Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. seems surprised to see a child of an evacuee eating under the table, apparently feeling safer, when the Armed Forces of the Philippines prepared meals for internally displaced persons in Tipo-Tipo town in Basilan.

Isabela City, Basilan – Provincial officials of Basilan led by Gov. Jum Akbar vowed to support the military in its thrust to totally eliminate the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and other lawless elements in the province.

The Basilan officials made their pledge during a recent dialogue with Defense Secretary Gilbert C. Teodoro who together with other military officials personally attended to the needs of local residents who were displaced by the ongoing military offensives against the Abu Sayyaf in the province.

Teodoro and Akbar, along with provincial officials, went to the municipality of Tipo-Tipo where they attended to the needs of the hundreds of evacuees with the help of social and health personnel.

Teodoro and the lady governor, together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), provided the displaced persons with different kinds of nutritious meals as well as medicines.

“This is not just good for today,” said Akbar, who stressed that “the feeding program will continue until the military operation is over.”

She emphasized that “amid the crisis, we will continue to feed them with good food and attend to their other needs.”

According to Akbar, social and health personnel of the provincial government as well as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of National Defense (DND) and the Department of Health (DoH) in the area will be coordinating with other agencies in attending to the daily needs of the displaced residents.

Also present in the dialogue at Tipo-Tipo were Western Mindanao Command chief Major Gen. Ben Dolorfino and Naval Forces Western Mindanao chief Rear Admiral Alexander Pama.

Lt. Col. Gamal S. Hayudini, group command of the 4th Civil Relations Group of the AFP, disclosed that the support of the local officials is vital in the fight against lawlessness as they are the ones who have the strong hold over the civilian populace or their constituents.

He also said that it is important to have the support not only of the local leaders but most especially the civilian populace.