The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Sunday there would be no spillover of the Abu Sayyaf threat in Metro Manila and other areas in the country following last Wednesday’s bloody clash, saying all measures, particularly naval barrier patrol, are now in place to prevent the bandits from leaving Basilan.

AFP public affairs office chief, Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, Jr., said the troops assigned in Basilan under 1st Marine Brigade commander, Brig. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, is confident that they “can contain the threat of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), especially the group of Furuji Indama, in the island.”

Government forces on Wednesday engaged the group of Indama in an almost hand-to-hand combat that resulted in the death of 23 soldiers and 31 bandits, including 10 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Brawner said that following last Wednesday’s day-long encounter, the government will now be pouring in more resources to completely defeat the problem on the ASG. “We’re going to add more resources, logistical resources but not manpower. . . we feel we have enough manpower in the area,” he said.

Navy spokesman, Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo earlier said the Philippine Navy has set up naval barrier patrol around Basilan province to prevent the bandits who engaged the military in a fierce firefight on Wednesday from escaping to other islands, particularly
Sulu and Zamboanga. He said the blockade was immediately set up as the military staged pursuit operations against remnants of the ASG. (Elena L. Aben)