AFP says it has successfully fended off ASG, Maute Group, BIFF threats

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 3): AFP says it has successfully fended off ASG, Maute Group, BIFF threats

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has successfully fended off security threats coming from the Abu Sayyaf Group, Maute Group and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters during the recently-concluded year.

This was stressed by AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla in an interview Monday.

"The AFP has shown its determined efforts to deal with these groups so as to secure our municipalities and major cities, so 2016 showed and proved that the AFP forces is effectively performing and doing its job following the successful arrests of many of the Davao City bombing suspects," he added.

The AFP spokesperson also said the military performed well in eliminating the threats poised by the three lawless groups.

During the last two months of 2016, the AFP together with the Philippine National Police (PNP) has successfully arrested nine out of the 12 suspects involved in the Sept. 2 bombing in Davao City.
The incident killed 15 persons and wounded 70 others.

The suspects have professed affiliation with the Lanao Del Sur-based Maute Group.

Padilla said the AFP will continue cooperating with the PNP regarding law enforcement operations until threats posed by the ASG, Maute Group and the BIFF are totally neutralized.

"Definitely the AFP rates itself as having successfully dealt with all these local terrorist groups and these efforts of the Armed Forces prevented many violent activities from being conducted within these communities," he added.

"We will continue to conduct focused military operations but at the same time we will work with local government units so that they can effectively reach out to these individuals and perhaps convince them to have a change of heart so that as one nation we can work together for the upliftment of the lives of our citizens instead of having these conflicts," Padilla stressed.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=952299