Military and defense officials have intensified operations against the Abu Sayyaf terror group and its allies in Sulu and Basilan despite the call for suspension of offensive from the international women’s peace mission.
The International Women’s Peace and Solidarity Mission to Basilan and Mindanao asked for asked for cessation of hostilities in the south. Their call aims to help avert further the violence and de-escalate the tension in the troubled region.
There will be no let up in the pursuit operations for terrorists and their allies until they are neutralized, Army General Hermogenes Esperon, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, told reporters in Zamboanga City on Sunday.
Esperon flew to Sulu and Basilan with Defense chief Gilbert Teodoro, Jr. and several military generals to inspect troops, battling the Abu Sayyaf group and its allies blamed for spate of killing of soldiers.
“I think everybody agrees with that whether there is war or none, it is important that we bring development to conflict areas,” the AFP chief said. “The operation is on-going.”
Teodoro, who assumed his post on Wednesday as the new chief czar replacing National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, told reporters that they have strengthened the dialogue process between local officials and military field commanders.
According to the secretary, both their offices with the military are being used to continue the dialogue, but there shall be no let up in the operations. “You have to have security and peace and order as a stable platform for development.”
The women leaders and representatives of the women from the Asia-Pacific region expressed their solidarity to the people of Basilan as the island-province is facing the biggest challenge to their collective community life especially to their peace and security condition.
They called on the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to immediately resume the stalled peace talks as the first significant step in resolving the Basilan crisis. They asked the political personalities in the island-province to help avert renewed outbreak of hostilities.
Fully aware of the need for the rule of law especially in crisis such as in Basilan, they also called on the authorities in the judiciary to exercise prudence in producing the list of suspects to be arrested in order to be brought to the bar of justice.
“As much as the people want to know the truth, we earnestly appeal to the media to help in averting the war and ease the tension by truth-telling, not just news telling. Instead of painting the images of war, the media community must help project what the people are doing in order to address the conflict situation.”
Cognizant of their role in helping alleviate the situation in Basilan, they committed to spread to their respective countries the real situation and its attendant issues on the ground, as they commended the NGOs in the island province led by women who are very visible in all peace-building initiatives.
“That as we conclude the Mission, we continue to hope that conflict will not escalate so that displaced people can return to their homes, pick up the pieces and resume their normal lives. We reiterate our unswerving commitment to the belief that in the face of raging armed conflicts, peace remains the braver option.”
But the grieving families of fallen soldiers met the call for the suspension of military offensives with mixed emotions.
Mutya Valdez, two-month old mother widowed by Private First Class Jeramil Valdez, who was killed in the ambush by Abu Sayyaf in Sulu, said she really feels sad and grieves over the death of her husband.
“Paano na lang kami at kanyang mga anak…sinasabi niya sa amin, hindi kami iiwan…Mahal na mahal niya kami (what will happen to us and his children…He told us he will not leave us and that he loved us so much),” the widow said.
Numera Abato, poster parent of Pfc. Emerson Dumaual, who was also killed by suspected Abu Sayyaf in Sulu clash, said:”Giyera na iyan. Tama na…Wala silang mapapala (That is war. That’s enough. They wont gain anything).”
Mrs. Abato blamed her son’s death on his superior in the military, saying that it won’t happen to the latter if he was not ordered to go the operation. She said that Emerson had earlier wanted to quit from the military service and planned to work abroad.
At least 27 soldiers and 32 combined Abu Sayyaf-MNLF fighters had died and dozens of others wounded in this month’s fighting in Sulu, two months after the June 10 incident in Al Barka, Basilan, where 14 marines were killed, ten of them beheaded.
The two separate incidents forced thousands of families, mostly children, women and elderly in the two Muslim-dominated provinces, to flee their homes.
The International Women’s Peace and Solidarity Mission to Basilan and Mindanao asked for asked for cessation of hostilities in the south. Their call aims to help avert further the violence and de-escalate the tension in the troubled region.
There will be no let up in the pursuit operations for terrorists and their allies until they are neutralized, Army General Hermogenes Esperon, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, told reporters in Zamboanga City on Sunday.
Esperon flew to Sulu and Basilan with Defense chief Gilbert Teodoro, Jr. and several military generals to inspect troops, battling the Abu Sayyaf group and its allies blamed for spate of killing of soldiers.
“I think everybody agrees with that whether there is war or none, it is important that we bring development to conflict areas,” the AFP chief said. “The operation is on-going.”
Teodoro, who assumed his post on Wednesday as the new chief czar replacing National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, told reporters that they have strengthened the dialogue process between local officials and military field commanders.
According to the secretary, both their offices with the military are being used to continue the dialogue, but there shall be no let up in the operations. “You have to have security and peace and order as a stable platform for development.”
The women leaders and representatives of the women from the Asia-Pacific region expressed their solidarity to the people of Basilan as the island-province is facing the biggest challenge to their collective community life especially to their peace and security condition.
They called on the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to immediately resume the stalled peace talks as the first significant step in resolving the Basilan crisis. They asked the political personalities in the island-province to help avert renewed outbreak of hostilities.
Fully aware of the need for the rule of law especially in crisis such as in Basilan, they also called on the authorities in the judiciary to exercise prudence in producing the list of suspects to be arrested in order to be brought to the bar of justice.
“As much as the people want to know the truth, we earnestly appeal to the media to help in averting the war and ease the tension by truth-telling, not just news telling. Instead of painting the images of war, the media community must help project what the people are doing in order to address the conflict situation.”
Cognizant of their role in helping alleviate the situation in Basilan, they committed to spread to their respective countries the real situation and its attendant issues on the ground, as they commended the NGOs in the island province led by women who are very visible in all peace-building initiatives.
“That as we conclude the Mission, we continue to hope that conflict will not escalate so that displaced people can return to their homes, pick up the pieces and resume their normal lives. We reiterate our unswerving commitment to the belief that in the face of raging armed conflicts, peace remains the braver option.”
But the grieving families of fallen soldiers met the call for the suspension of military offensives with mixed emotions.
Mutya Valdez, two-month old mother widowed by Private First Class Jeramil Valdez, who was killed in the ambush by Abu Sayyaf in Sulu, said she really feels sad and grieves over the death of her husband.
“Paano na lang kami at kanyang mga anak…sinasabi niya sa amin, hindi kami iiwan…Mahal na mahal niya kami (what will happen to us and his children…He told us he will not leave us and that he loved us so much),” the widow said.
Numera Abato, poster parent of Pfc. Emerson Dumaual, who was also killed by suspected Abu Sayyaf in Sulu clash, said:”Giyera na iyan. Tama na…Wala silang mapapala (That is war. That’s enough. They wont gain anything).”
Mrs. Abato blamed her son’s death on his superior in the military, saying that it won’t happen to the latter if he was not ordered to go the operation. She said that Emerson had earlier wanted to quit from the military service and planned to work abroad.
At least 27 soldiers and 32 combined Abu Sayyaf-MNLF fighters had died and dozens of others wounded in this month’s fighting in Sulu, two months after the June 10 incident in Al Barka, Basilan, where 14 marines were killed, ten of them beheaded.
The two separate incidents forced thousands of families, mostly children, women and elderly in the two Muslim-dominated provinces, to flee their homes.
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