DND eyes more troops in south

The government is considering the deployment of additional troops to Basilan and Sulu to address peace and order problems following the recent string of kidnapping incidents in the area, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said last week.

“It could be, it could be,” Teodoro said when asked by reporters if he planned to send more troops to the area.

He said the immediate directive to government forces already stationed in the two provinces is to intensify their efforts in running after the kidnappers.

“I guess redoubling of efforts not necessarily mean that additional troops will be brought but increasing the tempo of operations probably is what as of now I have in mind,” Teodoro said.

The defense chief said that ground commanders were given leeway to position troops in critical areas to enable them to respond to any situation that might arise.

“We must react against kidnapping very strongly and we really have to give kidnappers no quarters,” he said.

Teodoro said that a long-term solution to the peace and order situation in the region is to implement a serious campaign to confiscate all loose firearms in the area.

He has already ordered the military to beef up security in Sacol Island in Zamboanga following the abduction of three International Committee of the Red Cross volunteers and three public school teachers.

He has also ordered the Western Mindanao Command to heighten security measures in some areas of Southwestern Mindanao, adding that the military has not ceased its operations to secure the safe release of the three teachers.

He also said there is a need for closer coordination between the soldiers in the area, the Department of Education and local government units, in a bid to curb kidnapping, which has lately become rampant in some parts of the region, particularly in Basilan and Sulu.