without first knowing what
led to the encounter in the first place," the solon added. Yhis early, the
President has already made a prejudgment in favor of the MILF," she added.
In a text message, San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito said it was
rather ironic for Aquino to blame the military on the incident instead of
uplifting their morale.
"I am deeply saddened with the pronouncement of President Aquino regarding
the soldiers slain (in the Basilan ambush),"said Ejercito. "As the
Commander-In-Chief, he should be be the one to uplift their morale instead of
blaming them." With Virgilio J. Bugaoisan
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved
PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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