Thursday, October 09, 2008 Body formed to secure Sarangani
AUTHORITIES have created an inter-agency task force that would oversee and coordinate planning efforts, especially the tactical operations, legal offensives and rehabilitation, in anticipation of escalation of atrocities in Sarangani Province.
Danny Reyes, spokesman for the Central Mindanao Regional Police Office, said the task force was named Task Force Makima (short for the municipalities of Maasim, Kiamba and Maitum in Sarangani where acts of violence are expected to rise) and would be headed by Sarangani Police Provincial Director Danilo Peralta.
"Additionally, the task force was composed of representatives from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the area, local chief executives (LCEs) and chiefs-of-police of the three municipalities," said Reyes.
Reyes said Governor Rene Miguel Dominguez had pledged to provide the funding for the task force and help bear all administrative costs. The members held its first meeting right after its formal establishment Tuesday.
The task force was created days following an attack by renegade Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in Kiamba where they attacked a plantation, burned a barangay hall and a daycare center, and wounded a security guard and a civilian employee in the process.
"Among other things, the task force discussed integrated defense and new strong points in the upland and shoreline and checkpoint along Maharlika Highway," Reyes said.
He added that the effective participation of the Sarangani Provincial Government required the involvement and coordination of many governmental departments and agencies like the Department of Health (DOH), Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as well as non-government organizations (NGOs).
The Central Mindanao police's Seaborne Patrol was also organized on this effect to serve the search warrant numbers 47-49 issued by Judge Jaime Infante of Branch 38, 11th Judicial Region of Sarangani Province on the residences of Victor Wataman, ME Malanatas and Tawasin Sulani.
While the search warrants were being served by the Philippine National Police (PNP), operatives of the Army's 25th Infantry Battalion (IB), who acted as blocking forces, engaged armed men at Sitio Puago, Barangay Datu in Kiamba, Sarangani and in a firefight that lasted for 30 minutes.
The enemy withdrew south because of the reinforced units from the PNP. Pursuit operations were still being conducted to neutralize the perpetrators.
The task force solicited inputs and drew on the expertise of Police Regional Director Felizardo Serapio Jr. who chaired the same task force in North Cotabato, the Task Force TF Palma-PB.
It also called upon the legal skills and knowledge of Deputy Police Regional Director for Administration Felicisimo Khu Jr., who chairs the Legal Offensives Committee of Task Force Palma-PB and also of other significant individuals found within other agencies and departments. (VR/Sunnex)
