Manila to spend $190m, to foil rebels
Manila to spend $190m, to foil rebels
ISABELA, Philippines (Agencies): President Gloria Arroyo said on Monday the military would boost its air surveillance assets and spend $190 million to combat security threats, including Abu Sayyaf rebels holding 23 U.S. and Filipino hostages.
Arroyo said the acquisition of aircraft was a priority and that she "agreed in principle" to the acquisition of air surveillance planes to be used against Abu Sayyaf guerrillas on the southern island of Basilan.
The president said last week she had asked the US government to help with "surveillance expertise and in supplying us with some modern equipment".
During a visit to the air force headquarters in Manila, Arroyo ordered the immediate release of around 5.4 billion pesos ($103 million) of the planned total to modernize the military, considered among Asia's weakest.
The government would then find additional funds to meet the balance of 4.6 billion pesos, she added.
Air force chief Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor said the military could not "win a war without air supremacy".
He noted the Philippine air force was among the strongest in the region in the 1960s, but had deteriorated over the years.
"Today, our air force can hardly repeat its former capability. And our national security could even be discredited by a small group of runaway bandits," he said.
"We cannot allow a brand of brigands to sow terror in our midst."
Failure
The armed forces were severely criticized for failing to end the hostage crisis when they cornered the rebels at a Basilan town last month, only to have them flee a tight military cordon despite rounds of rockets fired by helicopter gunships.
About 5,000 troops have been searching for a few hundred Abu Sayyaf guerrillas holding U.S. Christian missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham and 21 other Filipinos in Basilan.
The rebels have boasted of killing another American hostage, Californian Guillermo Sobero, although his body has not yet been found.
Local officials of Basilan, led by Governor Wahab Akbar on Monday met with military officials and pledged to help annihilate the rebels.
The rebels and their "beastly attitude" could not be tolerated, he said. "Tomorrow is too late, now is the right time," to rush them, Akbar added.
Radio Mindano Network on Monday quoted Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Sabaya as saying he was ready to free at least two hostages, but could not do so because of the military offensive.
"The hostages are still with us, and we could not free them because there are too many soldiers. We want them to be safe when they leave," the radio quoted Sabaya as saying.
MILF
The rebels are believed to be hiding out in the Sinangcapan mountain range around Basilan's Tuburan town, where a larger Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), also operate.
MILF officials earlier on Monday agreed to step aside to allow government forces to pursue the Abu Sayyaf, which Manila classifies as a plain bandit group.
Military field commanders have complained that MILF snipers in the area were slowing down the five-week-old operation, and accused the rebels of providing sanctuary to the Abu Sayyaf.
Frustrated at the MILF attacks, the army shelled its positions in Tuburan town on Sunday, shattering a truce signed between Manila and the MILF in Libya on June 2.
The Philippine army has promised to prevent guerrilla groups like the Abu Sayyaf from taking their activities to neighboring countries like Malaysia.
"We don't like this terrorism to be transferred to Malaysia," Philippine Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Jamie S. De Los Santos said on Monday.
De Los Santos was speaking to reporters after the close of the Malaysian-Filipino Joint Forces Exercise near Kota Kinabalu. He said the Philippines' fight against the Abu Sayyaf was continuing.
"We will not give allowance for terrorism to thrive in our country and at the same time by controlling this threat we shall be protecting also the interests of Malaysia," he said.
He said the Philippine forces would work closely with Malaysia to crush the Abu Sayyaf.