Update in Mantangule Island, Balabac Incident as of 191000H

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

Reports sent to Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez, Navy Flag Officer In-Command by Commodore Orwen Cortez, Commander, Naval Forces West indicate that the fleet-marine operations led by the ground component commander Marine Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Pesigan was constrained to attack the MNLF group of Abdullah Abdurajak that is holed in the mosque they occupied in Sitio Marabon, Mantangule, Balabac, Palawan.

The enemy failed to surrender before sundown per ultimatum given by LTC Pesigan to Haji Sukarno Jamal, the emissary of the surrender filler. The Navy SEAL and Marine Teams under the orders of Commo Cortez launched a surgical assault on the MNLF group midnight of 18 August 09.

Sporadic firefighting that started 7am, 19 August 2009 ongoing. Two dead with firearms (one dead body already recovered) and two men captured from the marauders. Navy ships of Naval Task Group 41.5 under Commander Alberto Cruz are now patrolling the seas to pre-empt the enemy from escaping.

VADM Golez: “We will pursue the operation until its rapid conclusion and restore the rule of law in the island. We will get these marauders and kidnappers who are now shooting it out with our fleet-marine personnel.”