Archives

Muslim separatist guerrillas and the military said Wednesday that more than 70 people have been killed in fighting in the southern Philippines which has displaced thousands of civilians.

Rebels were also accused of blacking out large areas of the southern Philippines and of mounting hit-and-run attacks on Wednesday after the government halted a day-old offensive for an Islamic holiday.

Southern military chief Lieutenant General Narciso Abaya said the truce was only effective until Tuesday and he was not ruling out resuming an attack on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF.)

The truce "is only in deference to the Muslim holiday. It ended last night, at midnight," said Abaya.

Abaya said troops had killed an estimated 60 MILF guerrillas based on field reports, though no bodies were recovered. Three soldiers were killed and 15 others wounded, he added.

Rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu placed the casualties at 10 soldiers and one rebel dead.

Relief official Joel Maglunob placed the number of displaced civilians in the mainly Muslim area at about 31,000 people.

Cotabato city and nearby provinces were without electricity on Wednesday after suspected MILF rebels blew up two steel transmission towers overnight near Pagagawan town.

The rebels, who denied they were behind the sabotage, subsequently boycotted a noon ceasefire meeting called by President Gloria Arroyo in Cotabato.

"We cannot hold talks when the troops on the ground are fighting," Kabalu said, adding that they would not engage in negotiations "unless government will stop firing at us."

Presidential envoy Jesus Dureza said he would pursue "back-channel talks," with the rebel leaders instead.

Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in Manila that he was hoping the new hostilities would not affect efforts to bring a political settlement to the 25-year-old rebellion.

"But of course, when such incidents take place, the confidence level goes down on both sides," Bunye said.

Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes deplored the MILF decision to boycott the truce talks, saying "they are delivering a message."

Intermittent shelling and small arms fire could be heard around Pikit early Wednesday.

At an army camp in the town, troops prepared to deploy but said they had no idea where they would be sent.

Only a few people could be seen walking the streets of Pikit, just nine kilometers (5.6 miles) from the scene of Tuesday's fighting.

Hundreds of villagers who fled the fighting, were sheltered in a half-completed government grains warehouse. The evacuees, mostly women and children, lay on the dusty floor with their chickens and ducks penned nearby.

Southern military chief Abaya said the military was pursuing two outlaw groups that were allegedly hiding in MILF territory.

The fugitives included two MILF commanders suspected of a lethal bombing that killed 15 people in December as well as members of the Pentagon group, a local kidnap gang of alleged former MILF members.

"If they don't want to be affected by the operations, they should turn over the Pentagon gang members," and the suspected bombers, Abaya said.

About 12,500 MILF guerrillas operate in the mainly Muslim western half of Mindanao while the NPA have about 9,000 fighters scattered all over the country. 

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager