AFP slams MILF over clash

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will lodge a complaint against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for allowing its fighters to join Abu Sayyaf extremists in the gun battle with government troops in Basilan last Wednesday.

Military information chief Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said the AFP will file the complaint against the MILF’s 114th Base Command in Basilan before the joint ceasefire committee.

Brawner said the MILF had been notified of the planned military offensive against the Abu Sayyaf in the area so as not to antagonize MILF forces and prevent civilian casualties.

Still, MILF fighters helped the Abu Sayyaf in the firefight, leaving more than 50 people dead, including 10 MILF guerrillas, Brawner said.

“We did not use artillery and close air support. We did this in order to reduce the number of collateral casualties. This is precisely why the military launched the offensive at 3:30 a.m. (Wednesday), because there were no civilians around the area at that time,” Brawner said.

The firefight broke out early Wednesday after the military launched an assault on a suspected Abu Sayyaf training camp in Sitio Kurellem, Silangkum in Tipo-Tipo town.

Government forces encountered heavy resistance from a big group of Abu Sayyaf led by Furuji Indama and Khair Mundos.

The camp was overrun by government forces, but reports from the field said the day-long clashes that followed had been fierce and resulted to heavy casualties on both sides.

Western Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino said the Abu Sayyaf were aided by MILF gunmen, but 10 of them were killed along with about double that number for the bandits during the firefight.

Dolorfino said the MILF guerrillas were helping the Abu Sayyaf by blocking government reinforcements to the area of operations.

Brawner revealed armed civilians firing weapons from the windows of their houses surprised the soldiers. The soldiers later learned the armed civilians have relatives in the Abu Sayyaf.

The troops had no option left but to fire back. Two hours later, gunmen from the MILF’s 114th Base Command opened fire on responding Marine troops killing 20 of them, he said.

Two junior officers identified as Army 1Lt. Chester Barela of the 4th Scout Ranger Company and 1Lt. Dhejun Evangelista of the Army’s 3rd Light Reaction Company (LRC) and Cpl. Renato Dindin of the Scout Ranger regiment were among those killed.

The daylong gunbattle ended after government troops succeeded in taking over the Abu Sayyaf training camp in the evening.

Brawner said Dolorfino has been designated by the AFP to file the protest against the MILF before the joint Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCH).

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu earlier confirmed the 10 were members of the front’s 114th base command in the area.

Kabalu claimed their forces were caught in the crossfire during the gunbattle between government forces and the Abu Sayyaf.

He said the MILF guerrillas were trying to prevent the Abu Sayyaf from taking refuge in their area but they were attacked by government troops.

Kabalu said the MILF would file a formal complaint before the CCH to investigate the incident.

The MILF also said the “misbehavior” of the military resulted in the deaths of 10 of its fighters.

The MILF accused the military of violating the suspension of offensive military operations (SOMO).

President Arroyo ordered the SOMO last month to allow the peace negotiations with the MILF to proceed.

No effect on peace process

Brawner added the complaint would not affect the government initiative to revive the stalled peace talks with the MILF.

“We are hoping that the incident will not affect the conduct of the peace talks… in the same way that MILF stated,” he said.

Presidential adviser on the peace process Avelino Razon said last Wednesday’s firefight that involved MILF forces would not affect the peace initiatives.

Razon said the Basilan gunbattle is only an “isolated incident” that would not compromise the peace process with the MILF.

Razon said he is even looking forward for the resumption of the peace talks between GRP panel chief Rafael Seguis and the MILF led by chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal in Malaysia scheduled to start next month.

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, on the other hand, said the government must “recalculate” its position in the peace process in the light of the Basilan gunbattle incident.

“It must be established first if it was the Abu Sayyaf or the MILF that the Marines fought there (in Basilan),” Biazon said.

Biazon, a former AFP chief, said he would also initiate an investigation at the Senate over the incident in Basilan.

“Aren’t we told that the Abu Sayyaf’s number has dwindled to only a few? Then why is it many of our soldiers were killed? What really happened?” he asked.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, for his part, said the orders to sustain the offensive against the Abu Sayyaf would continue despite the increasing number of government troops getting killed.

“Until after the Abu Sayyaf is wiped out, the orders remained the same —the Armed Forces (of the Philippines) is instructed to wipe them out in Basilan,” Teodoro declared before the ceremonies in Zamboanga City honoring the 23 soldiers killed in last Wednesday’s gunbattle.

Teodoro, visibly enraged upon seeing the number of mourning relatives weeping over the caskets of the slain soldiers, said there would be no time limit to annihilate the Abu Sayyaf.

He said the recent military operation was a big blow against the bandit group since they have been denied their sanctuary in Basilan aside from the killing of their top leader, Khair Mundos.

Teodoro also blamed the MILF for taking an active role in last Wednesday’s gunbattle.

Teodoro disclosed that the Abu Sayyaf are using some MILF guerrillas, as well as some civilians, including women and children, to carry ammunition and supplies as well as to retrieve the bodies of their fallen comrades.

Teodoro dismissed the MILF allegations that government troops attacked their forces. “They can allege anything but we know the truth,” he said.

Teodoro also stressed last Wednesday’s military operation did not violate the SOMO with the MILF.

He said the military operation was directed against the Abu Sayyaf, not the MILF.

“If some of the MILF guerrillas joined the Abu Sayyaf, then we might consider them outside the SOMO and part of the bandit group,” he said.

Teodoro also denied reports of civilian casualties during the gunbattle.

He said this is precisely why the military avoided using heavy artillery to avoid civilian casualties.

Teodoro said the MILF is responsible for the deaths of their fighters during the encounter.

He stressed though that the incident would affect the peace process in Mindanao. –With James Mananghaya, Roel Pareño, Jose Rodel Clapano, Artemio Dumlao, Cecille Suerte Felipe

- By Jaime Laude (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)