Thursday, June 15, 2006
MILF denies involvement in South Cotabato raid
By Al Jacinto
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila, denied Wednesday that it was behind the raid on a military post in South Cotabato province in the main island of Mindanao.
Von Al-Haq, the chairman of the MILF's Coordinating Committee on Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), said rebel forces were not involved in the weekend attack after Philippine media reported that guerrillas raided an army detachment manned by government militiamen in Tupi town.
Security officials in Manila tagged the MILF as behind the attack, but the military's Southern Command in Zamboanga City said lawless elements were responsible for the raid in the province, a known rebel stronghold. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
"More or less 40 lawless elements, armed with assorted high-powered firearms, harassed the detachment. The firefight lasted for almost 15 minutes. The enemies retreated and troops were scouring the area. There were no reports of casualties on both sides," said Captain Jose Ritche Pabilonia, a spokesman for the Southern Command.
Al-Haq said gunmen attacked the detachment after a soldier slapped a 14-year-old Muslim boy, Morsed Sampulna, who was arrested on suspicion of stealing pineapples inside the Dole plantation in the village of Sumbakil on Saturday.
The boy was later freed by soldiers, but was told to bring his relatives if they wanted revenge. "It is not a firefight between MILF and government forces, but the direct offshoot of this slapping incident," Al-Haq said.
The MILF identified the soldier only by his rank and surname as Sergeant Ulalisan, of the Philippine Army, who is among those assigned to guard the vast pineapple plantation.
It was the first time the MILF has publicly denied involvement in the raid.
Fighting between rebels and government militiamen are common in the southern Philippines, especially in areas where the MILF is strong, but many of the clashes were triggered by family or clan feud. Many militias were also acting as bodyguards of politicians and wealthy traders in the restive region.
Manila opened peace talks with the MILF in 2001, but despite the truce, rebel and security forces still clashed, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire. The MILF is fighting for a separate Islamic state in Mindanao, home to about four million Muslims. (Sun.Star Zamboanga/Sunnex)
(June 15, 2006 issue)
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