A
high ranking
official of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
accused the Filipino army elements in Datu Piang
municipality, province of Maguindanao of rampaging
civilian farming communities, burning their houses and
attacking the MNLF camp in the area.
Gen.
Zaide Salman, the deputy secretary general for political
affairs of the MNLF Central Committee, told the BMNews
that elements of the Philippine Army attacked their camp
through air and land assaults these past few days.
"Last Thursday and Friday, they bombarded the area
with 105 mm howitzers, they used mortars, and bombed our
soldiers of peace with their OV-10 planes," said Gen.
Salman.
Salman
confirmed that one of his men identified as Cmdr. Kri
Maytulah was martyred, and three others were wounded.
"We were pushed to the wall, so to speak, "
added Salman. He said that heavy fighting occured in three
barangays of Datu Piang, namely, Reyna Regente, Bacat and
Gamba. His instruction to his Mujahedin forces is
"hold to your line and fortify your defenses, and
remember that Allah is with us always, in peace and in
war."
BMNews
learned that elements of the 37th and 17th IB of the
Philippine Army, aided by unscrupulous Civilian Volunteers
Organization (CVO), raided the MNLF community, a community
of peace and development recognized by the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) and other foreign donor
agencies. These agencies are doing rehabilitation and
skills training to the Bangsamoro Muslim people in
Mindanao as a result of the 1996 Peace Agreement signed
between Chairman Nur Misuari's MNLF and the Government of
the Republic of the Philippines under the auspices of the
Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Conference.
Hundreds
of families are now displaced, mostly farmers. Their
houses were also burned by the retreating Filipino army
elements.
Gen.
Salman, in
his flash report to the MNLF ground leadership, cautioned
the Bangsamoro Armed Forces (BAF) everywhere in Mindanao
to be on high alert and on the lookout for this deceptive
pattern of military intrusion and
tactical operation for renewed war against them.
"Be vigilant and we must always maintain sobriety
and calmness even in the midst of hostility, but we
shall always reserve our right to self-defense," he
said.###
