President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the continuation of the Abu Sayyaf track down operation amidst pleas from the Catholic Church and various concerned groups. The President has already given her word that the military offensive will go on and at the same time ordered the local governments and the police to be alert and extra vigilant as the military offensive in Mindanao might trigger the Muslim extremists to spread terror in other parts of the country.

In the President's opening statement during the meeting of the National Security Council, she said " We are not going to back down in the fight so that we can give justice to our Marines and to bring peace and progress to our country". "While we understand calls to stop the military offensives, we should also understand that our country won’t have security if we will not be able to give justice to our soldiers who died fighting for the Republic. Instead, the terrorists will be emboldened if they will not be made to pay for their criminal act against our heroic soldiers," She added further.

This statement was made by the President inspite of the pleas to end the military offensive. Among those who raised the plea were the Catholic Church where Basilan’s Catholic Bishop Martin Jumoad called the soldiers death as "a waste of life." The 59 House representatives form Mindanao also joined in the protest which they latter agreed to support only "selective operations" with the Abu Sayyaf as the main target.

"In our fight against enemies who threaten our peace and progress, it is important that we unite and not be swayed by those who seek to divide our Armed Forces and country through deceitful and false propaganda. Our only country is facing chaos. Let us not surrender her to our enemies who seek only to destroy and promote selfish interests", the President said.