No stop to pursuit operations against criminals in Mindanao—Army chief

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Army chief, Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz, said on Tuesday night they would proceed with “pursuit operations against criminals and bandits” after the Moro Islamic Liberation Front refused to hand over its deputy commander in Basilan, Dan Laksaw Asnawi, who has been wanted by government for the 2007 beheading of 14 Marine soldiers and the killing of 19 Army Special Forces troops last Oct. 18 both in Al-Barka, Basilan.

Ortiz, reacting to the MILF’s refusal to hand over Asnawi, said the Army has already filed a complaint against the MILF forces in Al-Barka before the joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) for “ceasefire violations and for coddling criminals in their community.”

“It is the mandate of the Army and the PNP (Philippine National Police) to run after criminals through the right process.,” Ortiz said in Filipino in a statement texted on Tuesday night to reporters.

“If the MILF does not cooperate with the Army, the Army would still conduct pursuit operations against criminals and bandits according to the law and according to the peace negotiations,” he declared.