"The burning of the houses there is what we call part of the ‘collateral damage’ resulting from the ongoing conflict in many parts of Central Mindanao," MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu told Catholic radio station dxMS.
Kabalu admitted that the MILF had to "divert" the military’s offensive against its forces in Datu Paglas town by simultaneously harassing Army detachments in Datu Piang and Shariff Aguak, resulting in the burning of the houses.
But members of the Muslim religious community in Central Mindanao, among them preachers trained at the Al-Azzar University in Cairo, Egypt, dismissed such a justification as "baseless and unacceptable."
"Nowhere in the Qur’an can we find a single verse or teaching that encourages burning of houses of civilians by a force fighting for Islam," one of them said.
Two of the torched houses belonged to Datu Genuine Kamaong, former mayor of Datu Piang, and his relative, Datu Wata Adzis, a provincial board member.
A 35-year-old Muslim farmer said the rebels first fired at their houses and after seeing that they had fled, started gathering dried coconut leaves underneath their houses, mostly built of indigenous materials, and then set them on fire using kerosene and torches.
The rebel-marauders fired rocket-propelled grenades at soldiers guarding nearby detachments, triggering firefights that left at least six guerrillas dead.
The attack forced authorities to temporarily close the highway to prevent motorists from getting caught in the crossfire.
Reports said the MILF rebels, led by Commanders Amril Cato Ombra, Talyo and Adzmi, swooped down on four Army detachments in Shariff Aguak and Datu Piang towns and opened fire with rockets and machineguns, while others plundered the village and burned down houses before fleeing.
Maj. Gen. Generoso Senga, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the arson attacks in Datu Piang were not only barbaric, but counter-productive to the peace process as well.
Most of the torched houses belonged to ordinary farmers involved in foreign-funded livelihood projects.
"The term ‘collateral damage’ refers only to possible damage caused by accidents or miscalculations during a firefight, not to damage caused by premeditated and planned arson attacks or lootings of peaceful Muslim and Christian communities," Senga said.