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ZAMBOANGA
CITY—Hundreds
of families have abandoned their homes and fled to safer
grounds as intense fighting broke out between government
forces and lawless elements in Central Mindanao.
Maj.
Gen. Nehemias Pajarito, Army 6th Infantry Division
commander, said the fighting started when more than a
hundred lawless elements raided two farming villages in
Midsayap, North Cotabato.
The
evacuees have sought refuge with their relatives and in
makeshift evacuation centers in barangays Nabalawag,
Sambulawan, Tumbras, Kapinpilan, Dulawan and Barrio 7,
of the same town.
Pajarito
said the armed men raided barangay Rangaban and Mudseng
in Midsayap, on Thursday while the farmers were
harvesting their crops.
“It is
not new in the area, they [lawless elements] have been
doing that ever since,” he added. On Friday, the gunmen
attacked the farmers and took their harvest.
Three
militiamen were killed when the bandits staged the
attack on Rangaban and Mudseng.
Another
firefight broke out on Saturday when soldiers from the
Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion, who were sent to secure
the villages were attacked. Two soldiers were wounded.
Pajarito
has told the villagers to return to their respective
homes since the situation has normalized.
Pajarito’s statement was contradicted by the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front, which said the fighting
started on Thursday after militiamen attacked the MILF
forces in barangay Rangaban, Midsayap.
The MILF
said sporadic firefights ensued with three militiamen
killed and several others wounded, as a result of the
attack. No casualty was reported from the side of the
MILF.
Dispute
over land ownerships in Rangaban and adjacent barangay
among the families and relatives of the native MILF
forces, and the settlers who are identified with the
militia forces of the local government, triggered the
skirmishes, the MILF said.
“It’s
not an MILF area. How could it be an MILF area when the
villages are inhabited by farmers,” Pajarito said in
reaction to the MILF statement.
Pajarito
also denied the MILF allegations that the military
launched air assault saying, “we conducted
reconnaissance [flights] to track down the lawless
elements.”
Pajarito
said on Sunday that so far he has not received report of
new clashes that had taken place.
President Arroyo’s chief peace adviser said on Sunday
that he will “personally oversee” efforts to address the
situation in Midsayap.
Chief
Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza said in a text message to
Palace reporters that the situation in Midsayap has
normalized and is being handled by the Government-MILF
Joint Cease-fire Committee.
“The
unfortunate incident in Midsayap,
North Cotabato,
is now being handled by the joint cease-fire committee
of the government and the MILF. The situation has
started to normalize. We are now moving to assist the
evacuees. The local governments are providing the
initial assistance,” Dureza said.
He said
that he has sent to the area to provide assistance to
the evacuees personnel from the Mindanao Economic
Council which he chairs, in coordination with the Action
for Conflict Transformation for Peace Program of the
government and the United Nations, the Department of
Social Welfare and Development and the National Disaster
Coordinating Council.
“I will
visit the affected areas to personally oversee the
operations,” Dureza said.
Government forces and MILF rebels clashed in Midsayap,
on Saturday, reportedly after the latter stormed the
villages of Rangaban and Mudseng to steal farm crops
harvested by civilian volunteer organizations and their
families.
The
incident took place a couple of days after Foreign
Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo told a panel on “The
Challenge to Moderate Islam in Southeast Asia” at the
World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that Manila
is confident of signing a peace agreement this year,
hopefully in June. (With M. Gonzalez) |
