“We will defend ourselves,” Abu Majid, MILF political officer based in Basilan, said in an article posted on Monday on the MILF’s official web site.
Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., Armed Forces spokesman, maintained that the targets of the law-enforcement operations in Basilan and other areas in Mindanao are “lawless elements” and not the MILF.
“Every time we operate, we always coordinate with the cease-fire mechanisms on the ground…. That would be up to the peace panel,” Burgos said in connection with Majid’s statement.
Majid believed the pouring in of more government troops point to one direction—to mount an attack against their forces led by Dan “Laksaw” Asnawi, the second-highest MILF military commander in the island-province.
Earlier, military intelligence reports said the commander of the MILF’s 114th Base Command, Long Malat, has been exfiltrated from Basilan leaving only Asnawi and his companion, Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) subleader Furuji Indama.
Asnawi, the military claimed, was involved in the July 10, 2007, beheading of Marines in Al-Barka, Basilan, and together with Indama, joined Malat in the killing of 19 Army Special Forces troops in a daylong gun battle on October 18 in Sitio Bakisung, Barangay Cambug, Al-Barka.
Despite the MILF’s violation of the cease-fire agreement, President Aquino remained cool amid calls for an all-out war against the rebels.
In December 2009 Malat and his men attacked the Basilan Provincial Jail and freed Asnawi and 30 other inmates.
Majid bragged that MILF forces in Basilan hold the best fighting record in terms of casualty on the government side and destruction of military armored vehicles in a week of fighting.
“I hope the government will rethink its decision to attack our forces on the island,” he said.
Majid’s statement came in the wake of higher military headquarters order to deploy the Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade to Basilan to augment the soldiers in the province composed of Special Forces troops and Scout Rangers.
Earlier, Burgos said the Armed Forces have demanded that the MILF leadership turn over to the government Asnawi and Malat who violated the cease-fire.
But the MILF responded it will not surrender the two Moro rebel leaders.
MILF spokesman Von al-Haq, in a separate telephone interview, confirmed Majid’s statement and the order to brace for war was issued on October 22, five days after the killing of the 19 soldiers.
“We have already ordered our men on the ground to be in a defensive position. Our combatants have no problem with that because they have arms. I think [the order to prepare for war was issued on] October 22,” he said.
In a separate press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Burgos said pursuit operations against lawless elements in Mindanao will continue even during All Souls’ Day.
On Sunday air strikes by the Air Force against the lair of ASG subleader Abdul Jumdail alias Dr. Abu resulted in the death of three ASG members and the recovery of several high-powered firearms in Indanan, Sulu.
“There will be no let-up of operations against lawless elements in Sulu. As of now, clearing operations are ongoing. We’ve yet to identify the three fatalities,” Burgos said.
Last week a three-day military campaign against lawless elements and rogue elements of the MILF’s 113 Base Command, led by Waning Abdulsalam, flushed them out of their fortified camp in Sitio Talaib, Barangay Labatan, Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay.
(With Rene Acosta)
