With the nation commemorating the first year anniversary of the bloody Zamboanga City siege, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced that it has taken steps to prevent a repeat of the crisis.
“We are taking steps to prevent this crisis from happening again in the future,” AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said Sunday.
He said the sacrifices made by the military in defending Zamboanga City will never be forgotten.
“The defense of Zamboanga City last year will always remind us of the heroism and sacrifices of our soldiers. They risked their lives to defend the city and save innocent civilians from lawless elements selfishly trying to grab power,” Zagala stressed.
Around 25 soldiers were killed while 184 others were wounded in the successful defense of Zamboanga City against rogue elements of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) loyal to Nur Misuari.
Killed in the three-week fighting were 183 MNLF fighters while 292 were captured.
The fighting also greatly debilitated Misuari’s faction.
“Right now he is in hiding and eventually the law will catch-up with him,” the AFP public affairs office chief stressed.
“We all witnessed the restraint and focus of our soldiers who successfully rescued the civilians being used as human shields. This manifests the maturity, professionalism, and respect for human rights and international humanitarian law of our soldiers,” Zagala added.
And due to this valiant efforts of the AFP, Zamboanga City is now peaceful with its government and citizens engaged in rebuilding efforts.
“Right now Zamboanga City is peaceful and the AFP is in close coordination with its civilian partners in order to ensure the total normalization of the situation in the city,” the AFP public affairs chief concluded.
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