ISABELA CITY, Basilan – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has continued to assist hundreds of
displaced Filipinos from Sabah who are fleeing from the ongoing tension there.
Col Rodrigo T. Gregorio GSC (INF),
Commander PIO of Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) disclosed in a press
release that on March 29, 2013, another set of displaced persons from Sabah
arrived in Zamboanga City aboard a Philippine Navy vessel, BRP Apolinario
Mabini.
With direct instruction from WesMinCom,
the said vessel picked up the 128 DPS (displaced persons from Sabah) at
Taganak, Tawi-Tawi last March 28 and proceeded to Jolo Pier in Sulu to drop the
55 of the 128 DPS who came from the said province.
Then from Jolo Pier, BRP Apolinario
Mabini set out towards Zamboanga City to ferry the remaining 73 DPS and at
around 12:40 p.m. of the same day the Apolinario Mabini arrived at Ensign
Majini Pier, Naval Station Romulo Espaldon, Lower Calarian, Zamboanga City.
Gregorio said upon the arrival of
the DPS at Ensign Majini Pier, personnel from the Crisis Management Committee
(CMC) BASULTA (Basilan-Sulu-Tawi-Tawi) were already in the area. The DPS were
then transported to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
Processing Center at Bargangay Talon-Talon in this city where they would be
documented for proper identification.
Since the tension started in Sabah,
hundreds of Filipinos fled and arrived in Zamboanga in batches. The displaced
Filipinos are mostly from Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. These provinces have
also set up crisis management teams to receive, document, and assist returning
Filipinos.
The AFP through the WesMinCom has
been ready to provide necessary assistance to those who have been affected by the
Sabah crisis, exhausting all its resources, from transportation to manpower to
ensure that proper assistance is being provided to DPS.
Team Basilan has also been leading the reception and
assistance of returning Basileños. The provincial and local governments,
together with the local social welfare personnel and the 104th
Sultan” Brigade have provided meals, relief goods, and transportation to the
displaced persons. A staff from Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) is also around to encourage displaced Filipinos to enroll in
its livelihood skills training program. (PIA9)