AFP, PNP activate Task Force Panguil

OROQUIETA CITY ,Philippines  – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) acti­vated here yesterday a joint task force to go after lawless elements including private armed groups in the pro­vinces of Lanao del Norte and Misa­mis Occidental.

President Aquino ordered the activation of Joint Task Force Panguil through his anti-crime czar, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, effectively deactivating the PNP’s Task Force Lion.

“This is the President’s way of showing that he is really very serious to serve the Filipino people irregardless of their political affiliations,” said police director Leocadio Santiago, head of the PNP Directorate for Operations.

Named after Panguil Bay that separates Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental, the joint military and police unit will be operating under the supervision of the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center based in Camp Agui­naldo and Camp Crame and manned by Brig. Gen. Roberto Almadin, of the office of AFP’s Deputy of Staff for Operations and by Santiago.

“We are very thankful to the President and to Secretary Ochoa for acting on our board resolution that we have furnished to Malacañang for the immediate creation of a joint military and police task force to address growing crime menace here in our province,” Misamis Occidental Gov. Henry Oaminal said.

Lanao de Norte Gov. Khalid Dimaporo, on the other hand, called on the military and police leaderships to focus their anti-crime efforts on the proliferation of firearms, especially in Panguil Bay as well in the hotspot areas in the boundary of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.