Moro rebel factions clash in Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Warring factions of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front battled each other for about three hours in the municipality of Mamasapano in Maguindanao on Tuesday, inflicting an undetermined number of casualties on each side, the military said Wednesday.

Colonel Mayoralgo dela Cruz, commander of the First Mechanized Infantry Brigade, said the firefight, which began at 3 p.m., was between the forces of MILF field commander Adan and the breakaway group of Ameril Umra Kato.

“But we are still conducting further investigation of the two rebel groups’ involvement that had a number of combatants injured from both sides,” Dela Cruz said.

The group of Adan claimed they were tracking down Maguindanao massacre suspects, mostly militiamen  belonging to the Civilian Volunteers Organization, when the clash broke out, Dela Cruz said.

But Abu Misri Mama, speaking for the Kato-led Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement (BIFM), said the shootout began when Banarin Ampatuan, a grandson of Andal Ampatuan Sr., a  suspect in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, backed by Adan, tried to reclaim a piece of land which the Ampatuans allegedly bought when they were still in power.

Mama said the BIFM came in to protect the interest of the real owners of the land, who claimed that the property was forcibly taken from them by the Ampatuans.

The MILF leadership denied the involvement of Adan’s 106th Base Command fighters with the Ampatuans.

“There should be an investigation to avoid speculation,” said MILF political affairs vice chair Ghadzali Jaafar.

Allegations that the Ampatuans forcibly took over vast tracts of land during their heyday should also be investigated to give justice to the real owners, Jaafar said.

Andal Ampatuan Sr., former Maguindanao governor, and his children, who held key positions in  local, provincial and regional governments, have been implicated in the worst political killings in Philippine history in which 57 people, including, 32 media workers, were killed in November 2009.

Meanwhile, three empty shells from M14 and M16 rifles and a faded media identification card were dug up Monday by construction workers at the massacre site in Barangay (village) Salman in the municipality of Ampatuan.

Norodin Mling, provincial maintenance officer, said workers were clearing the area in time for the observance of the 2nd Anniversary of the Maguindanao massacre on November 23.

A multipurpose building, a concrete marker that bears the names of the slain victims, lighting and landscaping are being rushed to completion for the coming commemorative event that would be attended by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima along with media practitioners, led by the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines.