Press Release
September 4, 2008

GORDON ASKS AFP TO BEEF UP INTEL EFFORTS

Senator Richard J. Gordon today asked the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to beef up its intelligence efforts against lawless Moro Islamic Liberation Front groups (LMG).

Gordon, vice chairman of the Senate national defense committee, said that while the government should relentlessly pursue peace negotiations with the MILF, the AFP, on the other hand, must intensify its intelligence works to prevent further attacks by other lawless elements.

"We have to continue the peace talks and, at the same time, put in the necessary intelligence capability of the Armed Forces (of the Philippines) to be able to know who or which groups are operating so that at least we know when they are about to attack," Gordon said.

Gordon cited the recent attacks in Iligan where two bombing incidents occurred followed by attacks in Kauswagan and Kolambugan. Reports about the circumstance were already circulating, but the military was not able to prevent it from taking place.

According to him, it is not enough to send battalions of soldiers to resolve the conflict in Mindanao. What is more important is to regain the people's trust in the AFP, he added.

Gordon said even if people see hundreds of soldiers roaming their cities, they still would not feel safe if they do not believe that the military has the capability to defend them and their communities.

"Even if we smother all these people with troops, and people in the countryside do not have any confidence in the ability of our Armed Forces to be able to protect them, we will not be able to solve the conflict," he said.

Gordon said military intelligence seems to be a problem that must be addressed immediately not only to resolve the protracted conflict between the military and the LMG, but also to prevent other lawless elements, notably the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA),from exploiting the situation.

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