Moro rebels stand ground; Air Force bombs hideouts
By Nikko Dizon, Tarra Quismundo, Allison Lopez
Mindanao Bureau, Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:10:00 08/12/2008
Filed Under: Mindanao peace process, The Southern Campaign, Armed conflict
COTABATO CITY—Marauding bands of Moro rebels Monday occupied portions of a highway in North Cotabato province, stopping passenger buses, while other guerrillas raised their own flags to signify their goal of independence, as peacekeepers struggled to end fighting that has left 13 people dead.
For the second straight day, Philippine Air Force attack aircraft swept into action, pummeling suspected rebel hideouts with rockets and 260-lb and 500-lb bombs, a PAF official said.
In one area, fighting spilled over to the marshes, the military said.
The Armed Forces deputy chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna, claimed government forces had “liberated” seven barangays (villages) but the guerrillas—whom Cardozo called “a marauding breakaway MILF group” led by commander Umbra Kato—continued to resist elsewhere.
In Congress, South Cotabato Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio said she had received “credible reports” that the MILF was offering as much as P10,000 and identification cards to prospective recruits in her district.
Speaking to reporters in Camp Aguinaldo by phone, Luna said there was fighting both on land and in marshes and that soldiers had to use pumpboats because the marshlands were flooded.
“They are resisting heavily. They would like to make it firm to themselves that they should [have] those lands,” Luna said.
But Luna was confident that the resistance of Kato’s men numbering about 500 would “not last.” He expressed doubts about their ability to replenish their supplies, including ammunition.
“We want to resolve this as early as possible. We don’t want to count days … We won’t give a deadline. The earlier we finish this, the better,” Luna said.
Rebels digging in
Fighting over several days has so far resulted in 13 dead, according to reports from military and local officials. They included one soldier, two militiamen, three civilians and seven rebels. Witnesses earlier said they saw three soldiers dead in one area but this was not confirmed.
“The fighting has been continuous. We expect them to hold their ground,” Lt. Diosdado Carreon, commander of the 40th Infantry Battalion in North Cotabato, told reporters.
Luna said Baliki village in Midsayap, Dualing and Dungguan in Aleosan, Kolambog in Pikit and three villages in Pigcawayan town “were liberated already but were still being cleared of possible booby-traps.”
North Cotabato Gov. Jesus Sacdalan said while some areas were considered liberated, clashes broke out in other villages, such as in Takepan and Dalingaoen, in Pikit town.
Highway occupied
Sacdalan said the fighting in Pikit started after a rebel band occupied portions of the Cotabato-Davao highway and harassed commuters.
Susan Valencia, 27, a bus passenger, said about 10 gunmen blocked their vehicle and ordered the driver not to proceed.
“One bus attempted to proceed but was fired upon by the rebels,” she said.
“The exchange of gunfire has placed the Cotabato-Davao highway perilous to motorists,” Luna said, adding the military had shut down traffic in the portion of highway where skirmishes were taking place.
Air strikes called in
Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesperson of the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom), said the military again launched air strikes to flush out the rebels occupying areas of Takepan and Dalingaoen.
“Our troops on the ground asked for the air support to drive away the rebels because they were too near the highway,” he said.
Later in the day, soldiers and policemen on armored personnel carriers escorted at least eight buses through the highway.
Luna said unless the highway was cleared of the rebels, no traffic would be allowed on the Takepan and Dalingaoen portions.
Emergency meeting
Ghazali Jaafar, MILF political affairs chief, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone that members of the ceasefire committee, including the Malaysian-led international monitoring team, held an emergency meeting to try and resolve the crisis.
“We are not going to war. We are giving primacy to the peace talks,” Jaafar said.
He said it appeared Kato was only waiting for the deployment of the Joint Monitoring Action Team (JMAT) of peacekeepers before withdrawing completely.
PAF bombers and attack helicopters dropped rockets and bombs on rebel positions in a combined 20 flying hours of air strikes, according to a senior official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the information.
Altogether, OV-10 Broncos, MG-520 attack helicopters and SF-260 propeller planes delivered 20 rockets and 260-pound and 500-pound bombs on suspected MILF positions.
Mounted 50-cal. machine guns also fired several rounds to identified targets, said the official in a late afternoon update.
He said there had yet to be “an official report of casualties/damages incurred against the enemies.”
MILF flags hoisted
Bolstering air power in Mindanao, the PAF also sent additional bomber planes and night-capable helicopters to North Cotabato Monday.
The 15th Strike Wing in Sangley Point, Cavite, sent two more OV-10 Bronco bombers to the battle area while the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing in Mactan sent two additional night-capable UH-1H choppers to augment four Hueys already on site.
The night-capable Hueys are not equipped for bombing missions but may undertake night-time troop transport, evacuation, supply and reconnaissance.
In a press conference in Manila, North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Pinol said MILF guerrillas in some parts of his province were seen raising their flags.
“Initially, we did not pay attention to those flags. Now, we are interpreting that as a prelude to their declaration of independence...and self-reliance,” he said.
Pinol called for the creation of a commission composed of various Mindanao stakeholders to review the stalled government peace deal with the MILF calling for the establishment of an independent Bangsamoro homeland in the south.
Antonino said the reported MILF recruitment was taking places in areas where the guerrillas had no influence.
“[Potential recruits] are being given IDs and being offered P10,000 … I believe these are credible reports at this point. I’m having them verified,” she said. Reports from Edwin Fernandez, Charlie Señase, Jeoffrey Maitem and Nash Maulana, Inquirer Mindanao, and Norman Bordadora in Manila
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