Basilan army chief cites lessons learned from Zambo, Basilan conflicts - Zambo Times Basilan army chief 104th Brigade Commander Col. Carlito Galvez relayed some lessons learned from the Zamboanga standoff, Lamitan City conflict, and Isabela City tensions during the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting Wednesday. “Inter-agency preparation is a key to the success of defending Lamitan and Isabela cities,” Galvez noted as he recalled that crisis committees in the provincial and city levels were immediately convened when the MNLF-Misuari faction attacked Zamboanga City. “The involvement of local government officials from the provincial down to the barangay levels was very essential,” he added. He said that the collective decisions of local authorities in dealing with the threats paved the way for preempting further disaster and escalation of atrocities in urban areas of Lamitan and Isabela cities. “The support of the local authorities in maintaining the Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO) and local defense systems in barangays helped a lot,” he noted, saying that they were the first responders in the Colonia attack (last Sept. 12 in Lamitan) and “they have sacrificed even their lives.” The presence and involvement of barangay officials even during crucial military operations were cited by the Brigade Commander especially in identifying geographical make-up of the affected barangays to effectively defend the areas from rebel intrusions. “Information must be timely and accurate,” Galvez said. As regards the spread of text messages intended to sow fear and panic among residents, the military urges the residents “to validate first from authorities reports and information received and not to immediately spread them.” The military also noted the need to strengthen further security of the cities and the province from a combined attack of armed groups from sea and land, as they noticed weak port security. As of press time, trips from Isabela City to Zamboanga city remain irregular and local port authorities have been implementing a very tight security system. Passengers have to endure long lines of waiting and security check-up prior to embarkation to the vessel. Moreover, the military highly recommended that the local authorities support inter-faith dialogue activities especially among the youth to prevent further radicalization of the youth, the uneducated and the vulnerable sectors of society. Galvez said that the MNLFs from Basilan were said to have been deceived to join the Zamboanga attack. The military’s initial investigation revealed that the Basilan-based MNLFs were promised of a monthly stipend of $1,000 allegedly from a UN entity, an issuance of M14 firearm, and political positions. Like us on Facebook: https://facebook/PhilippineDefenseToday
Posted on: Mon, 07 Oct 2013 09:22:11 +0000
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