MOU allowing military to seize unlicensed speedboats crucial in campaign vs Abu Sayyafe

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 24): MOU allowing military to seize unlicensed speedboats crucial in campaign vs Abu Sayyaf

Outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya said the memorandum of understanding (MOU) allowing them to seize unlicensed speedboats helped in quelling terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group's (ASG) hijack operations in the high seas.

He was referring to a MOU deputizing the military in the enforcement of regulations on the use of high-speed watercraft, at three gross tonnage and below.

It also allows the AFP to confiscate unregistered sea crafts, intensifying security in local ports, and dismantling illegally constructed ports in order to mitigate the movement of terrorists and criminal groups and to conduct acts inimical to national security.

"When I first took over as AFP chief, my first instruction was in order to defeat the ASG, we must neutralize first the speed of the enemy in the high seas. But because of some legalities, we cannot just intercept and impound (unlicensed) speed boats as there is no specific law preventing (owners and operators) from installing additional outboard motors. We know most of the unregistered speed boats (in Sulu and Basilan) are being used by the ASG," Visaya said in Filipino.

"With the MOU authorizing us to confiscate these unregistered boats, we are able to achieve our objectives of neutralizing the speed of the enemy in the high seas. With this, the ASG is now only confine in Basilan and Jolo (Sulu)," he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=942934