Duterte admin to prioritize ASG neutralization

(PNA photo courtesy of Presidential Photographers Division)

MANILA—With Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) kidnapping attacks now starting to put a crimp on the Philippine-Indonesia coal trade, incoming Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday said immediate neutralization of the bandit group is one of the first marching orders given by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

“We will neutralize the ASG so that they can no longer do the things they are doing (referring to the kidnapping of Indonesian coal barge and tugboat sailors) as these attacks are now affecting us economically,” he said in Filipino.

Earlier, Indonesia banned all of its vessels, especially those transporting coal, from entering Philippine waters after seven of its sailors were kidnapped while in the Sulu Sea last June 22.

Lorenzana said the ban is now affecting the country’s power supply as coal is needed to operate Philippine power plants.

He added that they are now planning on how to operationalize the President’s order.