AFP hopes to reduce ASG strength by half by end of 2008

By Ronron
January 11, 2008

The Philippine military hopes to reduce the current strength of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) by half by the end of this year through a more intensive operation in the south, its chief said in a recent interview.

Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. told Camp Aguinaldo reporters that the ASG strength is just 383 as of end 2007 after neutralizing 69 members during the entire year.

“For the Abu Sayyaf Group, we are now targeting their reduction by about 50 percent for 2008,” he said.

“We shall now accelerate the momentum that we have acquired,” he added.

Esperon said the terrorists, who are believed to be in hiding with their Jemaah Islamiyah cohorts in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi, will be jointly addressed by the Army, Navy, Marines and the Air Force.

Esperon said the operations will still be guided by the military’s Operation Plan (OPLAN) Bantay Laya II, which was launched in early 2007. The said OPLAN is geared at neutralizing the security threats in the country not just militarily but also through humanitarian assistance and economic development.

When asked about the movement of the ASG and JI bandits in the south, particularly on their escape to Malaysia by sea, Esperon said they have no verified information “that they indeed are just criss-crossing between Malaysia and Tawi-tawi.”

“Remember that we also have tie ups with our counterparts in the Malaysian Defense Forces. And so, the close working coordination and exchange of information about the terrorists is one factor that they have to contend with,” Esperon said.

He recalled the instance when the family of Dulmatin was apprehended last year as they were attempting to exit through the Philippine backdoor.

The ASG, according to the AFP, had reached to about 1,200 in strength during its peak of notoriety in 2000./DMS