By Ronron
February 7, 2008
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. will personally investigate the killing of civilians in last Monday’s clash between government troops and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu province.
According to his spokesman, Nelson Victorino, the Defense chief will fly to Jolo, Sulu on Saturday to meet with military commanders and local government officials over the encounter that according to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. killed at least four civilians.
“The Secretary would go to Sulu to show that he is not taking this sitting down, considering that we have a strong partnership with the people of Sulu, led by Governor Sakur Tan,” Victorino told Defense reporters in a phone interview.
The incident also left four ASG members and two soldiers killed, and injured five other soldiers. The operation was launched in search for an abducted businesswoman from Jolo.
Victorino said Teodoro will investigate the incident to show to the people of Sulu that their support for the AFP is not being taken for granted.
“We have good gains in our operations in Sulu, and we want to preserve that,” Victorino said, referring to the support of the locales to the military in the fight against terrorists.
Before Teodoro, Esperon and the Inspector General’s Office of the AFP Western Mindanao Command have already started looking into the incident, which took place dawn of Monday in Barangay Ipil, Maimbung town.
The engaged bandits then are believed to be under the command of Abu Pula, alias Dr. Abu, and Albader Parad, who have $100,000 and $15,000 bounties on their heads, respectively./DMS
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