Public Domain Image via Official website of the Armed Forces of the Philippines - Former Wescom chief blames resurgence of Abu Sayaff on current administration
- Ret. Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban says the local people no longer trust the military as much as before
- He noted the success of “people-centered” approach to gain the trust of the local communities
The former chief of the Western Command (Wescom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) blamed the resurgence of the terrorist group Abu Sayaff over the current administration and military officials.
Retired Lieutenant General Juancho Sabban, who headed operations in the jungles of Sulu and Basilan that led to the deaths of known leaders of terror groups Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah, noted that when he left his post in 2013, there were no more hostages in captivity and only a handful of high profile terrorists to be neutralized.
Sabban credits this to the “people-centered” approach he implemented under his command.
“Unang-una kasing strategy namin is to get the people on our side. Sa umaga, nandun kami, para kaming mga doctor, mga engineers, nagka-karpintero. Pero sa gabi, nandun kami sa kabundukan, at hinahanap namin yung mga Abu Sayyaf. Nagsusumbong sa amin yung mga tao. That is because may kumpiyansa sila sa amin. [Our very first strategy is to get the people on our side. In the morning, we were there, as if we were doctors, engineers, carpenters. But at night, we were in the mountains, and we were looking for the Abu Sayaff. People were giving us information. That is because they had confidence in us],” he told ABS-CBN News.
The retired military man believes that the recent resurgence of the terrorist groups could be, in part, due to the lack of faith of the local populace to the military, which he says, is the government’s own doing.
“For the past 6 years, wala silang nakuhang high-value target. Nagpasabog ka ng mga isanlibong bala ng kanyon, wala ka namang tinamaan. Baka sakali tinamaan mo pa mga civilian communities. Lalong dadami yung kalaban mo diyan. Ang nangyayari kasi, ang tingin nila sa military, sa government forces, invaders na. Hindi na sila yung protector at saka partner ng mga tao.[they weren’t able to capture a high-value target. You blew up a thousand cannon bullets, but you didn’t hit anyone. Perhaps, you even hit the civilian communities. That way, your enemies will even grow in number.What happened was, the people think that the military, the government forces, are invaders. They are no longer the protector and partner of the people],” he added.
The AFP, however, belied such claims, saying that nine sub-leaders of the Abu Sayyaf have been either killed or arrested under the current administration. They also noted that the local landscape has changed while Sabban and his troops back then enjoyed the assistance of the United States military.
AFP Public Affairs Chief Colonel Noel Detoyato says that the Armed Forces are now focusing on activities for the benefit of the local communities.
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