Thursday, August 21, 2008 Arroyo wants MILF rebels in attacks pursued
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the police and military to conduct “full, vigorous, and unrelenting” pursuit operations against members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) involved in the attacks in the provinces of North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte.
Arroyo, during the Cabinet security cluster meeting in Malacañang Tuesday night, said the pursuit operations against MILF commanders Umbra Kato and Abdullah Saber Macapaan and their cohorts would be suspended “if and only when the MILF rebels are neutralized and their hostages released.”
She hoped that the P5-million reward for each of the information that would lead to the arrest or neutralization of Kato and Macapaan would lead to their “early neutralization” even as criminal charges had already been filed against Kato and similar cases are being readied against Macapaan.
“Members of Umbra Kato and Macapaan’s units shall likewise be brought to justice for their actions. To attain these objectives, every arsenal at the disposal of the armed forces and the police will be utilized without let-up,” Arroyo said as quoted by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.
“This instruction bolsters an earlier directive from the President for government forces to take back every inch of territory from these marauders at all cost, prevent their re-occupation, and to ensure that peace, order and security are restored,” he added.
Ermita said Arroyo is angered and deeply frustrated by the “treacherous acts” committed by the MILF members which has dimmed possibilities of an early conclusion of the peace process.
According to him, the President also detests the MILF leadership’s “lack of control over its so-called base commands” as seen in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte where innocent civilians either died or were displaced.
He added that Arroyo was “deeply saddened” by what happened as houses were razed down, civilian fired upon indiscriminately, and others now staying either at evacuation centers or even the roadsides.
“These people who have dreamed all their lives of a peaceful Mindanao and a future of opportunities to make their lives a little better do not deserve this tragedy. The President, being a mother and a wife, deeply feels for our people,” he said.
“The President regrets that the MILF’s failure to restrain its field commanders reflects the organization’s lack of sincerity to push for a successful conclusion of the peace process. In the past, the Philippine government tolerated minor skirmishes between its forces and the MILF on the latter’s excuse that these were perpetrated by rouge elements in their fold. This excuse has been abused for too long and the President now draws the line,” Ermita added.
President Arroyo has also warned “other armed groups” against taking advantage of the volatile situation in Mindanao by sowing further violence and even destabilization in the affected area.
“In such occurrences, government armed forces will not hesitate to act in a manner that is most appropriate and swift to contain these groups,” he said further quoting the President.
Ermita said these other armed groups include rebels like the New People’s Army. (JMR/Sunnex)
