Monday, August 20, 2007 Eastmincom hopes for peace as war breaks out in Basilan By Ben O. Tesiorna
THE whole area of Eastern Mindanao is on high alert as clashes between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan started over the weekend.
Despite the armed conflict, AFP's Eastern Mindanao Command Chief Rodolfo Obaniana said the death of government troops in Basilan will be more meaningful though if peace is achieved in the island of Mindanao.
In a statement, Obaniana said as much as they wanted to seek revenge for the death of their colleagues, peace is however still their ultimate mission.
"We mourn the death of our soldiers in Basilan. If given the chance, we will seek revenge. But we believe that their deaths will be more meaningful if in the end we will see the peace that they aspired and died for," Obaniana said.
Fifteen Marine soldiers were killed and 10 were wounded in the firefight between the military and the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan on Saturday.
Marines swooped down Saturday morning on a remote Abu Sayyaf camp in Basilan, killing 42 bandits--including a suspect in the beheading of 10 soldiers on July 10--but losing 15 of their own men, including five junior officers.
Seven other enlisted personnel were wounded in the fierce close-quarter firefight that erupted at 6:25 a.m. when the Marines surprised the Abu Sayyaf bandits at their camp in Ungkaya Pukan town.
The five officers killed were identified as Lieutenant Salvador of the Philippine Military Academy Class 2005, and Lieutenants Loperaz, Sumera, Solorin, and Pinera, all of PMA Class 2006.
A Philippine Air Force (PAF) pilot was killed while his co-pilot and a crewman were wounded when a military helicopter crashed.
Authorities however denied that the helicopter crash was due to enemy fire.
