OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE PROVINCE OF ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY     YAMBAO SUPPORTS PNOY’S ALL-OUT-JUSTICE   1st District Representative of Zamboanga Sibugay, Congressman Jonathan Yambao, clearly stressed that he is supporting President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino’s “All-out-Justice” directive to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP). In an interview during the visit of the President’s Cabinet Members, Secretaries Jesse Robredo of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Dinky Soliman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Teresita Deles of the Office of the President’s Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP), Cong. Yambao stated that war is not a solution to the problems in Mindanao but would just make things worst. Yambao also added that the “All-out-War” against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which is being pushed by some political personalities in the national and local level, would just create greater damage and chaos to the lives of the people living in conflict areas in the islands of Mindanao. “I am not going to campaign for an all-out-war but instead I would rather advocate the call of our President which is the so called all-out-justice for the sake of our people in Mindanao particularly here in Zamboanga Sibugay. War is never a solution to our problems here and I believe and I still have this faith that the peace talks between the GRP and MILF can bring solutions to our problems. The effect may not be felt immediately but at least the peace and order can be achieved gradually”, said Yambao. It can be noted that when clashes between the MILF and the government troops erupted somewhere in Al-Barka in Basilan, more or less nineteen (19) government soldiers died and the incident prompted some big political personalities like former President Joseph Estrada and many others to call for an all-out-war against the MILF to allegedly put an end to the conflicts in Mindanao. However, the Malacañang Palace rejected the said call and rather initiated an all-out-justice directive which would give both sides, the AFP and the MILF, a chance to speak out about what really happened. An investigation was immediately conducted to identify the real cause of the clash to know who violated the peace treaty. In Sibugay, series of ambush incidents also erupted and killed some members of the AFP as well as the PNP in municipalities of Payao, Kabasalan, Alicia and Ipil. But the government is not accusing the MILF for such incidents and rather pointed its finger on lawless groups under a commander named Waning Abdussalam. After a almost a week of operation in Waning’s camp in Sitio Talaib, Barangay Labatan in the municipality of Payao, government troops successfully seized the camp and declared that the area was already cleared late in the after noon of Wednesday, October 26. The said incidents displaced more or less 2,000 families in the province and all of them took shelter in nearby evacuation centers. According to Yambao, if an all-out-war will be pushed through, there will be more displaced families and greater damage and loss of properties and lives would the immediate effect. “We can just imagine if we are going to launch an all-out-war against the MILF. There will be more displaced families and many lives and properties will surely be damaged. Let’s not think bloody. Let’s try to negotiate and talk peacefully so that we can achieve lasting peace here in Mindanao”, added Yambao. As of PRESS time, the GRP and MILF is still under the bonds of the peace process to resolve and put an end to the conflicts and clashes in the country particularly in Mindanao. The Sibugaynons also hope and pray that there would be an end to all the terrors and fears that lawless groups had created in the province in the past few years. The AFP and the PNP are also doing all the necessary means to regain the confidence and trust of the people and assured that peace and order will return to its normal status in Zamboanga Sibugay and everybody can sleep well at night and enjoy their day feeling safe and free from terror.