More Marines fielded in Cotabato

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Four more companies of Marines arrived yesterday to help the local police fight kidnappers and extortionists whose attacks in recent months have stifled the city’s economy.

The Marines, who belong to the Marine Battalion Landing Team 7 (MBLT-7), were personally endorsed to Cotabato City Mayor Japal Guiani Jr. by Commodore Philip Lacayan, commander of the Naval Forces in Eastern Mindanao, during simple rites at the Polloc port in Parang, Maguindanao.

The Marines were brought by a Navy boat from Basilan, where they spent almost four years of peacekeeping missions.

“We ought to thank President Aquino for having listened to the clamors of residents of Cotabato City, including the business and religious communities, for him to send the Marines,” Guiani said.

The MBLT-7 members are taking over all security installations here of the Army’s anti-crime Task Force Tugis, an erstwhile unit of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division based in Datu Odin, Maguindanao.

Task Force Tugis was disbanded last month and re-organized into a new humanitarian group dubbed Task Force Bigkis Lahi.