By FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Monday said that it is continuously monitoring and verifying every information related to any alleged movements of terror groups following statements made by Australian authorities that terrorists are regrouping after the Marawi siege.
AFP spokesman and concurrent Civil Relations Service (CRS) chief Brig. Gen. Bievinido Datuin, made the remark during an interview.
“The main concern of the security sector is not only to address the armed component but the financial and logistics line of terrorist organizations,” he added.
Datuin said there will always be a gap in the security measures being implemented by every nation in the world, big or small. He said the terrorists will always look into those gaps and take advantage of them.
“(With this in mind) we aim to strengthen our security measures with the help of our citizens in order to fill in those gaps,” Datuin said.
“We call on our people to help in the effort against terrorism. The fight against terrorism is not the sole responsibility of the government or the security sector but of every citizen of the republic,” he added.
Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely was quoted earlier in news reports that terrorists behind the five-month-long Marawi siege which ended in October 2017 are said to be regrouping and intend to strike again in another area.
Gorely said the evidence was based on intelligence information provided to the Philippine authorities.
Meantime three more Abu Sayyaf members on Monday surrendered to the marines of the Joint Task Force Sulu (JTF Sulu) in Jolo, Sulu.
Hajar Abbang, 38, a resident of Barangay Kan Bulak, Luuk, Sulu; Kirah Ainazri Jawad, 20 ; and Sani S Jawad, 18, both residents of Buanza, Indanan voluntarily surrendered to the Philippine Marine Ready Force 2 of the Joint Task Force Sulu at 9:45 a.m.
According to Abang, he was formerly a follower of the late Abu Sayyaf Group Subleader (ASGSL) Alhabsy Misaya while the other two are followers of the late ASG subleader Abraham Hamid.
“The trio also voluntarily turned over their firearms, an M16 rifle; an M79 rifle; and an M1 Garand rifle to our soldiers,” said Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Joint Task Force Sulu.
The three were brought to Kuta Heneral Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital in Barangay Busbus, Jolo, Sulu for medical checkup and for custodial debriefing.
Sobejana lauded the accomplishment of the marines and said, ‘with the right combination of focused military operations that pressures the ASG and the nonviolent approach that we are introducing, it is expected that more ASG members will be neutralized which may lead to their eventual downfall.
“It is notable that since our proposal for the ASG surrenderer Comprehensive Reintegration Program, more ASG members now returns to the folds of the law with firearms. This is a welcome development for us since we want to end our campaign against the ASG peacefully. After all, they are just misguided individuals and also Filipinos whom we are bound to serve,” he added.
