MNLF commander Malik wounded?

MANILA, Philippines - Ustadz Habier Malik, the leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) forces fighting with government troops in Zamboanga City, was reportedly hurt in a recent clash, a military official said Friday.

Armed Forces acting public affairs chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said the information was relayed by former hostages and an MNLF member who surrendered to authorities.

Malik, the top lieutenant of MNLF founder Nur Misuari, reportedly sustained a bullet wound on the hand during a recent clash in Barangay Sta. Catalina.

“The report about Malik sustaining a wound came from the revelations of one of his former colleagues and the hostages. None of our soldiers saw it,” Cabunoc said in a press conference in Camp Aguinaldo.

“We want to validate this. He was reportedly hit on the hand but he is continuously fighting. He reportedly refused to surrender,” he added.

Cabunoc said they have been receiving several information about Malik but some of them were unverified.

He noted that some photos purportedly Malik’s corpse had surfaced on the Internet but these proved to be a hoax.

“There were also text messages claiming that Malik has died. But we cannot categorically say that he is dead unless there is proof,” Cabunoc said.

A television claimed early this month that Malik was killed in a clash. This, however, was disproved immediately after another network aired a one-on-one interview with the MNLF leader.

Previous reports have quoted MNLF senior spokesman Reverend Absalom Cerveza as saying that they would continue to fight until they attain their aims.

Cabunoc, however, hopes that Malik would soften his stance.

“Hopefully, he (Malik) will be enlightened. It has been proven that violence will only hurt our countrymen, not only the combatants but also innocent civilians,” he said.