AFP LAUNCHES AIR STRIKES VS MILF: SURRENDER OF 'MILF BY DAY, ASG BY NIGHT'
[PHOTO = A Philippine Air Force OV-10 bomber plane taxis at a military base in Zamboanga City... First air strikes on Philippine rebels since 2008 By Jason Gutierrez | AFP News – October 24, 2011]
MANILA, OCTOBER 26, 2011 (BULLETIN) By ELENA L. ABEN and JC BELLO RUIZ — The military launched Monday air strikes over Zamboanga Sibugay, killing at least six Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels and two soldiers. The initial salvo against the armed groups and lawless elements that attacked and killed government troops in Basilan, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Lanao del Norte also resulted in the wounding of 18 others – 14 MILF men and four soldiers.
As the military started its offensive, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as well as Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo called on the MILF to surrender their rogue members involved the attacks against government troops.
Robredo said the MILF must surrender its alleged "MILF by day, ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group) by night" members "as a sign of good faith" or face the full force of the law.
"For those who want to talk peace, I think we should talk peace. For those who think that they can test the willpower of the government, I think we should show them that the government will do what is necessary," Robredo said in a chance interview at the 1st Philippine Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Summit in Makati City.
In a text message to reporters, Army chief Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz said: "I have ordered Army field commanders to continue pursuing the armed groups and lawless elements who attacked and caused the death of our troops in Basilan, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Lanao del Norte."
Ortiz issued the directive in the wake of last Tuesday's encounter on Al-Barka, Basilan that left 19 officers and soldiers dead, followed by a series of ambuscades in Lanao Del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay that resulted in the killing of 16 more people, including Army troops, policemen, an off- duty militiaman, and civilians – all attributed to rogue members of the MILF.
Maj. Harold Cabunoc of the Army public affairs office, meanwhile, said as of press time, law enforcement operation is ongoing at Taib Sub Village, Labatan, Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay.
[PHOTO - Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels on patrol inside their base at Camp Darapan, …]
The operation, he said, is directed against members of a notorious kidnapping group, led by a certain Juaning Abdulsam, also an MILF commander.
Cabunoc said at around 11 a.m. Monday, about 200-strong combined elements of the Army and police are carrying out the operation backed by OV-10 gunships and armored vehicles.
"Bombing strikes began at 11:30 a.m. today," said Cabunoc, adding that "about 100 heavily armed bandits are holed up in their bunkers and running trenches."
"Dalawang sorties na yun OV-10 natin," said another officer.
While the military launched an offensive, President Aquino declared that his government would pursue all-out justice against lawless elements, junking the proposal of an all-out war.
The House of Representatives opposition asked President Aquino to immediately convene the National Security Council (NSC) to help decide a plan of action that would address the escalation of attacks of Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels against military and civilians in Mindanao.
Minority Leader Edcel Lagman said the President must now consult the NSC "to rationally and effectively address" the Mindanao carnage.
Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, also a member of the House opposition, dared Aquino to demand the surrender of MILF men involved in the killings as a test of MILF's sincerity in pursuing peace negotiations with the government.
Liberal Party stalwart and Deputy Speaker Erin Tanada said that while he mourns the death of the soldiers in an ambush last week, peace negotiations should remain the priority of the government.
But Robredo said the government should use all its strength and capability in going after the "lawless" MILF members.
He said law enforcement agencies are bent on going after the rebel group's rogue members unless they are surrendered by the MILF leadership.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate Social Justice and Rural Development Committee, told the government not to show mercy for the so-called murderous "Lost Command"' of the MILF whose rampage in Mindanao last week snuffed the lives of 35 persons, mostly Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) soldiers and Philippine National Police (PNP) policemen.
Pangilinan called on the government to exercise the full force of the law on this so-called "Lost Command" that has been sowing violence in Basilan, Zamboanga, and Lanao del Norte.
"We cannot simply turn a blind eye to the murderous and lawless elements in the area who, with treachery, take advantage of the restraint exercised by our men in uniform out of respect for the peace process," Pangilinan said.
"We should continue to talk peace with the MILF but we should show no mercy for the murderous Lost Command. We trust that the MILF will agree that the Lost Command should be dealt with the full force of the law," he said.
Robredo had expressed doubts on the capability of the MILF leadership to discipline its rogue members.
"They have the so-called 'MILF by day, ASG by night' and I doubt if they have control over them," Robredo said, referring to alleged members of the Abu Sayyaf bandits who have ties with the MILF.
He believes that the MILF has a list of its rogue members and that the rebel group better turn them in as a "sign of good faith."
Robredo's call for the surrender of the rogue MILF men was supported by Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Inter-Religious Dialogue (CBCP-ECID).
Ledesma said surrendering liable members would be the best way to show that the MILF remains committed to pursue peace talks with the Government of the Philippines (GPH).
"I think that should be part of it. If they are really sincere, they should show that there is command responsibility," he said in an interview.
"We certainly appeal to the MILF to show restraint and to prove they are ready to go to the negotiating table," added Ledesma.
With the series of MILF attacks, Sen. Arturo Trillanes IV admitted that the morale in the ranks of the Armed Forces is low due to their perceived "kid glove" treatment of President Benigno S. Aquino III of fragile situation in Mindanao.
In a radio interview, Trillanes said the President should immediately address the Mindanao conflict with firm resolve to prevent further demoralization within the military organization.
Sen. Franklin Drilon fully supports President Aquino's decision on the MILF issue.
"I fully support the President in his decision to thumb down proposals to scrap the peace process and wage an all-out war against the MILF due to what happened recently which killed several soldiers," said Drilon.
"The government must exhaust all means to pursue peace process with the MILF," he added as he urged the public to support the President in his decision to continue with the peace process.
Vice President Jejomar C. Binay said it is normal for soldiers to be demoralized whenever their colleagues are killed during clashes with rebel groups such as the MILF.
"It is part of Filipino culture that we get hurt when we experienced the death of a loved one. With that point of view, we have to give leeway for emotional reactions," Binay, himself a reservist of the Marines with the rank of a lieutenant colonel, said in a chance interview at the 1st Philippine Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Summit at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. (With reports from Ben R. Rosario, Mario B. Casayuran, Rolly T. Carandang, Hannah L. Torregoza, Rio Rose Ribaya, Gennalyn D. Kabiling, and Leslie Ann G. Aquino)
AFP: We will follow orders By Alexis Romero (The Philippine Star) Updated October 25, 2011 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - The military yesterday vowed to obey President Aquino's order to pursue lawless elements in a series of killings of soldiers in Mindanao as it reiterated its support for peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. (photo) said they would use the ceasefire mechanisms to pursue the lawless elements inside the MILF's area of temporary stay.
"As long as they are lawless elements, we will run after them and we will pursue them wherever they are," Oban said in a press briefing yesterday evening in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
"We have a mechanism in place and we have to respect that. We have to let our heads control our emotions," he added.
Oban said military operations against the group of Waning Abdusalam are now being conducted in Payao, Zamboanga, Sibugay.
The military, however, is still conducting intelligence gathering in Al Barka, Basilan, where MILF fighters killed 19 soldiers.
Oban said such intelligence gathering is part of an "objective, deliberate and calibrated response."
"In Basilan, we have to get intelligence information where these people (lawless elements) are. You just do not enter into an area. There should be good intelligence work and deliberate plan of action."
"For now, we will have to exert and gather more intelligence before we launch calibrated and deliberate mil actions," Oban said.
He explained that there are existing mechanisms in the ceasefire that would allow them to track down lawless elements even inside the MILF territories.
"The all-out justice is simply applying the rule of law against whoever committed a wrongdoing against the society. They should be made accountable for their deeds," he said.
"If we have that much information as to the whereabouts of the lawless elements, we will have to pursue them."
P10-B fund released
Meanwhile, military officials welcomed the President's order to release P10 billion for their modernization program but clarified that this is not related to the supposed demoralization of troops over the death of 19 soldiers in Basilan.
Oban said the disbursement of the funds for capability upgrade would boost the morale of troops.
AFP spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. noted that the P10-billion outlay is part of the modernization program for 2010 and this year's national budget.
"After a thorough process which involved defining branch of service requirement, among others, we go now to the next step which is the procurement process," Burgos said.
Navy chief Vice Adm. Alexander Pama said people should not put malice into the release of funds.
"That's far from it (Basilan clash). All Filipinos, not only the military, should be happy with this positive development. The funds would allow the military to upgrade its capabilities," Pama told The STAR in a phone interview.
"Everybody should take this positively. We should not put color to this. This is significant because this would allow soldiers to purchase new equipment," he said.
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