AFP chief vows to conduct ‘aggressive action’ vs MILF

MANILA, Philippines – The chief of the Philippine military vowed Tuesday to pursue “aggressive action" against elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) responsible for the hostilities in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte provinces. In a television interview, Armed Forces chief General Alexander Yano dismissed the MILF’s usual line of saying that its leadership did not sanction the actions committed by its 104th and 105th Base Commands. The 104th BC is headed by Commander Bravo, whose group attacked towns in Lanao del Norte while the 105th BC is under Commander Umbra Kato, whose unit occupied 15 villages in North Cotabato. “If they keep on saying that line, if they cannot control (their men), then the government will certainly control them and we will undertake our mandate to protect the people and the communities and we cannot renege on that constitutional mandate," Yano said in a television interview. Yano said the government had been too accommodating in order to preserve the peace process with the secessionist group. “We have bent as far back backward and you know that, even in North Cotabato, to give peace a chance. The patience of our soldiers to really uphold the primacy of the peace process is very commendable but at some point we really have to act decisively," he said. “We cannot forever take that convenient excuse from the hierarchy or a group that’s supposedly talking peace with government. It is their responsibility, if they are sincere and well-meaning, to reign in their forces, to show some control over them. That should not always be the case," Yano stressed. In Monday’s attack in Lanao del Norte, a total of 23 civilians and three soldiers were reported killed, including Lt. Col. Angel Benitez. Two more civilians were killed when MILF forces attacked Maasim town in Sarangani province that same day. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo led government officials in condemning the attacks, giving instruction to security forces to “defend every inch of Philippine territory" against the MILF forces. The President described the attacks as “sneaky and treacherous." On Sunday, suspected MILF rebels also ambushed government troops in Molundo town in Lanao del Sur province, killing seven soldiers and militiamen and wounding nearly a dozen others. Yano said the recent atrocities were a virtual declaration of war by the MILF. “So we will pursue and take aggressive action against the perpetrators of those dastardly acts committed against the innocent civilians. You know what they did and of course we will file appropriate charges and other legal actions against the criminal group in coordination with the police," Yano said. “We will continue our operations. It will not stop with the clearing of the areas that were occupied by them because they committed crimes and we have to pursue and that is part of our mandate," he added. - GMANews.TV