Sarangani town takes steps vs Maguindanao spillover

MALUNGON, Sarangani , Philippines  – The municipal government has imposed an 11 p.m. curfew as a precautionary measure against a possible spillover here of the lingering tension in Maguindanao.

Although President Arroyo ordered the lifting of the martial law last Saturday, Malacañang said Maguindanao would remain under a state of emergency until all the 100-plus suspects in the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 people, including 30 mediamen, have been arrested and brought to justice.

Mayor Reynaldo Constantino said the curfew, which lasts up to early dawn the following day, is one of the steps they are carrying out to thwart any attempt by the suspects to seek refuge in this mountain town to elude arrest.

“This is not aimed at any of the warring clans in Maguindanao, but simply a precautionary measure against a possible spillover of the trouble here in our place,” Constantino said.

“This in turn could lay our town open to the possibility of hot pursuit operations turning into nasty firefights between the hunted and the hunters, and the villagers getting caught in the crossfire, and I can’t allow that,” he said.

Aside from the curfew, which Constantino said would be in effect for as long as necessary, the local intelligence system was intensified and barangay defense forces were deployed in remote villages.

The 1206th Provincial Mobile Group will serve as a reserve unit, while the local police under acting chief Inspector Rommel Constantino will conduct regular patrols backed by the Army’s 72nd Infantry Battalion.