Philippines:Mass kidnappings pinned on rebel groups -Military

This part of Blogspace reported a few months back about a young man – a teenager from General Santos City who reported being taken to remote location a jungle camp with-in a comples of underground bunkers or caves.

For a weeks there was little follow-up coming from the area until this report seems to make sense and shed light on the culprits that many I have spoken with seem to also show as the most possible group behind the actions.

[] “…militants begin using teenagers as assassins Gulf News, United Arab Emirates - By Claro Cortes, Correspondent. Manila: Filipino militants have begun to use teenagers as assassins in their effort to further push…” []

The area of actual attacks however seems to differ from the mainland mindanao areas where the police reports seem to coincide with the statement of a commanding officer on Jolo Island whose troops increasingly have come across the “Baby Abu’s” or child solders of the ASG or Abu sayyaf group.

[]…” Brig. Gen. Alexander Aleo, Joint Task Force Comet chief, said four soldiers were killed by the Abu Sayyaf Group’s liquidation squad, composed mostly of recruits aged 16 to 20 years, in the past two weeks.” …[] Report linked above

Meanwhile; in what is being tagged as the one of the major successes of the War on Terror in Mindanao where many former strongholds of groups like the ASG have fallen is being reinforced with more social projects alongside police operations and peace keeping and community building – the new ‘expanded version’ of the current Balaikatan has been revealed by the philippines defense secretary Avelino Cruz.

[]…” The new exercise might be held nationwide, including the restive southern region of Mindanao, where U.S. and Filipino troops are planning the construction of bridges, including one that would connect two islands in Tawi-tawi province; roads, school buildings and medical facilities under the “Kapit Bisig.”… []