PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is determined to put to an end the hostile actions of the Abu Sayyaf bandits, a Palace official said on Tuesday.
“The President is definitely focused on making sure that the threats on the Abu Sayyaf group should be terminated as soon as possible,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella told a press conference.
Abella made the statement in the wake of the bloody encounter between the military and the Abu Sayyaf group, which resulted in the deaths of 15 soldiers.
The military reported that 15 soldiers died Monday in a clash with Abu Sayyaf bandits in Patikul, Sulu while two other soldiers sustained injuries.
It was the largest single-day combat loss under Duterte, who ordered the military to destroy the Abu Sayyaf following the beheading of its Filipino hostage Patrick Almodovar when his family failed to pay the P1 million ransom.
While it is “unfortunate” that the army soldiers have been killed, Abella said the government would go “full force” in order to neutralize the extremist group.
“According to the reports, 15 soldiers were killed in the heightened campaign [against] the ASG group. It is unfortunate that the number of our troops have already lost their lives," the presidential spokesperson said.
“However, as Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on August 29, we are going full force [and will be having] all-out operation against them there. We’re having five battalions or about 2,500 people,” he added.
Abella said the public should not worry but urged them to be vigilant.
“We should all be aware and concerned… We should all be vigilant, especially because there are groups, like terrorist group of the Abu Sayyaf,” he said.
Abella said the government has no timeline as to when the Abu Sayyaf should be terminated but noted that "it should be within the reasonable period [and] should not be an extended engagement." (Sunnex)