MANILA, Philippines–Fighting between government troops and Moro rebels in Maguindanao province on Friday forced the cancellation of a justice department inspection of the site of a clash between police commandos and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas on Jan. 25.
A party led by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima arrived at the headquarters of the Philippine Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade in Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat province, Friday morning and was set to proceed to Mamasapano, Maguindanao, site of the clash that left 44 Philippine National Police Special Action Force (SAF) commandos, 18 MILF guerrillas, and five civilians dead.
But Col. Melquiades Feliciano, the brigade commander, advised De Lima not to proceed to Mamasapano as there was heavy fighting between Army troops and rebels of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) near the area.
De Lima was reluctant to back out, as the Department of Justice had a deadline to meet in its investigation of the Mamasapano clash, but was eventually convinced by Feliciano that it was unsafe to proceed.
“We will defer to the advice of Colonel Feliciano,” De Lima told reporters later.
De Lima also wanted her party to stay, hoping it would be safe to proceed to Mamasapano Saturday.
But Feliciano advised her against staying, as heavy fighting was going on between the government troops and the BIFF rebels.
He said that although the fighting was outside the Mamasapano clash site, it was on the route of De Lima’s convoy.
“Withdrawing enemies might run into the convoy,” Feliciano said.
De Lima’s group included state prosecutors and National Bureau of Investigation agents.
Interviewing witnesses
Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, a member of the team, said even the joint government-MILF ceasefire committee could not enter the area to clear the way for the DOJ inspection.
“So without [the joint committee], obviously, we do not have access,” Navera said.
Navera said the team would spend the day interviewing witnesses to the Jan. 25 clash.
The group planned to return to Manila Saturday, but will try to proceed with the inspection if the situation improves, he said.
“We’ll be planning, and assuming that we don’t push through tomorrow (Saturday), we’ll be planning when we will be able to go back,” he said.
Not indispensable
Navera said the DOJ investigation could still be completed even without the inspection.
“The site inspection is only good for us to visualize the area, to appreciate the terrain,” Navera said.
“While it’s ideal for us to get there, it’s not indispensable. Besides, we’ll also be dealing with reports on site inspections from other agencies,” he said.
De Lima had given the DOJ investigative panel up to April 2 to wrap up the inquiry and recommend who should be held liable for the Jan. 25 clash.
Friday’s fighting was sparked by a BIFF attack on an Army convoy on the Tacurong-Cotabato Highway in Datu Unsay town.
Three-hour gun battle
A statement from the Armed Forces of the Philippine said a band of 60 BIFF rebels led by “Commander Bongos” fired on the convoy of M35 Army trucks and a passing van driven by a civilian.
At a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Col. Restituto Padilla, spokesman for the AFP, said troops deployed to the area battled the BIFF rebels for three hours.
The fighting ended about noon, Padilla said.
“No casualties were recorded on both sides, but the soldiers spotted enemy casualties being dragged by their companions as they fled toward the marshland,” Padilla said.
He said the military was pressing clearing operations in areas claimed by the BIFF, whose fighters were involved in the Jan. 25 clash in Mamasapano.
The BIFF is believed to be harboring Basit Usman, the Filipino deputy of Jemaah Islamiyah bomb expert Zulkifli bin Hir, a Malaysian-born terrorist also known as “Marwan,” who was killed by the commandos during the raid on the terrorists’ hideout in Mamasapano.
Civilian safety
Usman escaped, but the MILF, responding to a call from President Aquino, promised to help the military get the terrorist who has a $3-million price on his head, offered by the United States.
Malacañang said Friday that the military was taking “extreme care” to ensure that no civilians would be affected by the operation against the BIFF.
Some 20,000 families have fled their homes to avoid getting caught in the crossfire as government troops pursue the BIFF rebels.
The military operation began earlier this week, with AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. ordering an all-out offensive against the BIFF, which has been harassing villages in North Cotabato since last week.
The fighting has spread to Maguindanao as the military goes after Usman and his protectors in the BIFF.
More troops to Mindanao
The Army’s 7th Infantry Division based in Central Luzon on Friday deployed 120 soldiers to its three battalions in Mindanao to augment government forces fighting the BIFF.
“The privates will be integrated into the squads,” Maj. Gen. Glorioso Miranda, 7th ID commander, told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.
The 120 soldiers will join the 69th Infantry Battalion in Davao del Norte province, the 71st IB in Compostela Valley, and the 84th IB in Davao City.–With reports from Nikko Dizon and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon