PRESIDENT Aquino said on Monday that the state’s “mailed fist” will bear upon lawless elements responsible for government and civilian casualties in the southern Philippines, and vowed to bring these personalities behind bars one after the other in the coming weeks.
In a late-afternoon news conference at the President’s Hall, Mr. Aquino continued to junk calls for an all-out war against Muslim rebels, choosing to focus instead on the pursuit of “all-out justice” against personalities that have led the attacks on government troops in Basilan and Lanao del Norte, and on civilians in Zamboanga Sibugay.
“I have instructed intensified operations against all these criminal elements. The mailed fist of the state will be brought to bear upon them so that justice may be served. There is no question that the state will find them; the only remaining question is when,” he said.
The President promised “that in the coming weeks, these criminals will be held accountable one after the other.”
He said that as opposed to all-out war which is “indiscriminate and borne out of anger, all-out justice is sober and fair; it is based on the rule of law, and leads to lasting peace.”
“There have been calls to wage an ‘all-out war’ against the MILF. While it is tempting for government to join the chorus in calling for blood, we believe that such a course of action is not appropriate at this point. We are not interested in knee-jerk reactions that will jeopardize our efforts to address the roots of conflict in the region,” he said.
In obvious response to those who have expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s response to the attacks, the President said, “What kind of thinking dictates that you should fight with everyone all at the same time, even those that are not involved, in every corner of the Philippines, just to say that you are doing something?”
“We recognize that these calls, or at least some of them, for all-out war may come from those who do not have a full awareness of all the factors at play. However, my decisions cannot be borne out of ignorance. They have to be based on available facts,” he said.
Mr. Aquino said that while it may seem to be “so easy, out of frustration, to close the door on negotiations at this time… the difficult peace process cannot be enhanced by shedding more blood and generating more ill will.”
“We have to exhaust all possibilities for attaining peace through dialogue,” he said.
The President said the government has asked the MILF to cooperate in the arrest of the criminal elements, none of whom are believed to be MILF members, and that the group has already acceded to this request.
“There is cooperation already in terms of certain personalities. They will not be a problem in terms of
affecting the arrest of certain figures in the Order of Battle,” he said.
The President said such cooperation indicates MILF’s sincerity in pursuing peace negotiations with the government.
When asked, Mr. Aquino stressed that those who coddle the personalities in the Armed Forces and National Police Order of Battle in relation to recent incidents in Mindanao “will also be treated as criminals because they are abetting known fugitives.”
“Those who hinder the pursuit of our legitimate operations cannot be differentiated from those we are after. And we have sent the message to the MILF that we are not out to get them but if some of their members participate, then there is no exemption,” he said.
The President also assures concerned civilian communities that the military has “always been, and always will be, mindful of the safety of the civilians.”
“Rest assured that the government will do everything it can to maximize the safety of the people and attend to their needs,” he said.
