Aquino: Govt resolving recent violent incidents in Mindanao

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III on Monday assured the public that the government is doing its best to resolve the two recent violent incidents in Mindanao: the hostage-taking in Agusan and the killing of eight people in Maguindanao. In an interview with reporters, Aquino said they are still waiting for a more detailed report on the killing of at least eight people in Maguindanao province on Sunday but Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told him that “they are on top of the situation". “I was just talking to the secretary of national defense, I was asking for an update. Initially, it seems to be stemming from a rido. Yung family feud. I am waiting for a more detailed report from them. But they told me that they are on top of the situation," Aquino said. On the hostage-taking incident in Agusan del Sur, Aquino said National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo and other police officials are now on their way to the province to check on the situation. “(They are going there) not to take over, but rather, to make sure that every item on the Crisis Management Committee (manual) will be implemented and followed," he said. “The local CMC is on top of the situation," Aquino said. In a separate interview, Armed Forces chief General Eduardo Oban Jr., said Aquino has yet to give them any instruction on the Maguindanao and Agusan del Sur incidents. “As of now, we just have to do what is necessary --to maintain presence in the area and continue intelligence operations. In the case of Maguindanao, we just have to make sure that there’ll be nothing that would aggravate the situation in the area," he said. Asked if there will be additional deployment of military personnel in the two areas, Oban said there will be none. – VVP, GMA News