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THE
National Police deployed more personnel in North
Cotabato to stem the possible spill of marauding Moro
rebels into other areas that have remained unaffected by
the ongoing fighting between government forces and Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels.
The
augmentation forces, which are currently supporting the
military in the operations to flush MILF rebels from a
barangay they earlier occupied, was announced on Tuesday
by the National Police spokesman, Chief Supt. Nicolas
Bartolome.
“Yesterday [Monday], contingents from Regions 6, 7 and 8
in the Visayas have also been deployed in North Cotabato.
This is one way of assuring our communities there that
the government is doing its best so as not to have other
towns affected,” Bartolome said.
Bartolome, who joined the military press conference in
Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, said the fresh troops,
other than beefing up the defense of the still-
unaffected areas, would serve as buffer forces against
the rebels who are moving away from the center of the
battle.
“The
MILF usually crisscross boundaries in North Cotabato,
and there are towns that may be included in the
collateral damage later on. We note that in the process
of transferring from one occupied barangay to another,
other towns may get involved,” he said.
Before
the fighting started on Sunday, the National Police
chief, Director General Avelino Razon Jr., sent three
battalions of the highly trained Special Action Force
and Regional Mobile Group in North Cotabato for clearing
and law- enforcement operations.
The
government considers the ongoing effort to drive away
members of the 105 Base Command of the MILF under Umbra
Kato from the still-occupied 13 barangays in five towns
in the province as a law-enforcement job.
On
Monday the Armed Forces vice chief of staff, Lt. Gen.
Cardozo Luna, said soldiers have already cleared two of
the original 15 barangays that have been taken by force
and occupied by the rebels last month.
As the
operation progresses, it appeared however that the
theater of war has widened with the MILF also firing and
putting up a resistance in the barangays of other towns
including Pikit.
The
government said that the MILF originally occupied 15
barangays in Pigkawayan, Northern Kabuntalan, Aleosan,
Libungan, and Midsayap.
Bartolome said that after the clearing operations, the
National Police will conduct investigation and file
charges against all those responsible for the occupation
of the villages including members of the MILF if
evidence warrants. |
