MANILA: The government has spent at least P150m ($3.4m) to bankroll security operations in Zamboanga City, a military official said yesterday.
Armed Forces Vice Chief of Staff Lt Gen Alan Luga said among the items funded by the amount were fuel, medicines and food of soldiers.
“Maybe fuel accounted for more than 50 percent (of the expenses). The rest were medicines, hospitalization of those who were wounded and additional food,” Luga said in Filipino. “It was expensive because of the fuel costs involved in the flight of the C-130s,” he added.
The figure covered the operations conducted since the start of the Zamboanga crisis September 9. However, Luga said some items have yet to be accounted for since the clearing operations are still underway. The clearing operations were meant to remove explosives and to ferret out stragglers to ensure the safety of residents.
Luga, nevertheless, believes they were able to maximize the resources given to them. He said the use of military aircraft entailed less costs compared to taking chartered commercial flights.
The Zamboanga City crisis started last September 9 after followers of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founder Nur Misuari tried to hoist their flag at the city hall.
The move came weeks after Misuari declared independence from the Philippines in Talipao, Sulu and declared himself head of what he called the “Bangsamoro Republik.”
The Philippine star
