Security assessments are now being conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) to determine if there is a need to deploy more cops in the troubled island province of Basilan in Mindanao.

Director General Jesus Verzosa, PNP chief, earlier said that they have enough troops in Basilan but the incident in Al-Barkah town where four people, including mediamen, were injured after two military choppers were subjected to gunfire seemingly made the PNP leadership to reconsider additional deployments in the province.

“Continuous assessments were being made to determine the need for more troops,” Verzosa told reporters in a press briefing in Camp Crame.

Aside from regular Basilan cops, policemen from the Regional Mobile Group in Visayas and police elite Special Action Force are presently deployed in the island province to hunt down Abu Sayyaf Group.

Despite the huge casualties suffered by the government in the Wednesday clash in Tipo-Tipo town, Verzosa said, policemen in the area remain in high morale and are continuously helping soldiers in the operations against the bandit group.

“They are also conducting normal operations like the serving of arrest warrants and assisting with the rehabilitation of displaced residents affected by the fighting,” said Verzosa.

The official said they are also conducting dialogues with local officials in order to ensure that the hunted ASG members would no longer receive assistance from local residents.

The bandits have been banking on their familiarity with the Basilan terrain as well as their support from local residents, mostly relatives, in successfully evading pursuing government troopers.

“We are also utilizing the cooperation of local government units and are reinforcing the ground troops,” said Verzosa.