By Teofilo P. Garcia, Jr.
ZAMBOANGA CITY, (PNA) -– Local Government Sec. Manuel Roxas, II announced Saturday that they will shift to clearing operations to ensure the safe return of the civilians to their respective homes.
Roxas’ statement came after National Defense Sec. Voltaire Gazmin announced that the standoff, which entered the 20th day Saturday, is over.
Roxas said the clearing operations would last from 10 days to two weeks or more since it will be a room-to-room and a house-to-house search.
Roxas said it will really take time since the houses are closely built to each other and the clearing operation area ranges from 30 to 40 hectares.
“Ang iniiwasan natin dito ay yong mga booby traps, IED (improvised explosive device) and of course gusto rin natin makuha kung mayron pang natitirang bangkay, armas, munitions na naiwan dito,” Roxas said.
Roxas, Gazmin and Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista visited Saturday morning Martha Drive in Barangay Sta. Catalina, one of the sites of fierce gun battle between the troops and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels who infiltrated this city.
Gazmin said that the soldiers will remain to assist the police force in undertaking the clearing operations in the “areas of concerns.”
The clearing operation is the second phase of the government action since the first phase is military operation that was launched against the hundreds of MNLF rebels who infiltrated this city last September 9.
Roxas said the third phase, which is the reconstruction, will immediately begin once the clearing operation is over.