MILF protests military, police raid of rebel camp in Zamboanga Norte

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, Philippines – Moro rebels protested Monday after government security forces raided their camp over the weekend, leaving one combatant dead.

The encounter on Saturday dawn in the town of Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte province happened while members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s 113th Base Command were performing prayers and fasting.

Von Al Haq, spokesperson for the MILF, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that soldiers under 44th Battalion and policemen, with helicopter gunship support, attacked their fighters’ position in the village of Lakiki.

Heavy fighting ensued until in the afternoon, leaving one MILF combatant dead, Al haq said.

“There was an attack staged by the military against our men. This is a clear violation of our ceasefire agreement. This is a serious concern and might affect the talks,” Al haq said.

“We already filed a protest. If both government and our ceasefire committee can’t resolve the problem within their level, it will be elevated to the peace panels. If government was trying to serve an arrest warrant with our men, they should have coordinated with our ceasefire committee,” he added.

Al Haq said the Sibuco clash was similar to a 2003 case in North Cotabato wherein their fighters were observing the last day of their fasting when government troops launched an offensive against them.

Lt. Col. Randolph Cababang, spokesperson of the military’s Western Mindanao Command, denied any violation in the ceasefire truce with the MILF.

“It’s a police operation. Cops were supposed to serve an arrest warrant. They requested for military back up. We provided but when the warrant was about to be served, there was a resistance,” Cabangbang told the Inquirer by phone.

“There’s no violation of the ceasefire. It’s a police matter and cops were not required to coordinate any of their movement,” he added.