RP to cut military presence in south

RP to cut military presence in south

MANILA (AFP): Some military units will be withdrawn from
Muslim areas of the southern Philippines after the country's
largest Islamic rebel group agreed to a truce and peace talks, a
senior general said on Thursday.

The government of deposed leader Joseph Estrada had thrown
more than 60 percent of the armed forces into the region last
year to fight the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the
Abu Sayyaf group.

"The pullout is being studied. Some of the troops will move
out because of some priorities in Luzon," said vice chief of
staff Lt. Gen. Jose Calimlim, referring to the main Philippine
island.

"We are studying how we can effect this vis-a-vis the peace
process," Calimlim told reporters, while stressing the army also
needed to "secure communities" on the island of Mindanao, the
rebels' main stronghold, despite the truce.

He would not say how many soldiers would move out of Mindanao.

The MILF has waged an intermittent 23-year guerrilla campaign
for an Islamic state in the southern Philippines, while the Abu
Sayyaf gained worldwide attention after seizing local and western
hostages last year.

Three army divisions out of eight are permanently stationed on
Mindanao to fight Muslim and communist insurgencies.

During the height of the military offensive last year, Estrada
redeployed to Mindanao brigades and battalions based in Luzon to
the country's north and the central island of Panay.

President Gloria Arroyo, who replaced Estrada after a popular
revolt in January, declared a unilateral truce with the MILF last
month.

Her government will also hold peace talks with communist
guerrillas.