A Catholic bishop on Wednesday expressed disappointment over the recent beheading of a Canadian national by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), saying that it showed that government’s security forces, particularly the military, are not doing their work well.
Bishop Martin Jumoad of the prelature of Isabela de Basilan lamented that many Filipinos have been living in fear because of the conflict and violence in Mindanao.
“Well it is a sad reality and then the people are saying, paano na ba ito? Bakit nagkakaganito? Saan na ba ang military? Saan na ba ang policemen? Saan na ba sila? Bakit nagkaganito?” Jumoad said over church-run Radyo Veritas.
“So this is a general statement but ang masasabi ko, hindi talaga, the military is not really doing well their work, ‘yun lang ang masasabi ko, because the people are frustrated and then they will just smile as if they were saying, sa kanila na lang yun,” he added.
(Well, it is a sad reality and then the people are saying, how is it going to be? Why is this happening? Where are the military? Where are the policemen? Where are they? Why is it this way?
So this is a general statement, but what I can say is the military is not really doing well in their work, that’s all I can say because the people are frustrated and then they will just smile as if they were saying, it’s only for them to know.)
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Jumoad was reacting to the beheading of 68-year-old hostage John Ridsdel by the ASG, which was first confirmed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a press conference.
In a statement, Malacañang said President Benigno Aquino III “has directed the security forces to apply the full force of the law to bring these criminals to justice.”
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Jumoad earlier questioned the competence of military schools in the country amid the casualties in military operations against Abu Sayyaf forces in the region. CDG