‘Include ARMM provinces in Mercy’s mission’

COTABATO CITY — Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan has asked the United States embassy to include Maguindanao’s Polloc port in the itinerary of the US naval hospital ship Mercy.

The USNS Mercy formally started its two-week humanitarian and medical mission in the southern Philippines in Zamboanga City the other day.

Dr. Lampa Pandi, the ARMM’s regional health chief, said they are optimistic that the USNS Mercy will also serve Central Mindanao.

Pandi said Ampatuan earlier had requested the US government, through its embassy in Manila, to include the ARMM provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur in the USNS Mercy’s itinerary.

The US government, through the US Agency for International Development, has dozens of socio-economic projects in the two provinces.

Senior Superintendent Akmad Mamalinta, ARMM police director, and Maj. Gen. Rodolfo Obaniana of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division both said they are ready to provide adequate security to the USNS Mercy should it dock at Polloc port.

US Navy Capt. Bradley Martin, USNS Mercy mission commander, told reporters in Zamboanga City the other day that the ship is ready to provide all the needed health care available aboard and on the ground.