Trixie Cruz: Staying out of it

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”

~Napoleon Bonaparte

Pressure has been building to compel the Armed Forces in Sulu to act on what is perceived to be a deteriorating situation in Patikul. Recently, clashes between the Moro National Liberation Front and the Abu Sayaf Group have caused much concern in the national capital. Mainstream media has pestered officials of the AFP for comment on plans to act on the said fighting.

This, of course, doesn’t make sense. Why should the AFP get involved in matters outside of its mandate?

Point man in Sulu is Marine Second Brigade Commander Col. Orlando de Leon. In an exclusive interview with Pssst Centro, he explained the situation. The ASG has been pushed back to a single identifiable area in what is referred to derisively as MOA – Mountain of the Abu Sayaff located in Patikul.

The MNLF has its own issues with the ASG and has been attacking the latter on their own, the number of casualties in the skirmishes is unknown.

The Marines, while aware of the ASG position cannot attack because although the ASG has diminished in force and credibility with the locals, they are also currently holding a hostage, Jordanian correspondent Baker Atyani, taken last July 2012. Also, upon confirmation of the said kidnapping, the Marines lost jurisdiction over the situation.

The AFP’s primary jurisdiction is external defense. The Philippine National Police has jurisdiction over internal peace and order. Crimes such as rebellion fall exclusively within the ambit of the PNP mandate.

The AFP handles insurgency situations because the Philippine National Police had in prior years, no capability to conduct sustained anti-insurgency operations. The AFP does not, unless under special orders, handle kidnappings.

It does not handle murders or homicides or deaths in tumultuous affrays, such as the fighting between the ASG and the MNLF. If either of the groups challenge the duly constituted government, or seek to overthrow it, the AFP, may reacquire its primary responsibility.

Thus, at the moment, two groups who have made no secret of their intent to undermine or overthrow the government are attacking each other. They are committing a crime that the PNP should take cognizance of, but hasn’t or isn’t capable of doing so.

The Marines may stop it, but it may be perceived as interfering in the kidnap situation. Stalemate for now, but it’s not necessarily a loss.



By: Atty. Trixie Cruz-Angeles
(Source : PSSST! Centro)






To know more about Trixie Cruz Angeles, check out: I AM TRIXIE CRUZ