By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 03:09pm (Mla time) 08/12/2007
JOLO, Philippines--General Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, said an assessment has uncovered "lapses" that led to a Thursday morning ambush by Moro rebels that left 10 government soldiers dead.
Esperon said no road security was provided for the 11 soldiers from the 33th Infantry Battalion, who were waylaid in Maimbung town while transporting supplies to Jolo.
"There were lapses in the ambush. That means you are not 100-percent OK," he said Sunday.
"You will really lose in an ambush. So we are looking at lapses, what caused the ambush. There could be lapses," he said.
Esperon commended troops who engaged Abu Sayyaf bandits and rogue Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members in three firefights on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
"We are satisfied with the results of the three encounters," he said.
"We commend the troops for their accomplishment. There were many casualties but the Armed Forces had the upper hand. The important thing is they caught up with enemy successive times," he said.
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