AFP to send additional forces to Masbate

MANILA, Philippines - Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to deploy additional forces to Masbate to assist the Philippine National Police (PNP) in its campaign against private armed groups (PAGs) now being blamed for the spate of election-related killings in the island province.

“If there is any major trouble in the coming elections, it is not going to happen in Mindanao but in the island province of Masbate. That is why we are sending troops to the province,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales said the security situation there is going from bad to worse, saying that innocent civilians are being caught in the crossfire between rival PAGs.

He said ongoing police and military operations against PAGs and their handlers are also being hampered, as what happened in Maguindanao, because no judges are around to issue search warrants.

“As we are talking now, another politician was gunned down in the province,” Gonzales told The STAR in General Santos City the other day.

He said he is going to Masbate to personally assess the situation there, ruling out though the possibility that he would recommend to President Arroyo the declaration of martial law in the province.

Gonzales said he has already instructed Lt. Gen. Roland Detabali, Southern Luzon (Solcom) commander, to send military reinforcement to help the police address security concerns in the province.

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa has deployed a company of policemen to Masbate to augment the local territorial force in addressing the volatile peace and order situation there.

For his part, Detabali said the military is deploying some of its armored assets aside from ground personnel to support the police in dealing with the PAGs in Masbate.

This, as armed men believed to be under the employ of one of the political warlords in the province recently waylaid an Army convoy, wounding four soldiers.