GMA orders Gen. Tolentino to Mindanao front lines

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered Philippine Army General Romeo Tolentino to head the military offensive against Muslim militants in Jolo.
 
Pres. Arroyo said she ordered Gen. Tolentino to the front lines to help oversee the theatre of operations and to be nearer the soldiers.

"The Army Headquarters will now be temporarily set up in Wescom (Western Command) in Zamboanga until the situation normalizes," she said.

She added, "I expect Gen. Tolentino, considered as a soldier’s soldier, not just to orchestrate punitive actions against those who wantonly maim and kill but also to evaluate peaceful overtures of those who will demonstrate remorse."

25 soldiers and 27 rebels – have died in clashes between government troops and guerillas of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.