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Military says over 1,000 rebels killed

Sunday, July 5, 2009
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MANILA -- More than 1,000 Muslim separatist guerrillas have been killed in fighting in the southern Philippines over the past year, the military said Saturday.

The government itself lost "more or less 30" soldiers in clashes since peace talks collapsed in August, said Colonel Jonathan Ponce, spokesman for the military's 6th Infantry Division, which is involved in the operation against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

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He disputed a report by the rebels earlier this week that more than 500 soldiers have been killed during that period. The rebels also said 20 guerrillas, 20 pro-government militiamen, and 20 civilians have been killed.

"We would not have released [the rebel casualty figures] if they had not claimed that more than 500 of our soldiers have been killed," Ponce said.

The rebels have been fighting for Muslim self-rule in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation's south for nearly four decades.

Both sides have largely respected a 2003 truce, but major gun battles resumed after the Supreme Court (SC) ruled in August to scrap a preliminary peace deal that would have expanded an autonomous Muslim region in Mindanao.

There are no reliable independent casualty counts, but estimates of deaths in fighting since the rebellion began in the early 1970s ranged as high as 120,000.

Ponce said troops have recovered about 240 bodies of guerrillas, and the rest of the casualty figures were taken from operational and intelligence reports, which usually include accounts by civilians who see the dead rebels.

Most the rebel casualties were in their 20s, but some were as young as 14 or 15, he said.

"We have enough proof ... we even have videos," he said. But he said the military did not want to show the footage because it might offend and anger Muslims.

Mohagher Iqbal, who was the chief rebel peace negotiator, denied the front lost that many fighters.

"Well, it's up to them," he said. "We cannot prevent them from putting out their figures." (AP)


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Feedback: Your views and reactions

How would the MILF know how

Submitted by Lotlot Aguilar (not verified) on Sun, 07/05/2009 - 19:30.

How would the MILF know how many of its followers died during the encounter when it buries its dead immediately, as a matter of custom.

How can we believe the MILF that in case there are bombings of churchgoers, the same as what had just happened in Cotabato City, it is not its people who did those.

Well, if the rogue MILF commanders, their commanders, who attacked the civilian population in North Cotabato, Saranggani, and Lanao del Norte, whom they admitted as theirs, I believed they are of the same faith, then one would really ask the MILF hierarchy, what is it fighting for? Well, they always say this is not a religious war, but look and analyze, those killed at a church in Cotabato City, those killed during their mayhem in August 2008, etc. etc., who are they really targeting? Simply, Christians!

They are legitimate targets because they are "infidels". Government forces don't do that, killing innocent civilians. Some casualties of war are admittedly civilians, again simple explanation. If the families of the combatants don't live with MILF combatants, they would not be casualties of war, but because it is comfortable for the MILF combatants to be with them, use them as human shield, be a good escape route by mixing with them when being cornered, they do this "inhuman" act of war and when "civilian" casualties occurred, they could easily claim that the military is targeting the civilian population. This is an old old story.

Most of those IDPs are children and women. Where are the men? Again, without much thinking, they are fighting their so called rebellion. But because it is the policy of the Philippine government not to discriminate because of race or religion, even when the government knew all along that their husbands or uncles are in rebellion, they still do take care of the IDPs.

Why on earth have foreign terrorists not been apprehended? Again, it is easy explanation. Without being harbored by the MILF and other group such as the Abu Sayyaf, these foreign terrorists could have been neutralized a long time ago. Of course, the MILF could easily blame the Abu Sayyaf, but is the difference anyway between the two? I believe the MILF has almost crossed the definition of a "terrorist" organization and within a short period of time, it'll be in the same category if it doesn't stop killing innocent people, simply because they have different faith as as the MILF.

Just to remind the MILF, this is not a religious war. Why target churches? Why "deliberately" kill innocent civilians? Why not "discipline" your insubordinate commanders who pillaged and, without respect for human lives, killed those in the three provinces in August last year? If the MILF hierarchy is not able to control its followers, then it is simply because it is merely a bunch of ragtags without any direction or good intention.

Come to your senses! You have so much blood in your hand and I believed this does not please God Almighty!

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