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ZAMBOANGA
CITY—Gunmen
staged an ambush killing a Marine and wounding another
in Sulu.
A police
report disclosed that the incident took place Tuesday in
sitio Dan Puti, barangay Liang, Patikul.
The
headquarters of the 3rd Marine Brigade is in barangay
Liang.
Patikul
is said to be the stronghold of one-armed Abu Sayyaf
leader Radulan Sahiron.
The
ambush took place a day before five development projects
of the US and Philippine armed forces were inaugurated
in the said province.
The
report disclosed that the two Marines were aboard a
motorcycle en route to the capital town of
Jolo when they were waylaid by still- unidentified gunmen.
Killed
was a certain Corporal Abarse, who was also hacked in
the forehead, while the wounded was identified as a
certain Corporal Ganzon. Both belong to the Marine
Battalion Landing Team-4.
Abarse
was airlifted to this city Wednesday en route to his
native place in Tacloban, Leyte, while Ganzon was
hospitalized.
Jolo
policemen who rushed to the place of the incident have
recovered spent 5.56mm and caliber .45 shells.
Investigators have yet to determine if Abu Sayyaf
bandits were behind the attack.
The
development projects that were inaugurated Wednesday are
the Tugas public meeting room,
Tandu Patung School,
Silankan-Langpas Road, Parang’s Area Coordinating Center
and Parang Hospital.
The
Joint Task Force Comet commander, Maj. Gen. Juancho
Sabban, said the projects were made possible through the
financial assistance of the US Joint Special Operations
Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF).
“We
believe in a teamwork approach in fulfilling the
aspirations of our people toward access to basic
necessities. Hence, with the assistance of our US
counterparts, we have all come together to help the
people,” Sabban said.
US
troops under the JSOTF stationed in Sulu are undertaking
humanitarian projects in the province.
They are
also providing assistance to the Filipino troops who are
operating against the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf by way
of intelligence fusion and training.
“Uplifting the lives of our people will make them forget
about war,” Sabban added.
The
JSOTF-P chief, Col. William Coultrup, agreed that with
development comes peace.
Sulu
Gov. Abdusakur Tan said he foresees peace is attainable
with the development going on in his province.
“With
these development undertakings, we are slowly changing
the image of Sulu from a chaotic to a peaceful and
progressive place,” Tan said. |
