Attack on Marawi police station may be desperate bid to disrupt peace process

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 6): Attack on Marawi police station may be desperate bid to disrupt peace process

The attack by armed men on a police station in Marawi City early Friday may be a desperate ploy by some groups to disrupt the government’s peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Malacañang said Friday.

Presidential Communications Operations Office said the administration deplores such attacks and will go after the perpetrators.

“We view these attempts to disrupt the peace process as acts of desperation and we are determined to stop these acts,” he said at a media briefing.

Friday’s attack involved armed men reportedly seizing the police chief of Marawi City and killing a civilian.

The attack also came shortly after peace negotiators from the government and the MILF resumed peace talks.

Coloma said this was not the first time some groups that are “apparently opposed to the peace process” had engaged in “disruptive actions.”

“Ang ating sandatahang lakas handang gawin ang nararapat ... para tigilan sila at di natin sila papayagang magtagumpay (Our armed forces are ready to do what is needed to stop them and will not allow them to prevail),” he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=594522