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By Isagani P. Palma, Correspondent
MAITUM, SARANGANI: Villagers held captives by
suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants were
reportedly freed Wednesday evening as military reinforcements backed
with helicopter gunship arrived at the coastal town of Maitum in
Sarangani, Thursday.
A civilian volunteer was reported killed while
one was seriously wounded when suspected Moro extremist group
attacked earlier, three military detachments in Barangays Mindupok,
Maguling and Tuculab.
Police said Commander Ustadz Mursod, Commander
Ting Jakiri, Commander Dante, all of the 104th brigade Bangsamoro
Islamic Armed Forces-MILF based at camp Batang Bagras, Palimbang,
Sultan Kudarat, led the simultaneous attacks.
“They [armed men] ransacked our homes and
looted our personal belongings including our food. They even shot
dead several livestock, including piglets on the streets,” William
Inriquez, a resident of Purok Madasigon in Barangay Maguling told
The Manila Times.
Hostage Myrna de la Cruz, said prior to the
firefight, the Moro armed group had been polite in inviting them to
“attend” a gathering at Maguling Elementary School.
They even gave us foods before sensing the
arrival of the military gunships,” de la Cruz said.
She said some of their captors also ordered
several male hostages to march around the school premises. “Maybe
that was their [MILF] strategy to sense whether there are some
military operatives with us.”
Police authorities said helicopter attacks
“prompted them [MILF] to withdraw to the mountain ranges of
barangay Mindupok where the army troopers conducted their continuous
hot pursuit operation.
The MILF-triggered evacuation came as villagers
were returning to their homes in the aftermath of flashfloods caused
by Typhoon Frank.
Reports indicated that police personnel led by
PSInsp. Lurobe Paunon Rojo Sr. together with troops of the 27th
Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army led by 1Lt. Edwin Pia who were
“trapped” at Brgy. Mindupok last night have already left the
MILF stronghold, before the military started mortar fires.
Col. Gaudencio Pangilinan, commander of the
Army’s 1002nd brigade, also confirmed the hostage taking in
Maguling and Pino but assured reporters that “all hostages have
been already been freed as of Thursday.”
“It took us about half a day with much
firefight,” Pangilinan added.
Mayor Elsie Perrett of Maitum, Sarangani, said
firefights broke out when heavily armed men ambushed government
troops who were on their way to a crime scene where rebels in
Barangay Ticulab reportedly killed a civilian volunteer Wednesday
morning. A soldier was wounded in the ambush.
Truckloads of evacuees from the barangays of
Maguling, Mindupok and Ticulab arrived later in the evening to take
shelter at the municipal gym. Government workers set up a community
kitchen to feed some 1,468 evacuees fleeing the gunmen from
Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.
Perrett together with PCSupt. Felizardo Serafio,
Philippine National Police (PNP) regional director; PSSupt. Danilo
Peralta, provincial director; and Vice Governor Solon convened
Wednesday afternoon a crisis management team and simultaneously
created a unified command post established at the municipal hall to
monitor enemy troop movements.
Earlier, a “spot report” from PNP Maitum
also reported an “ambush incident” involving Maitum PNP
personnel.
Report said policemen on board a patrol car
together with Philippine Army troops on board a 6 x 6 truck were
ambushed at Barangay Mindupok while on their way to Barangay Ticulab
to respond to the reported shooting incident of “a certain Leloy
who was allegedly ambushed by the group of MILF rebels in the
area.”
Wounded during the ambush was identified as
SSgt. Benly Rizano, 35, of the 27th IB, Philippine Army.
Police said responding policemen led by PSInsp.
Lurobe Rojo Sr. and 27th IB soldiers were also trapped in the area
until the reinforcement arrived.
Polce authorities said “the situation was
already under control as of 1 p.m. yesterday” but at 2:30 p.m. on
Thursday, another truckload of fearful civilians from Barangay Pinol
arrived in town following reports that the MILF were again
repositioning; digging foxholes in the area.
Government truck driver Sonny Biton said a large
group of armed men were also sighted at the boundary of Maitum and
Malibong, Sultan Kudarat ay of this writing.
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