Pikit fighting subsides but number of evacuees swells

PIKIT, North Cotabato — As the fighting here and nearby areas subsided after several days, the number of evacuees swelled due to the sporadic "diversionary attacks" staged by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas driven out by the military from their stronghold in this town.

Initial reports said the number of civilians displaced by the fighting reached 53,997 yesterday even after the military succeeded in its mission of securing the Buliok complex here last Friday.

Government troops, however, have secured the personal dwelling of MILF chairman Hashim Salamat located on a hill inside the complex.

Col. Cardoso Luna of the Army’s 602nd Brigade said soldiers had entered Salamat’s residence in the afternoon following a 12-hour gunbattle.

Luna said Salamat’s house had airconditioned rooms arranged in a typical military command setup where the MILF chief personally supervised the operations of the rebel forces in entire Mindanao.

The house, which was surrounded with about two kilometers of circumferential waist-deep firing trenches, was heavily smeared with blood, indicating that the defenders suffered heavy losses, Luna said.

Combatants of the 8th Marine Battalion and the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion succeeded in breaking through the "third defense ring" of the rebels surrounding the complex.

Soldiers later found inside transcripts of radio messages between Pentagon’s alleged extortion rings and a listing of addresses of wealthy businessmen in key cities in Mindanao, apparently the targets for kidnapping by the Pentagon.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Dionisio Santiago said that with most of the 60 -hectare complex secured by government troops, clearing-up operations could prove difficult because of the hit-and-run tactics by the rebels.

"We are very cautious but the resistance is not as strong as in the previous operations in the past few days. Our understanding is that they have bunkers and that they are stockpiling all their remaining firepower," Santiago said.

He also hinted the increase in the number of evacuees was due to the number of MILF fighters seeking refuge in the government relief camps.

"We now have observed many able-bodied Muslim men in the refugee centers. This could indicate that they (MILF) fighters themselves are tired of fighting and have now refused to participate," he said.

Santiago said this could also indicate the reduction in the ranks of the MILF, the rebel leaders could be forced into negotiations with the government.

He also belied reports that the fighting has spilled over to nearby provinces causing the huge turnout of evacuees.

"There is a spillover of bodies seeking refuge in other areas but not a spillover of the fighting. Huwag natin idikit lahat sa Pikit (don’t blame it all on the Pikit clashes)," he said.

Joel Maglunob, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assistant director for Central Mindanao, said the number of evacuees rose to 60 percent, all from 12 barangays of the town, the scene of the heavy fighting since Tuesday.

Maglunob said last Thursday’s hostilities in Lambayog, Sultan Kudarat also forced 6,855 villagers to evacuate for fear that the rebels might stage retaliatory attacks against government forces.

Officials of the Army’s 301st Brigade confirmed that 44 MILF and Pentagon Gang members were killed in the Lambayog clash, which started when marauding gunmen snatched 20 villagers in the area in a dawn attack.

The hostages were later released one by one after the rebels suffered heavy losses from pursuing soldiers and militiamen.

The hostilities in Lambayog also forced 1,884 residents from nearby barangays of President Quirino in Sultan Kudarat to flee.

Maglunob said there are more than 3,000 evacuees in designated relief sites in Kabacan and Carmen, the scene of violent diversionary attacks by the MILF on Thursday.

The military has deployed its engineering units to construct more relief sites in anticipation of more evacuees.

The private sector also pitched in with a transport plane by the Aboitiz firm bringing in 20 tons of relief goods from Manila to Awang airport in Maguindanao yesterday.

Maglunob said a big fraction of the relief goods were transported to various evacuation sites by military trucks from the Army 54th Engineering Brigade.

Diversionary tactics

After four days of intense gunbattles, MILF guerrillas have resorted to hit and run tactics in futile efforts to resist against the much superior government troops.

Rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu had said MILF fighters have been ordered to go mobile and attack military units as the need arises.

He said MILF field commands broke up into platoon sized units and were given "full autonomy in making decision in their respective areas of jurisdiction."

This developed as Army spokesman Maj. Julieto Ando said they are expecting more evacuees to come in fearing diversionary attacks and retaliation by the rebels.

Ando said a band of MILF rebels attacked a detachment in Carmen town yesterday leaving two militiamen wounded.

Five of the rebels were also wounded in the exchange of gunfire. The military identified them only as certains Tukoy, Titingan, Samrod, Masir and Bedu, all wanted for a string of criminal offenses including robbery and extortion.

Another group of MILF rebels also swooped down in an Army detachment in Barangay Dalengawen here but no one was reported killed or injured on both sides.

The military said the attacks were attempts by the rebels to take the heat off the remaining defenders of Buliok complex, until soldiers successfully overrun the MILF chief’s residence later in the day.

‘Negotiate’

Vice President Teofisto Guingona called on President Arroyo to initiate "backdoor talks" with the MILF to put an end to the fighting.

"I think the government should keep the door open for negotiations with the MILF because it is the door to peace," Guingona said.

Some Mindanao congressmen, on their part, called on the MILF leaders to be sincere in their desire to talk peace by purging their ranks of Pentagon Gang members.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, chairman of the House committee on national defense, said most of his colleagues appreciated the efforts made by the military in securing the Buliok complex.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Davao City Rep. Prospero Nograles, Lanao del Norte Rep, Alipio Cirilo Badelles and Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat also called on Salamat to show his sincerity by doing his end of the bargain with the government by turning over suspected Pentagon Gang members.

Pichay, for his part, repeated his call to reject the MILF condition requiring the Armed Forces to secure the rebel group’s permission before pursuing criminals in their territory.

Rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu had said the government of launching the offensive to pressure them into accepting a peace deal ahead of the upcoming talks in Malaysia.

At the same time, Kabalu said the accusations against them that they are harboring Pentagon members "have no basis," pointing out that the problem of lawless elements in their area should first be threshed out in a final peace agreement with the government.

MILF military commander Muhammad Murad said in a television interview in Manila that "the solution is to talk, but we can’t talk if the atmosphere is not conducive."

Former Senate President Jovito Salonga said President Arroyo should now order the suspension of military offensives and initiate talking peace with the rebels.

Salonga said Mrs. Arroyo should not entirely depend herself on military advisers.

The Amnesty International (AI), however, addressed its concerns on the safety of civilians caught in the conflict.

AI particularly focused its concern on reports that MILF guerrillas took hostage some villagers in their attempt to evade pursuing government troops.

Military reports also indicate that some civilians were killed in the ensuing gunbattle between the rebels and the government forces since the offensive began last Tuesday.

In a statement, AI reminded the government and the MILF of their obligation to abide by rules under the Geneva Convention.

"All parties to any conflict have a responsibility to respect the lives of civilians," the international human rights group stated. – With reports from Mike Frialde, Roel Pareño, Artemio Dumlao, Sammy Santos, Romel Bagares