'Super force' vs terror underway

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are forming a joint “super force” to address and fight terrorism and other forms of traditional internal security threats in the country.

To involve all military and police operational units from the highest to the lowest command level, the super force will be jointly headed by AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. and PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo, with the AFP deputy chief of staff for operations (J3) and the chief of the PNP Directorate for Operations (DO) at the helm of the joint military and police endeavors.

President Aquino recently ordered the leadership of the AFP and PNP to harmonize and integrate all their efforts in the anti-criminality, anti-terrorism, anti-insurgency campaigns.

“The order came from the President for us (the PNP and AFP) to put together men and resources in addressing traditional threats and the terror menace,” said Director Leocadio Santiago, chief of PNP directorate for operations.

Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. said the creation of the super force is aimed at integrating all police and military endeavors and to ensure interoperability between the two forces.

This means that all military and police operational units - from area commands and its counterparts - would combine their efforts to neutralize traditional threats to national security as well as terror groups.

Mabanta said the super force will be operating under the AFP-PNP Joint Peace Security Coordinating Council (PSCC), a strategy crafted to inter-operationalize all military and police functions in the May 2010 presidential elections.

Santiago said the super force, once in operation, would immediately buckle down to work and prioritize its efforts against terror threats anywhere in the country as well as the mounting incidences of kidnappings, specifically in Cotabato City, Marawi City and Jolo, Sulu.

AFP to Abu Sayyaf: You can run but you can’t hide

Meanwhile, the military warned the Abu Sayyaf and its Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) cohorts hiding in the country to surrender or be neutralized, as their hiding place is “getting smaller.”

The military said they were reviving the intense information campaign on the reward system for civilians and even those in the ranks of the terrorist groups to help law enforcement agencies and the military to run after high-value targets.

Sen. Francis Escudero has warned the public not to be complacent about national security following the killing of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden because his death may not signify the end of terrorism.

Escudero said the intelligence network is aware that there are pocket groups of al-Qaeda terrorists operating in different countries, thus the need for heightened vigilance.

“That’s one thing that will be bugging them right now, that they (local terrorists) have no place to hide anymore, because for sure they will be tracked down,” said Lt. Col. Randolf Cabangbang, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command.

“They have no choice but to surrender or be neutralized,” he said.

Cabangbang said the revival of the reward system would, in effect, “tell the terrorists that they don’t have a hold on all people.”

The military over the weekend announced the $5-million bounty offered for the capture of al-Qaeda-linked terrorist leader Zulkifli Abdhir, a Malaysian who is known to go by the aliases of Marwan, Zulkifli Abd Hir and Zulkifli Bin Abdul Hir.

Cabangbang said Abdhir, who was placed on the US State Department’s most wanted list in 2003, is known to be a senior member of several criminal groups in the southern Philippines with links to al-Qaeda.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned that Abdhir is considered “armed and dangerous” and his presence in Mindanao presents danger to the public.

Cabangbang said there are a number of Abu Sayyaf leaders and members with huge bounties on their heads, like Radullan Sahiron, Umbra Jumdail alias Dr. Abu Pula, Isnilon Hapilon, Puruji Indama, and Nurhassan Jamiri. - With Roel Pareño, Eva Visperas