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Friday, July 20, 2007
Military: MILF has until Sunday to surrender killers
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The military has given the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) until Sunday to turn in its fighters who were responsible for the brutal killings of 14 Marine troopers in Basilan.
Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) chief Eugenio Cedo gave the ultimatum on July 15.
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They will not, however, launch an all-out war against the MILF if it would not comply with the June 22 deadline, said AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr.
Esperon said they came up with 10 options on how to go after those behind the brutal killings and an all-out war was considered a last option.
Of the 14 Marine troops killed in a clash with MILF rebels last July 10 in the town of Al-Barka, 10 were beheaded. Nine other Marines were wounded.
The military said the gun battle occurred when the Marines were ambushed by MILF rebels allegedly backed by Abu Sayyaf gunmen while the soldiers were returning to their base after checking a reported sighting of kidnapped Italian priest Fr. Giancarlo Bossi in the town of Tipo-Tipo.
The MILF claimed it was their forces that clashed with the Marine troops, saying the soldiers entered their area without prior coordination, which is a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Esperon said that even the pending peace talks between the government and MILF would not stop their determination to punish the perpetrators of the brutal killings of Marine troopers.
"Punishing the perpetrators of the barbaric act may not fall within the ambit of the peace process and so we will exercise our options when there is a need too," he told reporters.
Esperon met in Basilan Wednesday with top military officials, and the meeting was part of his quarterly command conference with field commanders.
The MILF said it would defend itself in Basilan in the face of a major offensive by government forces. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (July 20, 2007 issue)
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