Military girds for breakout of hostilities in Mindanao

From the Business Mirror (Feb 3): Military girds for breakout of hostilities in Mindanao

THE military is beefing up security efforts in Mindanao owing to the nonpassage of the Bangsamoro basic law (BBL) that was promised by President Aquino to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the elections in May.

National issues with underlying security implications, such as the “dead” BBL that gives the MILF greater powers in the south; the presidential elections that would come in three months; and even the continuing problem of terrorism in Mindanao, have forced the military to readjust its security posture.

On Tuesday Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin visited the headquarters of the Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom)based in Davao City, where he was given a rundown of the threat situation within the command’s operational areas, as well as the security plans and responses of the commanders on the ground to various threats.

“Secretary Gazmin’s visit is part of his field visits to the unified commands to personally meet military field commanders and units, and to assess the security situation in the area,” a statement from the Eastmincom said.

On Monday Gazmin was at the headquarters of the Army’s Fourth Infantry “Diamond” Division in Cagayan de Oro City, where he was, likewise, briefed with the prevailing security situation in Northern Mindanao, along with the military’s plans in dealing with emerging security scenarios.

Gazmin’s presence in the area of Eastmincom was marked by the detonation of a homemade bomb in Sultan Kudarat, which injured three persons, and it happened just as the Liberal Party (LP) vice presidential candidate, LP Rep. Leni Robredo of Camarines Sur, left the province.

The homemade bomb, whose warhead was made of nails and cut 8-millimeter steel bars with AA size batteries and an alarm clock as detonator.

On Wednesday an unexploded homemade bomb was recovered in the province.

In both visits, Gazmin told military commanders to hasten and strengthen their security measures in response to the upcoming elections and other national concerns, including the existence and operations of threat groups.

A senior military official said the defense chief’s visit to Mindanao was called by the urgency of the Armed Forces’s taking up plans against possible scenarios that may occur as a result of the Congress’s failure to pass the BBL.

“We have to take into account all possible scenarios,” a senior military official who requested anonymity said, even pointing to the bombing on Tuesday and the discovery of another bomb.

The nonpassage of the BBL has put security forces, particularly in Central Mindanao, on a defensive mode, although the MILF has assured it would no longer revisit its bloody past of waging a conflict in pursuit of a greater autonomy for the Moros.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/military-girds-for-breakout-of-hostilities-in-mindanao/