JOLO, Philippine, 6 March 2005 — A day after turning down suggestions of a formal truce with rebels in Jolo, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday stepped up relief and rehabilitation operations in a bid to win the support of the troubled island’s population.

Food relief and clothing poured into the southern island of Jolo yesterday, with Arroyo’s peace adviser Teresita Deles personally supervising aid distribution to civilians displaced by weeks of fighting last month.

“Rehabilitation projects, estimated to cost about 23 million pesos, are underway in Jolo and we are going to start rebuilding the roads and schools, and mosques and a lot of other things and we will bring peace to the people of this beautiful island,” she told Arab News.

The amount is on top of more than P50-million worth of aid from private foundation Peace and Prosperity for the Philippines (PPP), run by Italian executive Armando de Rossi, who has been living in the Philippines the past three decades.

De Rossi, also president of the CMC di Ravenna (Asia), Inc., who accompanied Deles, already donated more than 1,000 bags of rice and relief goods, including medicines, to refugees in Jolo.

Social workers said more than 48,000 people in 10 of 18 towns in Jolo were displaced by the fighting between government soldiers and gunmen loyal to detained ex-rebel leader Nur Misuari, who is facing rebellion charges in Manila.

“All we want to do is to help the Filipino people, especially those who are now at the different government shelters in Jolo. I’ve been living in the Philippines the past thirty years, I love this country and we will continue to help the poor people,” de Rossi said in a separate interview.

He said he contacted his friends from around the world to raise some P50-million to help finance the rehabilitation efforts in Jolo. “We are going to bring here a lot of aid, a lot of help from different people, to buy food and medicines, hospital equipment, to fund the building of mosques, of potable water system, of school rooms and more,” de Rossi said.

He also said that most of the money would come from his own pockets. “Helping other people is the most important thing for me, money is just a tool to help those who have less in life,” de Rossi said.

An air force C130 transport plane arrived in Jolo yesterday, bringing tons of relief goods that were distributed to hungry refugees in Panamao town, scene of the bloody gunbattle between security and rebels forces.

Another Arroyo aide, Jesus Dureza, and Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza also joined Deles’ group in inspecting different refugee centers in Panamao town. They held a dialogue with local leaders.

“We assured the people that government would help them and we are doing everything we can to bring more developments in Jolo,” Dureza said.

Braganza said while security forces were hunting down the rebels, the soldiers will also help in the government’s rehabilitation efforts. “All we ask is for everyone to do their share. Help us maintain peace and order so that the government can pursue development and humanitarian projects in Jolo,” Braganza said.

President Arroyo on Friday rejected proposals for a cease-fire in Jolo and ordered the military to hunt down members of the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group and Misuari’s followers led by Habier Malik.

Malik’s men launched simultaneous attacks on military posts in Jolo on Feb. 7, triggering clashes that left more than 100 rebels and 30 government soldiers dead.

Malik said the attacks were to avenge the killing of a Muslim couple and their 14-year old son by soldiers chasing Abu Sayyaf militants.

The military claimed that the rebels had planned the attacks to force the government to free Misuari, who is in a police jail outside of Manila.