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Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Military probes death of civilians in Sulu clash
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- A top military official has ordered an investigation into the reported death of civilians caught in the crossfire of Monday's clash between government troops and al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf bandits in Sulu.
At least seven civilians, including four children aged 4 to 17, were killed during Monday's military operation against the Sayyaf group, officials said Tuesday.
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Sulu provincial Governor Sakur Tan said an off-duty soldier was also killed in the clash.
"Two of the four children were among four members of a family who were shot as they fled in the dark on a boat after hearing gunfire," said Tan.
Tan also said the victims' families claimed they were killed before dawn Monday by soldiers searching for Abu Sayyaf militants who had abducted a businesswoman last week.
According to Tan, the soldier with the civilians was on a furlough and was allegedly tied up and shot by troops from elite US-trained army and navy counter terrorism units.
Lieutenant General Nelson Allaga, chief of the military's Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), ordered Westmincom Inspector General Fred Llosa to proceed to Sulu and spearhead the investigation on the incident.
The Westmincom said in a statement that two soldiers and three Abu Sayyaf bandits were killed while five others, including a junior officer, were wounded in the clash that lasted for about an hour.
The clash ensued when government troops spotted the bandits in the village of Ipil, Maimbung town at around 2:55 a.m. The soldiers were in the area to run after the abductors of a rice trader.
Before the clash, the Joint Task Force Comet (JTFC) received a report that Jolo rice trader Maria Rosalie Lao was being held in the area by the bandit group led by Dr. Abu Pula.
Lao, 58, was seized by five bandits around 4:45 p.m. of January 28 near her residence in Kakuyagan village, Jolo, the capital of Sulu province.
With this development, the JTFC took advantage of the cover of darkness and immediately organized available troops to go after the terror group and rescue the kidnap victim.
Allaga, however, later received reports that seven civilians and a soldier on leave were found dead, while several others were reported missing after the fighting stopped.
Allaga said the Westmincom remains steadfast in its duty of maintaining peace and security for all the people of Western Mindanao.
"The AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) adheres at all times to the rules of engagement not to put any unarmed civilians in danger during firefights and encounters," he said.
The commanders on the ground maintain that the encounter in Ipil, Maimbung, Sulu was a legitimate one. The Abu Sayyaf bandits even suffered casualties.
The JTFC headed by Major General Ruben Rafael reported there was an ongoing rido (clan feud) between two warring families in the area and the encounter and exchange of fires could have triggered the volatile situation between the families.
The encounter and the killing of civilians may have been two different incidents taking place simultaneously, the JTFC reported.
Governor Tan meanwhile condemned the incident. "We condemn in the strongest terms this act of barbarism ... and those responsible should be held to account," he said.
Tan also said he ordered the Philippine flag flown at half-mast to mourn the death of the civilians.
The Provincial Government also plans to seek an investigation of the incident by Congress and the Commission on Human Rights, he said. (With AP/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (February 6, 2008 issue)
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