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Tuesday, August 12, 2008
MILF rebels abandon 'occupied' villages
MANILA (Updated 3 p.m.) -- Muslim guerrillas began withdrawing from several occupied villages in North Cotabato Tuesday following fierce fighting with government troops that has displaced nearly 160,000 civilians, officials said.
Close to 3,000 government troops, backed by bomber aircrafts, regained control of two occupied villages in North Cotabato province Monday.
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Army and police on Tuesday found at least six abandoned villages from the 13 communities occupied by about 500 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels, Chief Superintendent Felizardo Serapio said.
The fierce exchanges of artillery and machine gunfire that began with Sunday's government assault have eased, but the crackle of gunfire could still be heard in some areas, Serapio said.
Troops and police, along with some residents, returned to some of the abandoned villages to check for booby traps and land mines. They found burned-out homes and looted farms, raising questions on how quickly the burgeoning number of evacuees could return to normal lives.
"There are already withdrawals in some of the areas of concern," Serapio added.
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130T flee homes in Central Mindanao
As of Tuesday, government officials have said they have enough food and other supplies for the displaced. Senator Richard Gordon, head of the Philippine Red Cross, said he has asked for more information about the needs of the refugees.
The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) has also started airlifting about 400 tons of food to the affected villages.
The UN’s WFP said the 400 tons of rice airlifted to North Cotabato is in response to the Provincial Government’s request.
The rice will be distributed to at least 43 government evacuation centers in North Cotabato.
Television footage Tuesday showed residents hastily fleeing their homes after hearing gunfire, leading precious water buffaloes but carrying few other belongings.
Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno blamed the MILF guerrillas for refusing to leave villages they began occupying last month in the province of North Cotabato and forcing residents to abandon their farmlands at harvest time.
The government gave the rebels an ultimatum to withdraw by Friday, then started pounding guerrilla positions with artillery fire and helicopter gunships Sunday when they failed to do so. Government figures showed 83 homes had been destroyed.
The latest flare-up in fighting in Mindanao comes at a crucial time in ongoing peace talks between the government and the MILF, who have been waging a bloody insurgency for self-rule for decades.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said the guerrillas were "repositioning" Tuesday in line with a Friday agreement with the government. But he said the pace of the pullout depended on army troops ceasing fire.
"They're repositioning to a place safe and far enough to prevent exchanges of gunfire from both sides," Kabalu said.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported 159,123 people fled their homes in 56 villages in the province. Kabalu said most of those in 40 government-run evacuation centers were Christians, while Moro residents tended to stay with relatives.
Kabalu lamented the high number of refugees, but called the situation "a product of war."
"But who wants a conflict like this?" Kabalu said, adding that the rebels did not want to prolong the suffering of civilians.
The Philippine government and the MILF, which signed a 2003 cease-fire, had reached an agreement covering the territorial makeup of a future expanded Muslim region, but the signing of the accord was halted last week by the Supreme Court (SC).
The court was acting on a petition filed by southern Christian politicians who are wary of losing land and power to Muslims.
North Cotabato, an agricultural province of more than 1 million people, is still recovering from Typhoon Fung Wong, which ravaged farmlands last month. (AP/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Baguio. (August 12, 2008 issue)
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