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By Anthony Vargas, Reporter
THE military chief on Wednesday
has ordered troops in Sulu to capture a rogue Moro National
Liberation Front chieftain before the midterm elections on May 14.
The Armed Forces chief of staff,
Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., said Ustadz Habier Malik, must be
captured at the soonest possible time.
The AFP Public Information chief,
Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, said the AFP brass is concerned that
continued offensive in Sulu might affect the elections in Sulu.
Esperon “wants the pursuit
operations against Malik finished as soon as possible,” Bacarro
told reporters during a briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.
The AFP wants Malik to answer for
the mortar attacks on the Panamao town hall and a marine detachment
over the weekend.
The attacks, in which two Marines
and one civilian were killed, have triggered heavy fighting in Sulu
with government troops overrunning two of Malik’s camp.
The fighting, which started
Friday night, also killed eight of Malik’s fighters and the
wounding of scores of others.
“We do believe that we have the
upperhand . . . we will keep the momentum in tracking down Malik.
The AFP will pursue his group,” Bacarro said.
Malik is believed to have
retreated to eastern Sulu where he has strongholds in the mountains
of Bitan-Ag in Panamao.
Bacarro rejected Malik’s claim
the mortar attacks were in retaliation for the military’s
encounter with the forces of MNLF Commander Kaid Ajibon in Marang
early last week.
“Malik’s claim is unfounded .
. . the area which he is referring has an air distance of 31
kilometers from his camp . . . and that was coordinated with the
MNLF,” Bacarro said.
He said that what their troops
engaged in Marang were the groups of Abu Sayyaf sub-commanders,
Radulan Sahiron and Doctor Abu.
Bacarro said the MNLF guerrillas
under Ajibon left the area on their own to avoid a misencounter with
government troops.
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