Insurgency in BARMM ‘pains’ Zubiri, salutes AFP for peace efforts

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 19, 2024): Insurgency in BARMM ‘pains’ Zubiri, salutes AFP for peace efforts (By Wilnard Bacelonia)

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri (PNA file photo)

MANILA – Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Tuesday he was “hurt” after hearing the death of four soldiers of the Philippine Army in an ambush that recently happened in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur.

"Being the author of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), it pains me to see still these insurgents in the name of religion trying to terrorize our forces," Zubiri said at the Commission on Appointments (CA) plenary that was hearing the approval of the ad interim appointments of 129 generals and senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Republic Act 11054 was authored and pushed by Zubiri, then-Senate Majority leader, until it was passed into law in 2018, expecting that the region "would finally be shedding its history of conflict and enter an age of peace and progress."

"Maraming salamat po sa inyong serbisyo sa inang bayan (Thank you very much for your service to our motherland). We owe you our freedoms, our democracies that we are enjoying today and our hearts go out, me personally, sympathize and would like to condole with the four Army troopers that had perished in Maguindanao two days ago," he said.

The CA approved the ad interim appointments of 129 generals and senior officers of the AFP, including the promotions of the first female AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala, and former AFP Public Affairs chief Col. Enrico Gil Ileto through the endorsement of Camiguin Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo, who chairs the CA panel on national defense.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1221140