Defense chief Lorenzana 'losing sleep' over Abu Sayyaf

Terrorists, drug lords, communist insurgents, an intrusive neighbor and rumored destabilization plots — these occupy the mind of the country's defense chief.

But what's leaving him on edge are the bandits — members of the Abu Sayyaf group — down south.

"The problem in the Southern Philippines, piracy and kidnapping, is actually giving me, personally, a headache. Sometimes I could not sleep at night thinking about how to solve the problem there," said Delfin Lorenzana, Secretary of National Defense.

"Kidnapping has not abated. When the President was inaugurated on June 30, there were only 18 hostages being held by the Abu Sayyaf. Now, there are 31. So dumami pa [it has increased]," Lorenzana added. "It's very embarrassing to the whole world."

Just last week, Abu Sayyaf bandits beheaded a German hostage, Juergen Kantner.

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Speaking to reporters and alumni at the National Defense College of the Philippines, Lorenzana said he hopes to "solve the Abu Sayyaf problem" by June, adding he is willing to give the Armed Forces a two-month leeway.

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Secure sea lane

Lorenzana said the Department of National Defense (DND) is working with its counterparts from Indonesia and Malaysia to drive out pirates and kidnappers from the waters around Western Mindanao and Borneo Island — where the bandit group had been attacking and abducting victims.

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The Armed Forces is planning to set up a permanent station on Jolo Island in hopes of driving bandits away for good. Lorenzana said a task force will be formed to guard the area using fast seacraft and drones.

In April or May, navies of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia plan to begin joint patrols in the waters in and around Sibutu Passage. Their goal is to create a secure sea lane for civilian vessels.

Lorenzana admitted that beating the Abu Sayyaf may be a long shot "but we are doing a lot of things within our power," he added.

Chinese ships spotted

But bandits are not the only problem out at sea.

Lorenzana revealed that, from July to December 2016, marine patrols spotted Chinese survey ships in the areas of Recto Bank and Benham Rise.

Recto Bank lies 80 nautical miles northwest of Palawan. It lies within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, as affirmed by the arbitral ruling on Manila's maritime case against Beijing.

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Benham Rise lies 135 nautical miles east of Aurora, near the Philippine Trench. The United Nations declared it part of Philippine territory in 2012.

Both Recto Bank and Benham Rise are thought to be rich in minerals, natural gas and oil — not to mention marine life.

Lorenzana said the Chinese may have been eyeing Benham Rise as a passage for their submarines.

'Keep protesting'

"The thing here is we should protest," Lorenzana said, referring to notes verbales, a way of diplomatically protesting another country's actions in one's territory.