Military imposes controlled release of info on Basilan operations

By Ronron
July 25, 2007

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday has began imposing controlled release of information about developments in the planned punitive action in Basilan against selected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

AFP Public Information Officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said that starting yesterday, they cannot give out details about the operations in Basilan for “operational security considerations.”

“It’s not news blackout. It is just saying that we don’t want to telegraph what we are doing,” Bacarro told reporters yesterday when asked for an update in the situation in Basilan.

Some 5,000 troops – both Army and Marines – are tasked to run after selected members of the MILF and ASG who were allegedly responsible for the death of 14 Marines soldiers, 10 of whom were beheaded, during the clash last July 10 in Al-Barka town.

The AFP gave the MILF until last Sunday to turn over the suspects to the government but the deadline lapsed without the MILF heeding to the demand, saying it was a legitimate encounter and that none of their men committed the crime.

Since the lapse of the deadline, no armed confrontation has taken place yet. According to Basilan-based 1st Marine Brigade commander Col. Ramiro Alivio, the troops are still waiting as of Tuesday for the arrest warrants against the suspects, numbering close to 20.

But the arrest warrants are not likely coming very soon since the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Basilan has yet to file the charges, pending the provision to them of the death certificates of the slain soldiers.

“Definitely, there has been no clash as of this moment,” Bacarro said yesterday.

Asked why, Bacarro said: “As I said, there are operational considerations that I don’t want to convey to you our next move or what our next course of action is.”

But he said this is not to say that the troops are having some difficulties on the ground. “We are not facing any difficulty right now. I’m not aware of any difficulty.”

“We are ready,” he said.

Bacarro denied that their silence about the Basilan operations has anything to do with the forthcoming Ministerial Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Manila, as it could mar the image of the country.

He vowed though that if there will be a major development, he will report it to the media./DMS