Balabac Incident

LIEUTENANT COLONEL EDGARD A AREVALO PN(M)
Director, Naval Public Affairs Office

Philippine Navy patrol vessels and gunboats are now patrolling the seas off Balabac Island in Palawan to prevent the MNLFs from escaping.

Teams from Naval Special Operations Group (SEALs), platoons of Marines from MBLT 8, and PNP personnel deploy to counteract the group led by the group by Pa Guro that reportedly occupied a mosque at Marabon Island Balabac Saturday, 14 August 2009 terrorizing the people to flee their homes.

We will not allow lawless elements to sow panic and cause havoc to helpless civilians and law enforcement action directed against the group of Pa Guro who reportedly extorts money from the residents in the island defines the role of the navy in projecting naval power from the ship to the shore to strike against lawless elements preying on civilians.

Philippine Navy has to dislodge and stop Pa Guro’s group now dugged-in the island anticipating confrontation with government forces.