David wants end to emergency state

ARMED Forces Chief of Staff Ricardo David said Thursday he will soon recommend for the lifting of the state of emergency (SOE) in the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato.

After assessing the reports on the peace and security condition in the three provinces, David said he saw that it is reasonable to lift the SOE.

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David, however, said there will be no pull out of government troops in the area and the checkpoints and patrols will stay.

Presidential Proclamation 1946 placed Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City under a SOE after the infamous November 23, 2009 massacre in Sitio Salay, Barangay Salman, Ampatuan, Maguindanao, where at least 57 people were killed.

"We have reviewed the reports and discussed in the conference the possibility. We'll be recommending on the part of the Armed Forces for the lifting of the state of emergency in Maguindanao," David said at the Eastern Mindanao Command where he and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin visited the government troops in the Davao Region on Thursday.

During the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting in Maguindanao last week, now under the leadership of Gov. Datu Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu, it was assessed whether the SOE should be retained or lifted.

David said the members of the PPOC itself would submit to President Benigno Aquino III their recommendation, to which the latter would have the final decision.

"It would be up for the local executives on their recommendations for the President whether to lift it or not. But the Armed Forces is positive, we're very ready to lift the state of emergency in that area," David said.

Asked whether he would order the withdrawal of troops, currently under Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer who is overall military ground commander in Maguindanao and Eastern Mindanao Command chief, David said he would not.

"We should maintain the peace and order in Maguindanao, walang pull out (no pull out), just the lifting of state of emergency," David said.

"(The situation there is) concurrent to the lifting a state of emergency the emergency in Maguindanao. Pwede na yung normal conduct of government, wala nang curfew, but there will still be military checkpoints. This is in order to protect communities in the area," David said.

Erstwhile President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued Proclamation 1946 to intensify the manhunt against about 200 suspects in the mass killing.

David added that since there is ongoing investigation on the Ampatuan massacre, they are willing to assist the police in arresting the other suspects.

"The apprehension is up to the Philippine National Police. Sila yung nagbibigay ng warrant of arrest. Kami, joint effort, if there's some warrant to be issued or have been issued then we will help the PNP in apprehending," David said.

Defense Secretary Gazmin, who along with David were in Davao City Thursday, also vowed to assist the police in arresting those involved in the massacre that remains at large.

He said there is no closure yet to the military investigation on how the Ampatuans acquired a large number of assorted firearms.

Meanwhile, the internal security operations against the New People’s Army will also continue while the government waits for the official response of the Communist Party of the Philippine to continue the peace talks.

Gazmin said the military will continue to assert its mandated task to serve and protect communities from the harassments of the rebels. He said though that the military is ready to observe a unilateral ceasefire just to push the peace process forward.

He said that even with the pronouncement of Communist Party of the Philippines chair Jose Maria Sison declining the peace pipe offered by the government, the military will support initiatives to reach out to local rebel commanders.

Gazmin also ordered military commanders to reach out to communities and show them the services of the government.

"The government is instituting reforms geared towards making impact in improving our way of living. The military must impart in showing the way towards the right direction so that the people in the countryside will cooperate in the aspired reforms of the government," he said. (JCZ/BOT)