Sunday, September 07, 2008 Police tackle MILF atrocities
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is identifying measures that would be adopted to prevent attacks by renegade Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels similar to the recent atrocities in the provinces of North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte.
PNP spokesman Nicanor Bartome said top police officials in Mindanao attended a workshop in Davao on Friday, principally to address similar actions by the rebels against the civilians.
In July, the group of MILF commander Umbra Kato occupied scores of villages in North Cotabato, sending hundreds of thousands of residents displaced. They were subsequently dislodged by government troops weeks later.
On August 25, the group of another MILF commander Abdullah Saber Macapaar alias Bravo attacked Iligan City and four towns in Lanao del Norte, resulting in the killing of 28 civilians, three military men - including Lieutenant Colonel Angel Benitez - and a policeman.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) leadership ordered an offensive against the two commanders for the atrocities. At present, at least 4,000 Army soldiers are still engaged in the offensive in several parts of Mindanao, including Maguindanao, Sharif Kabunsuan, and Lanao del Norte, among others.
"The purpose of the workshop is to bring all stakeholders to work together for a program of lasting peace in Mindanao. Also being discussed are effective ways of returning a climate of peace and stability in the affected regions," said Bartolome.
"The workshop also aims to determine areas that need to be hardened or where defensive postures need to be strengthened to prevent incidents similar to what happened in North Cotabato and Lanao provinces," he added.
It was in the same workshop where Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno announced that the PNP would be giving less priority in the recruitment of volunteers in the areas, said Bartolome.
"Another highlight of the conference is the announcement by the DILG secretary that the organization of Police Auxiliary Units will now be given less priority. Instead, the PNP will tap the services of 1,000 police recruits who are now undergoing the Field Training Program in the different police regional offices in Mindanao," said Bartolome.
"It was also re-emphasized that Civilian Volunteer Organizations will not be allowed to bear arms, but will only be mobilized for community building programs, particularly the rehabilitation of communities," he said.
Meanwhile, the AFP welcomed government's decision to double the bounty on Kato and Bravo.
AFP public affairs officer Ernesto Torres said raising the reward for the arrest of Kato and Bravo - of the 105th and 102nd Base Commands of the MILF, respectively, will also double the changes of arresting them.
Puno earlier announced the government is raising its reward for the capture of the two commanders from P5 million to P10 million each. Also, he announced a P5 million bounty for another MILF commander, Aleem Pangalian.
"The strategy is proven effective. Doubling the bounty also doubles the chances that those who are around the LMG (lawless MILF group) leaders and members of the community where they move may be enticed to provide information and other ways leading to their capture or neutralization," said Torres.
He said the increase in the bounty will be a big help particularly in the efforts to trace the whereabouts of the two MILF commanders.
"Its purpose is to gather more information, it will help the intelligence operation. It will induce people to provide information which is the purpose of the reward actually," he said. (VR/Sunnex)
