Authorities yesterday clarified that the deployment of 11th Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT) troops from Sulu to Zamboanga City is nothing new, as the troops are technically assigned in the city.
Mayor Beng Climaco said the return of the marine troops to Zamboanga City is properly coordinated with LGen. Rustico Guerrero, chief of the Western Mindanao Command and Gen. Martin Pinto, commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade and Joint Task Force Sulu.
“Technically they (the troops) have been assigned in Zamboanga City,” Mayor Climaco said stressing that no less than Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Catapang has pointed out that the deployment of marines in the city is to boost Zamboanga City confidence in security.
It was June this year when the 11th MBLT troops under Lt. Col. Nestor Narag were assigned in Zamboanga City replacing the MBLT 3 under Lt. Col. Elpidio Factor, who has been reassigned to Tawi-tawi. The MBLT 3 has been assigned in the city at the height of the September 2013 siege.
Wesmincom Public Information Officer Capt. Rowena Muyuela said while MBLT 11 is based in Zamboanga, a company-size troop was sent to Sulu a month ago for security purposes. And now the same company is being returned to Zamboanga City.
Gen. Catapang in a recent statement said the reassignment of the marine troops to Zamboanga City will not leave Sulu, as army troops from the 1st Infantry Division and the elite Joint Special Operations Group (JSOG) will be sent to replace the marines.
Catapang noted that Zamboangueños are more comfortable with the Marines, thus, the marines are returned to Zamboanga City.
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