President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is escorted by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon during a military arrival honor at the Edwin Andrews Air Base (EAAB) in Zamboanga City.President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo held back yesterday from major offensive against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels, but ordered the military to continue full blast operations against the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu, Basilan and other parts in Mindanao.
The President's order was relayed by Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon to media during a press conference at the Edwin Andrews Air Base (EAAB) with acting Defense chief Norberto Gonzales and Peace process adviser Jesus Dureza.
“There shall be no offensive action from the Armed Forces of the Philippines until after the investigation and so it’s holding. We want to hold this. The deployment of forces all over Mindanao is simply to protect our vital facilities and infrastructure,” Esperon said.
"The president has approved the continuation of the full blast operations by the military and police against the Abu Sayyaf," Esperon said. “To support the operation, the President has approved the emergency procurement of mortar tubes, mortar rounds and ammunitions."
Esperon also disclosed the President's approval of three days (from Friday to Monday) investigation of the joint GRP-MILF Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) on the July 10 ambush incident in Al-Barka, Basilan.
After the joint CCCH investigation, the AFP chief said the Philippine National Police (PNP), specifically the Basilan provincial police office with the military as back-up forces, would arrest of the perpetrators of the beheading.
"We expect the serving of the warrant of arrest on Tuesday and we hope that by going through the legal process of investigations and the serving of warrant of arrest, we shall avoid any unnecessary violence actions and reactions," he added.
It was learned from other military official that the PNP has secured an arrest warrant against 100 members of the MILF who are allegedly responsible for the beheading after the police submitted a death certificate to the court.
President Arroyo met behind closed doors with military and police generals at the Western Mindanao Command headquarters in light of the government's response to the beheadings of marines,
which has put the already fragile GRP-MILF peace talks at a delicate situation.
While in the city, Mrs. Arroyo also inaugurated the asphalt overlay of runway project at EAAB and visited five military casualties recuperating at the Camp Navarro hospital in Upper Calarian, where she gave financial assistance and pinned medals to the wounded soldiers.
Esperon explained the operations that the Armed Forces have been conducting as exemplified in Sulu would also be done in Basilan and in other parts of Mindanao, where Abu Sayyaf were detected.
“It is different from operation against MILF who might be involved in the atrocities in Tipo-Tipo in the sense that we are investigating to determine the perpetrators,” he added. “We shall always be guided and we shall give primacy to the peace process.”
For his part, Secretary Dureza said the local government chief executives in Basilan are helping authorities by providing the joint GRP-MILF probe team with verified information on identities of perpetrators in the beheading of 10 marines.
“The local officials are in the front line. They are helping our authorities identify those involved in the brutal killings of our soldiers,” he told reporters.
But Esperon challenged the Basilan officials to go full force and steadfast in helping punish those who perpetrated in the brutal killings of marines. The more that we allow this to past without getting punish, we will be encouraging more beheading. This barbaric act has no place in Mindanao and the Philippines or anywhere in the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Secretary Gonzales has found no malice in the statements of Japan, Canada, and the World Bank, urging the government and the MILF to exercise restraint to save the Malaysian-brokered talks and peacefully resolve the looming conflict in Basilan.
“I think that there is no malice in what they’re saying. The problem is that when one party started putting some color into this. I think the aim of the international community is to really help…they want us to address this problem as effectively as possible,” he said.
The President's order was relayed by Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon to media during a press conference at the Edwin Andrews Air Base (EAAB) with acting Defense chief Norberto Gonzales and Peace process adviser Jesus Dureza.
“There shall be no offensive action from the Armed Forces of the Philippines until after the investigation and so it’s holding. We want to hold this. The deployment of forces all over Mindanao is simply to protect our vital facilities and infrastructure,” Esperon said.
"The president has approved the continuation of the full blast operations by the military and police against the Abu Sayyaf," Esperon said. “To support the operation, the President has approved the emergency procurement of mortar tubes, mortar rounds and ammunitions."
Esperon also disclosed the President's approval of three days (from Friday to Monday) investigation of the joint GRP-MILF Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) on the July 10 ambush incident in Al-Barka, Basilan.
After the joint CCCH investigation, the AFP chief said the Philippine National Police (PNP), specifically the Basilan provincial police office with the military as back-up forces, would arrest of the perpetrators of the beheading.
"We expect the serving of the warrant of arrest on Tuesday and we hope that by going through the legal process of investigations and the serving of warrant of arrest, we shall avoid any unnecessary violence actions and reactions," he added.
It was learned from other military official that the PNP has secured an arrest warrant against 100 members of the MILF who are allegedly responsible for the beheading after the police submitted a death certificate to the court.
President Arroyo met behind closed doors with military and police generals at the Western Mindanao Command headquarters in light of the government's response to the beheadings of marines,
which has put the already fragile GRP-MILF peace talks at a delicate situation.While in the city, Mrs. Arroyo also inaugurated the asphalt overlay of runway project at EAAB and visited five military casualties recuperating at the Camp Navarro hospital in Upper Calarian, where she gave financial assistance and pinned medals to the wounded soldiers.
Esperon explained the operations that the Armed Forces have been conducting as exemplified in Sulu would also be done in Basilan and in other parts of Mindanao, where Abu Sayyaf were detected.
“It is different from operation against MILF who might be involved in the atrocities in Tipo-Tipo in the sense that we are investigating to determine the perpetrators,” he added. “We shall always be guided and we shall give primacy to the peace process.”
For his part, Secretary Dureza said the local government chief executives in Basilan are helping authorities by providing the joint GRP-MILF probe team with verified information on identities of perpetrators in the beheading of 10 marines.
“The local officials are in the front line. They are helping our authorities identify those involved in the brutal killings of our soldiers,” he told reporters.
But Esperon challenged the Basilan officials to go full force and steadfast in helping punish those who perpetrated in the brutal killings of marines. The more that we allow this to past without getting punish, we will be encouraging more beheading. This barbaric act has no place in Mindanao and the Philippines or anywhere in the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Secretary Gonzales has found no malice in the statements of Japan, Canada, and the World Bank, urging the government and the MILF to exercise restraint to save the Malaysian-brokered talks and peacefully resolve the looming conflict in Basilan.
“I think that there is no malice in what they’re saying. The problem is that when one party started putting some color into this. I think the aim of the international community is to really help…they want us to address this problem as effectively as possible,” he said.
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