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Sunday, August 12, 2007
More troops join offensive v. Sayyafs
MANILA -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo transferred the head of the Philippine Army to the restive southern Philippines on Saturday after the deaths of 26 soldiers in attacks by suspected Islamic militants.
Arroyo transferred the Army's top commander, Lieutenant General Romeo Tolentino, from Manila to Zamboanga City to direct the military's response to Thursday's attack.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
Tolentino's temporary move "to the front lines" was made so he could "oversee the theater of operations," a statement from Arroyo's office said.
He was ordered to "orchestrate punitive actions" against the militants, but also "evaluate peaceful overtures of those who will demonstrate remorse," it said.
Arroyo said in an earlier statement "there will be no let up in our fight against terror."
"The military offensive against the Abu Sayyaf must continue, not as an act of vengeance, but as a strategy to win the peace," she said.
The army also deployed 120 more soldiers to reinforce troops battling Abu Sayyaf militants on southern Jolo island where 57 people, including the 26 soldiers, were killed in clashes this week.
The reinforcements arrived on Jolo aboard a military C-130 transport plane - the first group of about 1,000 soldiers being sent to back up some 4,000 Army troops and Marines already pursuing Abu Sayyaf guerrillas, army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres said.
“We are pursuing, we are continuing with our operations to be able to cordon and finally destroy the Abu Sayyaf. We are pressing with our operations, we are continuing with our operations,” said Army spokesman Ernesto Torres.
“On the part of the Army, we are sending to Sulu one battalion from Visayas and another battalion from Luzon. We are not identifying the battalions for operations reasons, it may create operational vacuum in the areas,” said Torres.
Torres could not say when the deployment of the two reinforcement battalions would be completed. The official said this would depend on the capability of the Air Force to transport the troops.
The military leadership ordered the deployment of fresh troops in Sulu following Thursday’s skirmishes with the combined Abu Sayyaf and MNLF elements that left 25 soldiers dead and at least 10 others wounded.
The first incident was an ambush Army soldiers on “re-supply mission” staged by the enemy in Indanan town that left 10 soldiers dead and a soldier wounded. Later in the afternoon, the troops caught up with the ambushers but left 15 soldiers dead and nine others injured.
The Army lost 25 soldiers belonging to the 33rd Infantry Battalion in two separate clashes Thursday with the Abu Sayyaf on Jolo - the largest number of government casualties in a single day in recent years, armed forces Chief of Staff General Hermogenes Esperon said Friday.
Twenty-seven Abu Sayyaf fighters died in Thursday's clashes. Another soldier and four militants were killed in separate gunbattles earlier in the week, the military said.
Officials said at least 27 Abu Sayyaf bandits were killed in the encounter and 25 others were wounded based on “validated” intelligence information.
Since Friday, Torres said that there have been no reported armed contacts with the pursued group believed to be under Abu Sayyaf leaders Radullan Sahiron; Abu Pula alias Dr. Abu; and Albader Parad.
The military said the Abu Sayyaf has about 370 members and 250 of them are situated in Sulu. On the other hand, the military could not say the number of rogue MNLF members who are sympathetic to detained MNLF leader Nur Misuari.
There are at least four Army and four Marine battalions - composed of at least 500 men each – in Sulu before the reinforcements came. Once all the reinforcements arrive, the military strength Sulu will be about 5,000 men.
The military confirmed that at least three Abu Sayyaf leaders have been slain by government forces during skirmishes with the terrorist group and Moro rebels in Basilan.
Armed Forces public information officer Bartolome Bacarro said five Abu
Sayyaf and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels died during the initial fighting with elements of the 33rd Infantry Battalion at the village of Lanang Dakula in Parang town last Wednesday.
Bacarro identified two of the fatalities in the clash as one Jehili, a rogue MNLF member; and Marad Astig alias Rambo, who is listed No. 17 in the military’s order of battle as working under Abu Sayyaf leader Radullan Sahiron.
Bacarro said 27 Abu Sayyaf elements died in the clash but only five enemy bodies were recovered. He said among those dead in the encounter were Salip Edimar, alias Long Hair, a security officer of Sahiron; Mazdal Jumdail, a son of Abu Sayyaf leader Dr. Abu but serves as right hand of Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad.
Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral said about 35,000 people have sought shelter in homes of relatives or government evacuation centers to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
Sulu Governor Sakur Tan said the evacuees came from the towns of Parang, Maimbung and Indanan, which are on the western coast of Jolo, 950 kilometers (590 miles) south of Manila.
"We hope it will not spill over to the other municipalities," he said.
He said he received no reports of fresh fighting as of noon Saturday.
"There is a lull at the moment. That means they (the Abu Sayyaf) also got tired. Maybe they are on the run," Tan said.
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) administrator Glenn Rabonza said Saturday they will continue to have concerned government agencies prepare evacuation centers for those displaced.
He said he has ordered the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to help the families.
Meanwhile, delegates of the International Women's Peace and Solidarity Mission for Basilan expressed support to the call for the reduction of military troops in Basilan island.
The delegates are mulling the possibility to ask the government of letting the police do the arrests of the suspected killers without necessarily deploying bigger military troops into the island-province.
Mary Ellen Oconnor of New Zealand, who is one of the foreign delegates from six countries in Asia-Pacific, expressed concern on the welfare of the civilians when full-blown hostilities will erupt. (VR/JMR/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (August 12, 2007 issue)
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