A top Palace official yesterday reminded the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) of a standing directive of the President against local terrorist organizations believed to be behind the killing of six rubber plantation workers and injuring of 18 others in Basilan.
Deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte would not make a categorical identification of the group seen as responsible behind the most recent attack that saw an all civilian casualty and injury, but hinted of an ongoing investigation to determine and gather evidence against the perpetrators.
The terror attack took place in Barangay Tumahubong of Sumipsip town on Wednesday. The fatalities were all rubber tappers who collect the sap from rubber trees of the Tumahubong Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Incorporated Development Cooperative.
In April, three security personnel of the same rubber plantation were killed in an ambush, which the military linked to the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf bandit group.
Valte also said the government has put in place measures to tighten security not only in Sumipsip town but in the entire Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) where a general re-registration of voters by the Commission on Elections is being conducted.
Asked by Palace reporters what the President had to say to the terrorists attempting to disrupt the ARMM voters’ re-registration, Valte said “you have nowhere else to go.”
Aquino had directed the AFP and the Philippine National Police to secure the ongoing ARMM General Registration of Voters from July 9 to 18.
The President ordered the securing of registration personnel and the safe transfer of forms and supplies, registration equipment and accomplished documents.
Comelec, through Resolution 9446 this year, had requested the President to deputize law enforcement agencies and instrumentalities in connection with the voter’s registration.