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IN
addition to a ranking leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG),
one of the top operatives of the Asian terror group
Jema’ah Islamiyah (JI) was reported to have been wounded
in the ongoing operations against lawless elements in
Basilan and Sulu, the military said on Thursday.
Gen.
Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Armed Forces chief of staff,
confirmed reports that Indonesian terrorist Dulmatin,
one of the principal suspects in the 2002 bombings in
Bali,
Indonesia,
was among those wounded during an encounter in Maimbung,
Sulu, last week.
Prior to
the reported wounding of Dulmatin, the military earlier
confirmed that Gumbahali Abu Jumdail, alias Dr. Abu, the
paramedic officer of the Abu Sayyaf, was among the
“high- value” targets wounded during an encounter with
security forces.
“We have
reports on Doctor Abu, we have a report on Dulmatin . .
. Hindi natin alam kung saan ang tama niya,”
said Esperon.
Asked
what made him say that indeed Dulmatin was among those
wounded, Esperon said he was quoting from the accounts
of the troops that operated in the area and from
civilians.
Esperon
said the war against lawless elements in Basilan and
Sulu is gaining ground as government forces “hit them
successfully.”
“Right
now operations are ongoing, four battalions are pursuing
a certain group in a portion of Sulu,” said Esperon.
He said
that at present, the situation in Basilan and Sulu is
stable “but remains critical.”
“It will
take again some time before we could make a hit, but we
are optimistic that probably anytime, we could register
another encounter against them and probably inflict more
casualties on the Abu Sayyaf,” Esperon said.
Esperon
said that the military has pinpointed the designated
areas of the bandits, and this will be finalized on
Sunday.
Relatedly, party-list Rep. Crispin Beltran of Anakpawis
said Thursday that Esperon should reveal details on the
extent of US troop involvement in the ongoing operation
in Mindanao.
Beltran
said that while any and all help from the international
community is welcome to address the worsening peace and
human-rights situation in the Philippines, the
government should not welcome foreign military
assistance from the US, particularly the direct
participation of US troops in combat operations.
“The
Balikatan exercises have been taking place since 2001.
Haven’t our troops gained enough combat training and
expertise from all these trainings alongside their
US
counterparts? What kind of training have they been given
that they can no longer conduct military operations
without the direct assistance of the American soldiers?”
he asked.
Beltran
said Esperon should divulge full details of how many US
troops are participating in the combat operations and
in which areas they are deployed.
He said
that if the
US
troops were not directly involved in the fighting, then
the information would not be sensitive and cannot fall
under the protected category of national security
matters.
“Who
will these troops answer to if their direct
participation in the combat operations results in
human-rights violations, or worse, the deaths of
civilians? Will they be held liable under Philippine
law?” Beltran asked.
Beltran
has filed a resolution calling on the House committees
on national defense and foreign affairs to investigate
the alleged involvement of US troops in the combat
operations in
Mindanao.
But
Lakas Rep. Marc Douglas Cagas of Davao del Sur took the
cudgels for the Armed Forces, saying that it was an
insult to the country and the military for anyone to
assume that US troops have taken the dominant role in
the pursuit of the bandits.
“Why
would the Armed Forces allow foreign troops to take the
lead in the Mindanao offensive when this would be
against its rules and principles, and when our Armed
Forces are highly capable of conducting operations
against the ASG members and other extremist forces?,”
asked Cagas.
Cagas
said the Armed Forces made gains in the killings and
arrests of top Abu Sayyaf leaders in the past, proving
its strength and capability.
“The
military’s ability to deal with enemies of the state is
beyond doubt. I am confident that the Armed Forces would
likewise succeed in its present operations in the South
to bring to justice those behind the recent killings of
Marines and Army troops in Basilan and Sulu.”
Cagas
further said there is no use fanning speculations on the
US troops’ role in the Mindanao operations, after the
Armed Forces clarified that the American soldiers were
not involved in combat operations and their that only
role is was provide technical intelligence, which
includes providing Filipino troops with satellite
imagery, communication intercepts, global position
system or GPS information, and aerial monitoring.
“It’s
only proper that all these baseless speculations about
the bigger role of US forces in the Mindanao offensive
should now stop after the AFP clarified the limited role
and mission of American soldiers in Mindanao,” said
Cagas.
Makati
Mayor Jejomar Binay, United Opposition president, also
questioned the presence of American troops in Sulu at a
time of conflict.
Binay
was reacting to reports of US soldiers leading convoys
of the Armed Forces in known combat zones in
Mindanao. He said the presence of foreign troops is highly
disturbing and irregular.
According to the
US
embassy, US soldiers are not involved in combat but will
fire back when fired upon.
“But
they are entering combat zones, and the chances of them
being fired upon, especially if they are leading the
convoys, are very, very high,” Binay said.
Binay
has likewise called for a review of the RP-US Visiting
Forces Agreement (VFA).
“We need
to pay attention [to] and review the VFA to clarify the
extent of participation of foreign troops,” he said.
Under
the VFA, American soldiers deployed in the country are
banned from actual combat. |
