AFP braces for legal reprisals from Morong 43 supporters

A day after President Benigno Aquino issued an order to drop the charges against 43 health workers arrested in Morong town in Rizal province on suspicion of being communist rebels, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it is bracing for legal reprisals. In a radio interview Saturday, AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. also said moves are being made to reassure their men who may have been “demoralized" by the order of President Aquino. “In a democratic society [this] is part of the process. We will prepare for it and prepare necessary legal assistance to our men, we will provide them the best lawyers if possible," Mabanta said in an interview on dzBB radio. He was referring to earlier reports saying militant groups were planning to hale the AFP to court for the questionable detention of the so-called Morong 43 for 10 months. Mabanta also said the AFP hopes to be better prepared in similar incidents in the future, as it will shift its focus from purely military to civil-military operations starting January. On Friday, Aquino paved the way for the release of the health workers, hinting a possible lack of due process had tainted their arrest and detention. But Mabanta said not all the 43 will be released because six of them face separate charges for admitting they have links to the New People's Army, and will still have to attend appropriate hearings. “They will have court proceedings in the others. That means the six may not be automatically released," he said. The rest of the 43 were charged for illegal possession of firearms and explosives. Elements of a joint police and military operation arrested the 43 in a February 6 raid on a house in Morong, Rizal. Authorities reportedly found firearms and explosives where the health workers were supposed to be conducting a bomb-making seminar. No setback Meanwhile, Mabanta reiterated they are taking Aquino’s order as a “lesson learned" and “not as a setback." “Really, we look at this to further strengthen our resolve to do better next time. Now we know better. Next time we will improve in our conduct of operations," he said. While Mabanta would not directly say if Aquino’s order had demoralized the AFP, he said AFP officials are going around and “talking" to the men. “The truth, we cannot please everyone. We continue to talk to our people, this is part of our job in serving the people," he said. Mabanta also said they will introduce changes to their counterinsurgency operations starting Jan. 1, 2011. “(Our) core competency is war fighting. We will have to readjust some of our SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) in this regard," he said. He said that by Jan. 1, the new campaign plan for internal peace and security will minimize combat and military operations and focus more on civil-military operations. — LBG, GMANews.TV