/ stevenwarran's Library/ Notes/ January 21, 2007, The Philippine Star, No CIA, FBI, Aussie agents in Mindanao, says Esperon, by Jaime Laude,
January 21, 2007, The Philippine Star, No CIA, FBI, Aussie agents in Mindanao, says Esperon, by Jaime Laude,
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January 21, 2007, The Philippine Star, No CIA, FBI, Aussie agents in Mindanao, says Esperon, by Jaime Laude,
The Philippine Star 01/21/2007
There are no other foreign troops operating in Mindanao aside from members of the Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTK) from the United States, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said yesterday.
The AFP chief said representatives of foreign agencies currently involved in various development projects in Mindanao could have been mistaken as foreign troops or agents.
"I have not seen any of them," Esperon said, referring to the Australian intelligence agents and agents from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reportedly in Mindanao to monitor the activities of local and foreign terrorists.
Esperon said foreign nationals now working in Mindanao include Japanese, Malaysians, Americans, and Australian development workers overseeing foreign-funded development projects. He emphasized that none of them are working for the military.
"What we have is the US JSOTF under the command of Col. David Maxwell," Esperon said.
The AFP chief acknowledged Maxwell and his group yesterday when he officially announced that the remains dug in a shallow grave in Patikul last December was that of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khaddafy Janjalani.
The STAR source in Davao had claimed that Mindanao is now crawling with CIA, FBI and even Australian federal agents.
The source also added that the American and Australian agents in Mindanao were the alleged source of intelligence reports that reportedly served as the basis of travel advisories issued by their respective governments, prohibiting their citizens from traveling to certain parts of the island because of terrorist threats.
The US was one of the foreign governments that issued travel advisories warning of terror attacks prior to the postponement of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Cebu last December.
The Australian Embassy in Manila also issued a travel advisory last Jan. 10 that identified nine areas in Mindanao as likely bombing targets.
"The perception that some parts of Mindanao have become breeding grounds of the terrorists has brought these (foreign) agents to the island," the source said.
Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command chief, confirmed that at least two FBI agents are now working in the area.
Cedo, who is based in Zamboanga City, was in Davao Thursday for a meeting with officials of the Eastern Mindanao Command.
"There were the two (FBI agents) who paid me a courtesy call. But as to the others, they have not coordinated with my office, so I do not know them and their movements if indeed they’re here," Cedo said.
He explained that the two FBI agents only come in whenever an Abu Sayyaf member or a suspected terrorist is killed.
There are no other foreign troops operating in Mindanao aside from members of the Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTK) from the United States, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said yesterday.
The AFP chief said representatives of foreign agencies currently involved in various development projects in Mindanao could have been mistaken as foreign troops or agents.
"I have not seen any of them," Esperon said, referring to the Australian intelligence agents and agents from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reportedly in Mindanao to monitor the activities of local and foreign terrorists.
Esperon said foreign nationals now working in Mindanao include Japanese, Malaysians, Americans, and Australian development workers overseeing foreign-funded development projects. He emphasized that none of them are working for the military.
"What we have is the US JSOTF under the command of Col. David Maxwell," Esperon said.
The AFP chief acknowledged Maxwell and his group yesterday when he officially announced that the remains dug in a shallow grave in Patikul last December was that of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khaddafy Janjalani.
The STAR source in Davao had claimed that Mindanao is now crawling with CIA, FBI and even Australian federal agents.
The source also added that the American and Australian agents in Mindanao were the alleged source of intelligence reports that reportedly served as the basis of travel advisories issued by their respective governments, prohibiting their citizens from traveling to certain parts of the island because of terrorist threats.
The US was one of the foreign governments that issued travel advisories warning of terror attacks prior to the postponement of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Cebu last December.
The Australian Embassy in Manila also issued a travel advisory last Jan. 10 that identified nine areas in Mindanao as likely bombing targets.
"The perception that some parts of Mindanao have become breeding grounds of the terrorists has brought these (foreign) agents to the island," the source said.
Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command chief, confirmed that at least two FBI agents are now working in the area.
Cedo, who is based in Zamboanga City, was in Davao Thursday for a meeting with officials of the Eastern Mindanao Command.
"There were the two (FBI agents) who paid me a courtesy call. But as to the others, they have not coordinated with my office, so I do not know them and their movements if indeed they’re here," Cedo said.
He explained that the two FBI agents only come in whenever an Abu Sayyaf member or a suspected terrorist is killed.
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