President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo called on the military to to hunt down those responsible for the deaths of fourteen Marines searching for kidnapped Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi.
Pres. Arroyo said in a statement, "The government will account for the perpetrators of this heinous attack in the line with the rule of law, through the mechanisms of the peace process."
"The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is duty bound to hunt down and arrest those who treacherously killed and beheaded the soldiers," she declared.
She added that if the perpetrators are Abu Sayyaf, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) must stand apart from these terrorists and allow their pursuit and interdiction by government forces.
"If MILF forces are culpable, then they must be accounted for by the Ceasefire Committee and be brought to justice. There can be no excuses or alibis for these acts of savagery," she concluded.
Nine other soldiers were injured while six remained missing after the eight-hour clash Tuesday near Tipo-Tipo town, a known hideout of the Abu Sayyaf and the MILF.