PHILIPPINE National Police acting chief Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered the strict monitoring and intensified intelligence gathering to help deter any terrorism-related recruitment and training in Mindanao.
In a statement, Nartatez said they have been constantly coordinating with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the country’s intelligence community and while there is no immediate threat of resurgence of extremism, strict monitoring is regularly done to preempt any such move.
“We treat all the information we receive seriously. And while there are already significant gains in improving peace, order and development in areas in Mindanao that used to be the sites of armed conflict, we continue to monitor the situation on the ground with the help of our AFP counterparts,” he said.
Nartatez issued the statement in light of reports from a group engaged in monitoring violence and advocating peace in Mindanao about the alleged recruitment and training activities of Dawlah Islamiyah (DI) in the provinces of Lanao and Maguindanao following the January 23 ambush in Munai, Lanao del Norte that left four soldiers dead.
Suspected members of the Dawlah Islamiyah–Maute Group (DI-MG) allegedly carried out the assault while government forces were conducting non-combat security operations for the development of the community.
Nartatez said military and police personnel in Lanao and Maguindanao are not lowering their guard on any threat involving peace and order in the area in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla to maintain an uncompromising stance against internal security threats and ensure the continuous stability of the Bangsamoro region.
He said strict monitoring and intervention measures have always been a part of the protocol to maintain the significant achievements of the National Government in pushing for peace and development in Mindanao.
Nartatez, who previously served as head of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao, also emphasized the importance of community involvement in peace and order efforts, including measures to prevent the resurgence of terrorism. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)