COTABATO CITY—Residents of at least four villages in Kabuntalan, Maguindanao, have been fleeing their homes at the sight of heavily armed Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels since last week, the town’s mayor said on Tuesday.
Mayor Salaban Diocolano said residents of Liong, Maitong, Matilak and Pened fear renewed clashes between soldiers and the rebels, and decided to leave their homes for safer areas.
Diocolano said local officials had asked the residents to return home because the rebels were there “to hunt down suspected kidnappers.”
“I was told by the MILF hierarchy that their armed members were out to operate against kidnappers,” Diocolano said.
Kabuntalan had been identified as a haven of armed men, who had seized several prominent persons from this city in recent months.
These included the group that seized Jinky Yap, a grocery store owner here, on April 1.
Yap was released in Kabuntalan by her kidnappers as soldiers and MILF rebels, who had operated under an agreement, were closing in on their hideaway.
Diocolano said the new MILF operation in Kabuntalan started after the May 24 release of Maguindanao trader Angelina Soken Chew-Mantigue by her kidnappers there.
“Residents there should not be alarmed. This is our continuing effort to run after suspects in the Mantigue abduction,” said Eid Kabalu, MILF civil-military affairs chief.