Lacson: Mutual trust between civilians and the military helps government's anti-terrorism campaign
Senator Panfilo M. Lacson said the country’s law enforcers deserve congratulations and support for the major headway against terrorism over the weekend.
Lacson, chairman of the Senate National Defense and Security committee, said the law enforcers dealt major blows to the Dawlah Islamiyah (DI) on one hand, and to the New People's Army (NPA) on the other.
Salahuddin Hassan, the leader of DI in Mindanao, was reportedly killed in Maguindanao following a brief firefight. His wife, who was also killed in the operation, was reportedly the DI's finance officer in Mindanao.
Meanwhile, Jorge Madlos (a.k.a. Ka Oris) was killed in an encounter with the Army's 4th Infantry Division in Bukidnon last Saturday.
Marco Valbuena, chief information officer of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), denied that Madlos, spokesman of ‘’Bagong Hukbong Bayan (BHB or NPA), denied that Madlos was killed in an encounter.
‘’But the achievements also underscore the importance of trust, without which local residents would not have provided our forces with the information they needed,’’ Lacson, former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, said.
‘’The people have, in their own little way, shown they will not tolerate terrorism. I have been and I will continue to be one with them in this regard,’’ he added.