Kato-led MILF rebels torch day care, health center

COTABATO CITY – Followers of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Commander Ameril Umbra Kato burned a day care center, a health center and 16 other houses in Mamasapano, Maguindanao Sunday night.

Mamasapano Mayor Datu Akmad Ampatuan, chairman of the municipal peace and order council, said two groups perpetrated the attack in Barangay Dagungan in the same town, one under Musa Wahab and the other under foreign-trained bomber Basit Usman.

Wahab and Usman are both known subordinate-commanders of Kato, chief of the MILF’s 105th Base Command.

“It’s sad to see the day care center and the health center turn to ashes because the two facilities were serving poor Muslim villagers in Barangay Dagungan,” Ampatuan said.

“We are appealing to them to show their sense of sensitivity and patriotism to the normal standard of human behavior. Certainly there is no justification for bombing an elementary school,” Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said in a press briefing.

Ampatuan said the municipal police are now documenting the incident in preparation for the filing of criminal charges against the two commanders.

Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said military units in Mamasapano are also preparing a separate report on the arson to the government’s ceasefire committee.

Ando said soldiers in Maguindanao, Shariff Kabunsuan and North Cotabato have tightened security in areas vulnerable to MILF attacks after the Ramadan, which is to end with the sighting of the new moon next week.

All-out war looms after Ramadan

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has announced that it is bracing for bigger offensives from both the MILF and the New People’s Army (NPA) in the southern part of the country after Ramadan.

“It is what you call the lull before the storm. Something is brewing while everything is silent,” a military officer who requested anonymity said.

The MILF rebels have reportedly also been silent after the massive attacks launched by its leaders Kato and Adbulraman Macapaar in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte last month.

The same source likewise noted that there has also been a lull in the attacks launched by communist rebels in Southern Mindanao, particularly in the area covering Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental and Davao del Norte.

“Both the MILF and the NPA are just strengthening their forces for a much bigger action when Ramadan ends next month,” the same source said.

The MILF and the NPA have reportedly forged an alliance to fight the government, especially with the collapse of the peace negotiations with the two rebel groups.

Nowhere to hide

The military, however, believes that Macapaar, alias Commander Bravo, is running out of space to run as government troops close in on his hideout in Lanao del Norte.

“Bravo’s noose is being tightened. It is just a matter of time before the MILF rebels in the area will be decimated and their leaders taken by operating government forces,” said Army 104th Infantry Brigade commander Col. Benito de Leon.

De Leon said an encounter between elements of the 32nd Infantry Battalion led by Col. Edwin Respicio and a band of at least 20 rebels took place at Poona Piagapo, Lanao del Norte at around 9:00 a.m. yesterday.

A 15-minute firefight ensued, forcing the rebels to retreat towards the forested area of Poona Piagapo.

“Pursuing troops clearing rebel positions recovered a blood-stained Belgian-made FN FAL 7.62 rifle, an M203 grenade launcher tube, rocket-propelled grenade rounds, rifle grenade rounds, damaged hand guard of an M-16 rifle, assorted ammunitions and rebel uniforms,” De Leon said.

“There were no casualties on the government side but I understand several MILF rebels were either wounded or killed but their remains could have been retrieved by withdrawing rebels,” he added.

Propaganda mileage

Meanwhile, the military has charged the MILF of spreading false information – accusing soldiers of pillaging civilian houses – to build up hatred against the government troops and gain sympathy for the fleeing rebels.

The MILF, in a statement, claimed 20 soldiers were killed while 10 others, including two junior officers, were wounded in the series of encounters in the border of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur near the former rebel Camp Bilal.

The MILF claimed that the military is getting aggressive in its operations against its fighters and accused the troops of burning 42 civilian houses separately Saturday in the areas of Calanugas, Piagap towns in Lanao del Sur, Poona Piagapo, Pantao Ragat, and Munai in Lanao del Norte.

“These are complete lies and baseless. It’s part of the propaganda of the MILF to sow fear and hatred against the military troops,” Col. Adane Adriatico, spokesman for Task Force Tabak based in Lanao said.

Adriatico said only one soldier was killed in the series of fighting since Saturday while seven rebels identified with Bravo had died.

The casualties came from three encounters by the 35th and 43rd Infantry Battalions.

The soldiers recovered one rebel body while most of the rebel casualties were dragged away, Adriatico said.

Brig. Gen. Hilario Atendido, Task Force Tabak chief, said the MILF tried to discredit the military because of the full support showed by civilians in Lanao.

“Everybody here wants us to go (after the criminals) and nobody is sympathizing with them,” Atendido said.

Atendido also reiterated that the troops are strictly following the ceasefire with the main MILF faction.

“There’s a ceasefire with the main MILF and there is no ceasefire with the criminals. We have made it clear with the MILF leadership that the military is after only the three criminal groups,” he said.

Adriatico said fighting also erupted Sunday afternoon against the splintered groups of Bravo at Barangay Tanglaw, Poona Piagapo.

There was no immediate report of casualties but the troops found bloodstain traces in the rebel’s harbor area and a generator set. – With reports from Roel Pareño, Lino Dela Cruz, Edith Regalado, James Mananghaya, Jaime Laude, Cecille Suerte Felipe