Suspected MILF rebels attack police detachment in Cotabato

KORONADAL CITY – Suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels fired an M-79 grenade on a police station and gymnasium in Polomolok town in South Cotabato on Sunday night.

Nobody was killed or injured in the attack.

At Malacañang, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said witnesses have pointed to the MILF as perpetrator of the attack.

“We will have to look into that very closely,” Gonzales said.

“In order to prevent this from happening again, we really should increase the activities of the police and military while intensifying our intelligence operations,” he said in Filipino.

Gonzales said half a million guns are being carried by civilians in Mindanao, with around 75,000 belonging to rebels.

“What I’m trying to say is that our campaign against carrying firearms should be revisited in Mindanao,” he said.

Witnesses said they first heard a loud explosion from the rooftop of the gymnasium, and after a few seconds from the police station.

South Cotabato police director Senior Superintendent Robert Kiunisala told The STAR in a phone interview the attack could be in retaliation for the search of the house of six suspected MILF members in Barangay Sumbakil last Dec. 23.

The search warrant was issued by Judge Antonio Canja of Polomolok Municipal Trial Court, he added.

Police seized an M-1 Garand rifle, M-79 grenade launcher, ammunitions and military uniforms with MILF patches from the house of the six suspects, Kiunisala said.

Troops chase rebels

Army troops chased away about 30 MILF rebels who tried to seize a military detachment in a remote barangay in Sultan Kudarat province on Sunday.

Col. Joshua Santiago, Army 27th Infantry Battalion commander based in nearby Tupi town, said the rebels failed to seize the detachment in Barangay Natividad because it was located on a vantage point up in the mountain.

The rebels fled in small groups into the jungle, he added.

Santiago said he could not say if the rebels were followers of MILF Commanders Kato and Bravo, whom troops have been hunting after they attacked Christian communities in Cotabato province four months ago.

Army troops recovered several ammunitions of M-203 rifle grenade launchers and rocket propelled grenades from the scene, he added.

Marines moved to Metro Manila

Marines that fought the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan have been moved to Metro Manila for retraining.

Troops from the Marine Battalion Landing Team-8 arrived at the Navy headquarters on Roxas Boulevard in Manila yesterday afternoon.

Marine Commandant Maj. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino and Navy chief Vice Adm. Ferdinand Golez met the battle-scarred troops led by Lt. Col. Elmer Estilles at the port, where they disembarked from a Navy transport ship.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said the MBLT10 have taken over the anti-terrorism campaign and other combat duties in Basilan.

“After eight years of redeployment to troubled areas mostly in southern Philippines, MBLT8 finally reported back to Marine barracks at Bonifacio Naval Station,” he said. – With Marvin Sy, Jaime Laude