NAGA CITY - Vice President Leni Robredo said she supports the deployment of more troops in areas affected by insurgency but also called on the government to take a deeper look at the causes of insurrection.

"Kung ang pagbabasehan 'yung sunod-sunod na ambush dito sa ating mga kapulisan at sundalo, 'yung MO [memorandum order 32] na ipinahayag, malaking bagay 'yung augmentation," Robredo said.

(If we'll base it on the series of ambushes here against soldiers and policemen, the memorandum order released on the augmentation of troops is a big deal.)

The Vice President made the remarks on Saturday after visiting 2 of the 7 police officers wounded in an ambush in the town of Libmanan, Camarines Sur last week.

• Palace deploys more troops to Bicol, Samar, Negros provinces to suppress 'lawless violence'

But Robredo said the government also needs to take a deeper look at the reasons why insurgency is again gaining strength.

"Ang pinaka-tanong: bakit ba lumakas ulit ang insurgency? Dahil ba ito naghihirap ulit yung mga tao? O dahil sa mas marami pang dahilan para mag-alsa laban sa pamahalaan," she said.

(The question is: why is insurgency gaining strength again? It is because people are suffering again? Or are there more reasons for people to rise up against the government?)

"Okay 'yung [troop] augmentation, pero dapat hindi siya hihinto dun at tingnan bakit bumalik naman tayo sa sitwasyon na to," the Vice President added.

(Augmenting troops is okay, but it shouldn't stop there, and we should look at the reasons why we are back in this situation.)

Robredo said the government needs to allay fears about martial law being declared in the affected provinces.

"Siguro yung red flag kasi dito yung paggamit ng term na lawless violence, kasi yung lawless violence isa sa mga sandigan ng deklarasyon ng Martial law," she said.

(Perhaps the red flag here is the use of the term lawless violence because lawless violence is one of the justifications for declaring Martial Law.)

Members of the opposition and a left-leaning human rights group meanwhile have questioned the palace order on further troops deployments.

--report fro Mylce Mella, ABS-CBN News