ZAMBOANGA CITY — The military and police here denied reports of internal cleansing and loyalty check among their ranks following President Rodrigo Duterte’s disclosure that a destabilization plot was being hatched against him. Besana made granted interview on Wednesday at the Regional Peace and Order Council meeting. “We are focused on [our] mission here in the Western Mindanao Command, especially because confronting terrorist groups like Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters [BIFF], the [remnants of the] Maute Group, Dawlah Al Islamiya and the Abu Sayyaf, remains in our hands,” he said. Lt. Col. Ezra Balagtey, speaking for the EastMinCom, said: “The Eastern Mindanao Command is solid and undivided as an organization. We shall remain loyal to the Constitution and chain of command amidst the political turmoil.”Balagtey said that, though some sectors had tried to drag the military into several political issues, they would remain “committed and focused” in their task.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 12, 2018 09:29 UTC