Guerrero: It’s “overly ambitious” to think terrorism will be eradicated by end of my term

This photo taken on July 22, 2017 shows government troops patrolling a deserted street in Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao. In May, the city was overrun by terrorists inspired by the Islamic State. / AFP / Ted Aljibe/

By Mar Gabriel
Eagle News Service

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Rey Guerrero on Friday stopped short of saying he would be able to eradicate terrorism by the end of his term in April, saying making such a promise would make him “overly ambitious.”

“I’m just being practical. Ang sabi ko nga sa inyo the AFP operates based on a campaign plan. We’ve set targets and timelines and right now may targets kami,” Guerrero said in a press briefing.

He said, however, that “as far as the neutralization of terrorist threats is concerned, I’ll do my best…(and) the most that I can give at the time that I am afforded as the chief of staff,” Guerrero said.

He said now that Congress has approved the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao, for instance, the public “can expect a more focused military” conducting “intensified focused military operations…nationwide, most especially in Mindanao.”

He said by “intensified” he means that more patrols and checkpoints especially in “population centers” should be expected.

These were to address the “remnants” of the “ISIS threat groups and secondly, all other threat groups to include the (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army),” Guerrero said.