Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff, Gen.
Gregorio Pio Catapang, on Wednesday said the military has a limited role in the
Jan. 25 "law enforcement operation" to bag two notorious terrorists
in Mamasapano, Maguindanao that resulted in the death of 44 Special Action
Force (SAF) commandos.
At that time, SAF members of the Philippine National Police
(PNP) conducted an operation to serve arrest warrants against Jemaah Islamiyah
bomber Zulkifli bin Hir alias "Marwan" and Filipino bomber Basit Usman
who was able to escape in the ensuing firefight. Marwan was reportedly killed
but still subject to DNA testing.
During a briefing at Camp
Aguinaldo , Quezon City
"We will just be prepared to, if in case they need
reinforcements or help from us," Catapang clarified.
In the Jan. 25 clash between the SAF troopers and members of
the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic
Freedom Fighters (BIFF), the military was able to extricate several SAF members
to safety.
The AFP chief added that he became aware of the Mamasapano
operation last November. But due to apparent lack of coordination, the military
was unaware of the location of SAF members when the embattled operatives needed
support during the hours-long firefight.
Catapang added that military helicopters cannot be deployed
to help extricate the beleaguered SAF members as the encounter scene was all
"marshland" and not fit for landings.
"We cannot do that because there was a firefight, they
might think that we are reinforcing the SAF and then our choppers will be shot
at, so we will have to make sure that a ceasefire will have to be
implemented," Catapang stressed.
Under the ongoing ceasefire, a mechanism is in place to
prevent cases of mis-encounters between the MILF and government forces.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=732309
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