Friday, January 11, 2008 MILF presence stirs Lanao Norte town By Lino dela Cruz Iligan Correspondent
KAUSWAGAN, Lanao del Norte -- Tension gripped this town Tuesday as news spread that a band of suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants is poised to harass civilians.
Town Mayor Yasser Sampurna said the police and the military have beefed up their forces for any eventuality. At least four 6 x 6 military trucks carrying soldiers have arrived here to augment the police force.
Mayor Sampurna said the local government will not let the incident in 2000 happen again where the MILF led by Abdulrahman Macapaar, alias commander Bravo, took over the municipal hall without firing a shot.
Hundreds of civilians have evacuated to safer places, according to the town police.
The incident in 2000 triggered the armed conflict between government and MILF forces, which constrained former president Joseph Estrada to declare an "all out war" against the MILF.
After most of the MILF camps all over Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, including its main Camp Abubakar in Maguindanao were seized by the military, in 2000,the MILF and government peace negotiators went back to the negotiating table and established a ceasefire agreement which is still in effect until today even as the peace negotiations were stalled over the issue of ancestral domain.
Last January 2, a transmission tower of the Transmission Company (Transco) located at Tinging-tingin, this town was bombed by a still unidentified group.
Another transmission tower in Ditsaan-Ramain, Lanao del Sur was bombed by still another unidentified group of armed men.
Transco department head Engineer Avelino Dawis did not identify the suspected groups, but said the cost of repairs will amount to at least P1.2 million and repair works will take at least one week.
The military has provided security to the Transco personnel while the repairs are being done.
