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Monday, April 16, 2007
Marines capture Moro camp
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Government forces on Sunday assaulted and captured two camps of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Sulu in response to the atrocities committed by Moro fighters in the island province since Friday night.
Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) chief Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo ordered the offensive against the group of breakaway MNLF leader Habier Malik after the rebels stormed military camps beginning Friday night until early Saturday.
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Malik's group pounded with mortars and automatic weapons the camp of a Marines company in the town of Luuk and Army Special Operations Command in Talipao municipality beginning Friday night and sustained their attack until Saturday morning.
Two soldiers were killed while eight others were wounded during the attack.
Gun battle ensued on Saturday morning after the soldiers fought back in defense of the camps that rages until around noontime of the same day.
The rebels also pounded with mortars the town hall of Talipao that resulted to the death of a child and injured another who was living near the municipal hall.
The separate attacks prompted Cedo to order the Joint Task Force Comet (JTFC) to conduct military offensive against the group of Malik and neutralize the breakaway MNLF leader.
The JTFC was composed of Marines and Army forces that were pursuing the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists in Sulu.
Malik maintains a camp in Barangay Bitan-ag in the town of Panamao known as Camp Jabal Uhud and commands hundreds of armed MNLF followers.
The camp has a three-storey observation wooden tower making it easy for them to detect the arrival of strangers in the area. Fruit trees abound the camp.
Cedo said latest report from the field disclosed that Camp Jabal Uhod, the bastion of Malik, has been occupied by the JTFC troops.
Cedo said intermittent fighting are still ongoing but the main group of Malik is on the run and is being pursued by the government troops in the area.
No casualty report from both side were immediately available as fighting continue.
Cedo said the attacks on military camps are clear manifestation that the group of Malik does not recognize the other MNLF groups that are cooperating with the government in its campaign against the Abu Sayyaf Group.
This also proves reports that Malik's group is truly giving refuge to the Abu Sayyaf leaders in his area, which are often sighted and encountered near or within the Malik's sanctuary, according to Cedo.
Cedo said the people of Sulu particularly the populace of Panamao town condemned "these acts of Malik since even innocent civilians are not spared in their attack."
However, he said the government will continue to open dialogue with the MNLF and urge them to convince its forces to desist from launching aggressive attacks against the military troops and just assist in the fight against terrorism for the benefit of the whole Sulu province.
This will also deter the escalation of violence and prevent civilian casualties since these innocent civilians are the biggest victims of this incident who are forced to abandon their homes, Cedo said.
He directed his troops to help and assist all affected civilians in anyway they could to prevent any additional unwanted casualties.
Last February, Malik prevented National Capital Region Command (NCRCom) commander Ben Mohammad Dolorfino and several of his companions from leaving the captured camp after the military official held a dialogue with the MNLF.
The MNLF allowed Dolorfino's group to leave the camp two days later after getting the assurance that a tripartite meeting between MNLF, Organization of Islamic Conference and the government would push through in March.
The meeting, which was reset later this month, was aimed at assessing the peace agreement forged by the MNLF and the government in 1996. The MNLF has complained that the government has reneged on its commitment under the pact.
But Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said it was the MNLF, which violated the peace agreement when it attacked a Marine outpost in Jolo.
Ermita said the attack was unprovoked and the military does not even know the cause of such an attack.
He said all he knows is majority of the MNLF groups, including some of those identified with Misuari, are not involved. He said it is also still too early to seek the possible help of Misuari to convince Malik's group to cease their attacks because in the first place they do not even know if he is involved or had sanctioned the attack.
Ermita said they are still trying to get more details, but hoped that the attack is not aimed at pressuring the Philippine government into allowing Misuari to attend a tripartite meeting in Jeddah. He said Misuari's supporters should know that such action would reflect and may even hurt their leader.
For Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., the renewed clashes between government soldiers and MNLF rebels in Sulu could disrupt the May 14 elections unless it is stopped immediately.
Pimentel urged the government and military authorities to look into the cause of the latest outbreak of fighting between the soldiers and MNLF rebels to prevent their recurrence.
"Fighting in Patikul and other parts of Sulu is escalating. Parties to the conflict should abide by the peace agreement. Otherwise, war could lead to more loss of lives, sham elections or military control of Sulu," he said.
He said the outbreak of hostilities was unexpected and very unfortunate because Misuari, with whom Malik is identified, is running for government of Sulu. He said he has every reason to believe that an atmosphere of violence and fear in Sulu is the last thing that Misuari wanted because he is seeking the support of his province mates for his candidacy. (with reports from Ulysses Israel/VR/JMR/CPB/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (April 16, 2007 issue)
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