RESPONSE OF THE AFP TO THE MAULANA ALONTO ARTICLE ON THE SULU FIGHTING IN FEB 05 APPEARING AT THE AL-JAZEERAH,APRIL 2005

Maulana Alonto's special report that attempted to explain the background and significance of the new conflict in Sulu asserted a posture that is at once lopsided, highly malicious and derogatory of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The author's unsubstantiated and unverified claims on the number of casualties killed in the government side and subsequently, on the number of civilians killed, clearly shows prejudice and suspicion. Obviously, the entire report was contrived to project the Armed Forces as a perpetrator of inhuman acts and atrocities, a military force that vents its might and fury upon the hapless and helpless innocent civilians.

The AFP leadership is painstakingly directed its efforts to impress and inculcate upon its Commanders and men to observe and uphold the International Humanitarian Law and the respect for human rights. Its thrusts included the integration of IHL and HR subjects in all military courses at various stages of education. Moreover strict monitoring has been implemented and such measures have dramaticaly decreased the occurence of alleged violations as the men sent in conflict zones are regularly trained, oriented and constantly reminded of these mandates.

The claim goes further that the military has imposed strict censorship on any news coming out of Sulu. Miss Alonto cannot be so naive as to believe that censorship can suppress public outcry of the highly improbable figures she cited; 200 killed on the government side and 800 civilians mercilessly killed as a result of indiscriminate bombardment.

The war in Sulu is the handwork of the Misuari Breakaway Group (MBG) that has constantly terrorized the civilian populace and turning itself into a guerilla - bandit group. The MNLF is no longer a cause for alarm since 5,000 MNLF fighters have already been integrated into the AFP and its leadership always in consultation with the government - of course, minus Nur Misuari.

Again, Ms Alonto's account of an alleged "massacre" of a Muslim family in Maimbung, Sulu last February has already been cleared as the AFP has given its side on the incident.

Government forces were then in the vicinity of the family household in a highly influenced area by Abu Sayaff members when the guerillas opened fire, instantly killing one of the soldiers. The troops returned fire and the gunfight went on, the family was caught in the crossfire. It was a legitimate encounter between the troops and lawless elements. It was most unfortunate that the father, the pregnant mother and one of the children were killed. It is very important to note that the soldiers themselves rushed the wounded to the nearest hospital and donated blood to prolong their lives. Taken out of context, the account as written by Ms Alonto only goes to prove that the author could easily be a Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) breakaway sympathizer.

To the claim that the U.S. is controlling the war in Mindanao is tantamount to saying that the Philippines has lost its national sovereignty and cannot even protect its territorial integrity. In accusing the AFP as the brains behind the Valentines Day bombming, Ms Alonto all the more exposes an insidious pattern of systematically destroying the good name of the Armed Forces. Abu Solaiman is an identified ASG chieftain who once worked in the Middle East and now head the Urban Terrorism group.

The special report has consistently succeeded in trying to expose its effort to put the AFP in a highly unfavorable stance. Unfortunately, these same efforts place the writer in a bad light as all her claims were without basis and have no merit.

The AFP leadreship continues to serve its mandate to protect and serve the Filipino people. But it is disheartening to note that some sectors of society, who are motivated by personal gain, have not stopped in their efforts to discredit the gains made by the AFP all these years.

The so called 202 (rather than 800 as claimed) suspected terrorists now imprisoned in Bicutan have been arrested by virtue of warrants of arrest, after substantiated and verified reports revealed they have been involved in several criminal and terroristic acts that have threatened and even endangered the country's security.

Let us be vigilant in the face of efforts being undertaken to put a great divide between the AFP and the Filipino people, and the most sensitive to propaganda attempts to arouse hatred for the AFP. One such-very glaring attempt is Maulana Alonto's report.