Troopersstop ‘unnecessary’ movement of people in Cebu City
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has so far killed 28 Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) terrorists and forced the surrender of 29 and arrested four others during intense military operations from January 1 to June 18 this year.
In a statement late Saturday, the AFP also reported it seized 41 high-powered firearms and seven improvised explosive devices from the terrorists aside from capturing eight of their hideouts.
“The success of our operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group can be attributed to the strong support of the national leadership, interagency cooperation, and the soldiers’high state of morale. The AFP will sustain this momentum against the terror group so that once and for all, peace and development will be genuinely felt by our people,” AFP chief-of-staff, Gen. Felimon T. Santos Jr. said.
Among recent accomplishments was the capture of an ASG bomber by joint AFP and Philippine National Police (PNP) troops in Zamboanga on June 18. Terrorist Kahar Indama was among those behind the 2007 Batasan complex bombing that killed two and injured seven civilians.
He was also involved in deadly attacks on government troops in the province. Also notable was the surrender of an ASG Imam and two other members in Patikul, Sulu on June 17. They brought along one Garand rifle and surrendered to the forward operating base of the 45th Infantry Battalion under the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).
The Westmincom also reported that six ASG members surrendered to government forces in Luuk, Sulu on June 16. The former terrorists yielded to the 4th Marine Brigade in Barangay Tandu Bato.
Meanwhile, members of the 6th Special Forces Battalion killed two Abu Sayyaf militants on June 5 following an intense firefight with 40 ASG members in Patikul, Sulu.
However, four Army troops were killed and seven others wounded during the June 5 operation.
“Although the accomplishments came with the unfortunate loss from the government side, the AFP will not stop in performing all-out offensives against the terrorists Abu Sayyaf Group and bring justice to their countless acts of violence against our people and the state,” Santos said. (PNA)
A Joint Task Force Covid Shield official on Sunday said the strong presence of elite Special Action Force (SAF) troopers and soldiers in Cebu City aims to contain the “unnecessary”movement of the people amid the high number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases.
“Iisa po ang ating kalaban dito at ito po ang hindi nakikitang coronavirus (We have only one enemy here and this is the invisible coronavirus). We would like to contain the unnecessary movement of the people in the area,” Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, JTF Covid Shield commander said in an interview with radio DZBB.
In a statement on Saturday, Eleazar said the government is just implementing “triedand-tested” formula when it deployed SAF troopers and soldiers to enforce enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the highest quarantine measure to stop the spread of Covid-19.
“The deployment of police commandos and soldiers here in Cebu City is not a militarization as some people would describe it, and therefore, is not a wrong approach,” he said.
He said the strong presence of policemen and soldiers in Cebu City “is neither meant to scare the people of Cebu City nor curtail their rights.”
“We are here because it is necessary, we are here to help, we are here to protect the people of Cebu City, and we are here to strengthen our frontline against the spread of Covid-19,” he added.
He said the deployment of soldiers and SAF commandos proved effective in reducing violators of quarantine measures in Luzon, particularly in the National Capital Region.
“This is a tried-andtested formula in the enforcement of quarantine rules same as what happened in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon when we started deploying police commandos, soldiers and their mobility assets,” he said.
Eleazar said quarantine violators in Metro Manila went down from 3,000 to 1,000 following the deployment of SAF troopers and soldiers when the NCR was still under ECQ.
Upon approval of the PNP chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa, at least 150 SAF commandos were deployed in Cebu City to strictly enforce the ECQ rules particularly the wearing of face masks, observing proper physical distancing and refraining from engaging in mass gathering.
Lt. Gen. Roberto Ancan, commander of the military’s Central Command (CentCom), also deployed soldiers and their assets for the enforcement of ECQ rules in Cebu City.
Eleazar inspected the security and quarantine measures being implemented in Cebu City on Saturday. He was joined by Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Luis Licup, director for operations and vice commander of the JTF Covid Shield; Maj. Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson, Director of the Integrated Police OperationsVisayas; and SAF director Maj. Gen. Amando Clifton Empiso.
Eleazar underscored the deployment of additional SAF commandos and soldiers to make sure that quarantine measures “are strictly observed”. - PNA