Joint Task Force-Sulu commander Brig. Gen. Arnold Dela Vega
said ongoing efforts to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) threat are
strongly appreciated by officials and residents of the province.
"The local officials and residents appreciate the
effort of our soldiers and are providing much needed help in fighting the ASG
and in rescuing the kidnap victims," he said.
This cooperation stemmed from the latter's desire for
genuine development, progress and peace which is gradually negating the ASG
advantage in terrain, blood relations with the communities they are operating
in, and forced recruitment.
"More and more residents (Sulu and Basilan) are now
eager to end the bandit threat as they are now seeing the government's massive
efforts to eliminate the ASG," the military official stressed.
As of this posting, brigands killed in the ongoing operation
in Sulu are placed at 32 killed with many more wounded.
"There will be no let up in the effort to rescue the
remaining hostages. Our priority is the safe rescue of the victims and
protection of local communities in Sulu against terrorists and criminal
elements," Dela Vega earlier said.
"Local folks are gradually helping in protecting their
own communities against the ASG scourge and showing defiance against the
bandits," he added.
Dela Vega stressed that they are confident that more and
more people in Sulu, including local government unit officials, community and
religious leaders will cooperate in giving timely and accurate information to
stop the un-Islamic and barbaric acts of ASG.
It may be recalled that the latest victim beheaded by the
ASG, Patrick Almodovar is a local Muslim resident whose mother is a Tausug.
"We call on the Abu Sayyaf to stop these kidnappings
and killings which are all violations of the Koran and against Islam as pointed
out by Islamic scholars worldwide," Dela Vega concluded.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=922109
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