More security forces deployed in Mindanao ahead of village polls

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 8, 2010) – Philippine authorities have deployed additional forces in the restive region of Mindanao ahead of perceived bloody village polls this month.

The deployment of security forces came after gunmen ambushed an election official, Pangalian Lumabao, in Lanao del Norte province on Thursday.

Lumabao and two of his companions were wounded in the attack blamed by the police to politics. The military’s Western Mindanao Command did not give any statement about the attack which occurred despite a strict gun ban and presence of huge number of soldiers in Lanao.

Western Mindanao Command officials and their spokesmen ignored telephone calls from journalists who were trying to get information about the ambush.

Filipinos are to elect their village leaders on October 25, but polls in Mindanao are traditionally violent.

And officials were also verifying reports that even the Abu Sayyaf rebel group is fielding its own candidates in Basilan, one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.

Just this month, motorcycle gunmen killed a poll official, Entong Musa, in an attack in Basilan’s Isabela City. (Mindanao Examiner)

4 killed in Lanao Norte highway attack

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Aug. 26, 2010) – Armed men clad in police uniform flagged down a provincial bus on a highway in the southern Filipino province of Lanao del Norte and shot and killed four people on Thursday.

Among those killed were two policemen and the bus driver, according to passengers who witnessed the killings. One passenger said gunmen stopped the bus, owned by Rural Transit of Mindanao, at a police checkpoint in Kapatagan town and told the passengers they received reports that armed men were in the bus.

Hearing this, two passengers who turned out to be policemen introduced themselves, but were immediately gunned down. The other passengers were told to disembark by the gunmen who later shot two more people.

“They said they were policemen and told us to get out of the bus and we saw how they shot the victims. They told us that they were only after the driver and his bus,” one passenger told a local radio network, dxRZ-Radio Agong.

He said the bus, which came from Cagayan de Oro City and bound for Zamboanga City, was flagged down at around 1:30 a.m.

The motive of the attack was unknown and no group or individual claimed responsibility for the killings. But the province in a known lair of bandits and rebels who were previously blamed for attacks on commuter buses and civilians.

Last year, gunmen also strafed a passenger jeep and killed and wounded at least six people on a highway near Tagoloan town in Lanao del Norte.

In 2008, Moro rebels negotiating peace with Manila also attacked several villages in the towns of Kolambugan and Kauswagan town, burning houses and shooting at innocent civilians after the failed signing of the homeland accord with the Arroyo government. (Mindanao Examiner)

Lanao Norte Governor Praises Army Battalion

LANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines – Lanao del Norte Governor Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo praised the Philippine Army’s 35th Infantry Battalion on its active role in promoting peace and reconciliation in the province.

“We are very happy with the performance of our military here in the province. They are not only our trusted peace keepers, but our reliable peace builders as well,” Dimaporo said during the battalion’s 8th anniversary celebration held at Camp Allere in the town of Salvador.

The 35th Infantry Battalion headed by Lieutenant Colonel Ferdinand Razalan covers 13 towns in Lanao del Norte - Bacolod, Maigo, Kolambugan, Tubod, Baroy, Lala, Kapatagan and Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Tangkal, Magsaysay, Sapad, Nunungan and Salvador. And it has been able to maximize the impact of its civil-military initiatives which have consequently isolated the threat groups in the towns and further improve the security situation of the province.

Razalan has been largely credited for implementing the so-called Community Organizing for Development thru Empowerment (CODE) concept.

Prior to the anniversary culmination program, several activities have been launched with the support of the local government units, line government agencies, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders. These activities include blood-drive, medical civic action programs in Nunungan and Magsaysay towns; squad challenge, and an inter-company basketball tournament.

“The evolving role of the soldier reflects his dynamic response to the subtle mutations of his adversary. The colorful history of the Makamandag Battalion is testament to this evolution. And the peace and security that our people now enjoy are the sweet fruits of the heroic of the 35th Infantry Battalion,” Dimaporo said.

Present also during the culmination program were the Provincial Legal Officer Jonathan Puno and Major General Romeo Lustestica, commander of the 1st Infantry Division. (With a report from Becky de Asis)

2 soldiers killed in Mindanao ambush

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 18, 2009) – Suspected Moro rebels ambushed an army patrol in the southern Philippines, killing two soldiers and wounding two more, the army said on Wednesday.

It said the attack occurred late Tuesday near the village of Sandor in Lanao del Norte’s Balo-i town, where Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels are actively operating.

There were no reports of enemy casualties, but MILF attacks in the province were not uncommon. Rebel forces were also blamed for previous attacks against military targets in the province.

It was unknown what triggered the attacks, but rebels have been harassing government soldiers in Lanao del Norte in recent months. There was no immediate statement from the MILF about the attack.

Security forces in the area have been tracking down a senior MILF leader Abdurahman Macapaar who led rebel forces in attacking civilian targets last year after the failed signing of the Muslim homeland deal with government peace negotiators.

The failed signing of the homeland deal led to the collapse of the peace talks.

President Gloria Arroyo opened peace talks with the MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for independence in the restive region. (Merlyn Manos)

MILF leader yields to government in Mindanao

Pantao Ragat Mayor Eleanor Lantud of Lanao del Norte, left, presents a Moro Islamic Liberation Front political leader and financier Hadji Ali Batua Gandamatu, who handed over an MP9 sub-machinegun to Colonel Benito de Leon, commander of the Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade during a ceremony on Friday, February 13, 2009. Mayor Lantud facilitated Gandamatu’s defection to the government. The rebel leader, political government chairman of Saber-Sa-Rapadan Province covering Lanao del Norte, also swore on the Koran to desist supporting the MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group. (Photo contributed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines)

US military turns over school building to locals in Southern Philippines

Philippine and US military officials in Kauswagan town in Lanao del Norte province.

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 21, 2009) - The US government through their military handed over Wednesday to local authorities a P4.5-million newly constructed 3-room school building in Lanao del Norte’s Kauswagan town in Mindanao.

The town was previously raided by Moro rebels who burned schools and attacked innocent civilians.

US Army Captain Cristian Knutzen, of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines, together with Philippine Army Colonel Benito de Leon, of the 104th Infantry Brigade under the 1st Infantry Division, assisted Lanao del Norte Governor Khalid Mohammad Dimaporo, in the ceremonial turnover of the keys to the school principal of Kauswagan Central Elementary School.

This was witnessed by representatives of the Department of Education, other local officials, and school children.

Knutzen said the US-funded project was built in collaboration with the Philippine Government to help bring stability in the region. De Leon, the army brigade commander in the area, explained that the local military identified developmental projects in the province in consultation with local executives which eventually is nominated for funding by the US government.

He said the school building was among the other civil-military developmental projects being undertaken in the area with the help of the American forces.

Governor Dimaporo also thanked the military forces for their continued support to the Province of Lanao del Norte, and at the same time called upon his people to join hands to pursue peace. (With a report from Merlyn Manos)

Improvised Bomb Recovered In Iligan City

Police released cartographic drawings of suspects in twin bombings in Iligan City on December 18 that killed two people and wounded at least four dozens more.

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 21, 2008) – An improvised explosive was discovered Sunday in the southern Filipino city of Iligan, where two people were killed in recent twin bombings blamed by the authorities on Moro rebels fighting for independence in the troubled region of Mindanao.

The bomb, assembled from 81mm mortar, was covered in papaya, when it was found by scavengers at around 10 a.m. Police and military bomb experts quickly disarmed the explosive.

No groups or individual claimed ownership of the bomb, but security officials said the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels were behind the foiled attack and the twin bombings Thursday on two shopping areas that killed two persons and wounded at least four dozens more.

On Friday, security forces also recovered an improvised explosive hours after President Gloria Arroyo visited the bombing victims in Iligan City. The bomb was also assembled from 81mm mortar and concealed in a hollowed papaya and put inside a net bag and left at the Delecta Coffee and Bakeshop near the bombed area.

The bomb was discovered at around 4 p.m. by an employee and reported the matter to the police. The bag was left by two men who had a snack at the coffee shop.

Police released the sketches of three men, believed to be the bombers.

The discovery of the bombs coincided with fierce fighting between army troops and rebels in the town of El Salvador in Lanao del Norte province. Three soldiers were injured in the fighting, said Col. Benito de Leon, commander of the 104th Infantry Brigade.

De Leon said a still undetermined number of rebels were either killed or wounded in the clash in the hinterland village of Calimudan. The fighting lasted an hour. “Three of my soldiers were wounded in the fighting,” he said.

He said the clash erupted after patrolling soldiers were fired upon by about four dozen rebels. Sporadic clashes continue after peace talks between Manila and the MILF collapsed in August when the two sides failed to sign the Muslim ancestral domain agreement.

The deal would have granted more than four million Muslims their own homeland in the southern Philippines. The accord was unconstitutional, according to the Supreme Court. (With a report from Merlyn Manos)

Lanao Officials Hold Peace Dialogues

Peacemakers. Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo, of the 2nd Congressional District, and his son, Gov. Mohammad Khalid Dimaporo, Col. Benito de Leon, commander of the Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade and Chief Supt. Teodorico Capuyan, the regional police chief, hold peace dialogues in Lanao del Norte province.

LANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 23, 2008) - Government and security officials converged in the remote town of Magsaysay and held community dialogues in an effort to end bloody reprisals between warring Muslim clans in Lanao del Norte province.

The area where the talks were held Friday was the site of a recent atrocity triggered by clan war or locally known as rido. The practice of rido, particularly in the town, was largely blamed to disputes arising from business rivalry or being shortchanged in their deals which later worsened as blood debts that had widened into clan wars.

Just last week, Municipal Councilman Generoso Jamora was slain in what was believed to be part of a string of reprisals among the populace. The nearby town of Salvador had also been the site of another feud that resulted in the ambush of a group of Maranaos.

The dialogues were held by Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo, of the 2nd Congressional District, and his son, Gov. Mohammad Khalid Dimaporo, Col. Benito de Leon, commander of the Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade and Chief Supt. Teodorico Capuyan, the regional police chief.

The group later met with the locals and appealed for an end to the bloody feuds that had claimed lives and threatened to escalate into a bigger conflict.

Dimaporo directed the police authorities to speed up investigation of the Magsaysay incident in order to identify the suspects and charge them in court so as to prevent people to take the law in their own hands.

Defense Chief Orders Military To Help Refugees Return Home In Mindanao

Defense chief Gilberto Teodoro, Maj. Gen. Nehemias Pajarito and Col. Benito de Leon in Lanao del Norte province in southern Philippines on Sunday, November 16, 2008.

LANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 16, 2008) – Filipino Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has ordered the military Sunday to hasten the return to normalcy of the communities affected by the deadly rampage of Moro rebels in Lanao del Norte province.

Rebels, led by Abdullah Macapaar, launched simultaneous attacks August 18 after the failed signing of the ancestral domain deal between the MILF and government peace negotiators that would have granted more than a separate homeland for more than four million Muslims in Mindanao.

Teodoro, accompanied by army commanders, made surprise visits at refugee shelters in the towns Munai and Poona Piagapo, all in Lanao del Norte, to check on the conditions of the refugees.

Teodoro took time to find out the concerns of the refugees and spoke with them about their plight and vowed to bring these to the attention of concerned government agencies. Among the problems in refugee shelters were the lack of medicines, food and potable water system.

Teodoro also noticed the poor road conditions, inadequate schools and security assurances during military operations against lawless groups. He also assured the locals that authorities would similarly run after groups that threaten their safety in the same manner the military is now hunting down Macapaar.

"We are here to protect all of you," he told the refugees, who cheered Teodoro.
Maj. Gen Nehemias Pajarito, commander of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, who accompanied Teodoro, instructed Col. Benito de Leon, of the 104th Infantry Brigade, to help the refugees return to their homes.

Pajarito also appealed to the locals to help authorities in maintaining peace and order by reporting the presence of lawless groups. “This is important to ensure the safety and the restoration of peace in the communities,” Pajarito said.

De Leon said the communities are now secured from the lawless MILF groups after noting the absence of any atrocity for quite sometime as well as the successful conduct of special events and the smooth trips of visiting dignitaries.

Arroyo recently inspected a road project in the hinterland town of Nunungan. (With a report from Merlyn Manos)

Army seeks support of Lanao religious leaders

Catholic Bishop Elenito Galido and Army brigadier Benito de Leon during their meeting Friday, November 7, 2008.

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 7, 2008) - In a bid to secure support to dissipate the tensions of warring groups in Mindanao, an army commander met Friday with religious leaders of Lanao del Norte province for consultation on the prevailing security issues being instigated by some sectors to have cultural and religious undertones.

Col. Benito de Leon, of the 104th Infantry Brigade, met with Catholic Bishop Elenito Galido, of the Diocese of Iligan which covers Lanao del Norte province. Earlier this week, De Leon also had a similar meeting with Muslim religious leader, Aleem Elias Macarandas, at the Bishops-Ulama Office here.

Both Bishop Galido and Macarandas, who are members of the Bishops-Ulama Conference, welcomed the consultations as they were disturbed with the recent atrocities seemingly between Muslims and Christians, particularly in the town of Magsaysay.

On October 26, a group of Maranao residents were ambushed in Magsaysay town resulting to a number of casualties, and local militias called Ilaga, were being blamed for this violence. It was also alleged that this was the latest of a series of reprisals involving several groups in the area.

De Leon quickly deployed forces in the area to prevent further bloodshed. He said the 35th Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. Jose Faustino also initiated dialogues with the local residents in an attempt to reach out to the conflicting parties and resolve their issues peacefully.

“Both religious leaders manifested continuing commitment to activities that promote peace and harmony among the Christians and Muslims,” De Leon said.

He also assured them that the military will give due protection to all citizens no matter their cultural or religious affiliations may be. (With a report from Merlyn Manos)

Ambush kills 5 Muslims in Southern Philippines

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16 Killed In Fierce Fighting In Southern Philippines

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 27, 2008) – At least 15 Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels were killed in fierce gun battle Monday in the southern Philippines, officials said.

Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, a regional army spokesman, confirmed the fighting and said many rebels were killed and wounded in the skirmishes in the village of Diate in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province.

He said one soldier was killed and four others wounded in the fighting.“Reports on the ground indicated heavy casualties on the rebel side,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

But other military sources said as many as 15 rebels were slain and dozens more wounded in the clashes.

The MILF has said that fighting was raging in Maguindanao and other provinces nearby.

Authorities captured on Monday a senior MILF commander, Macaslang Angni, who was wounded in a gun battle over the weekend in Lanao del Sur province, where fighting also erupted Sunday.

He was captured in the town of Bacolod in the neighboring province of Lanao del Norte.

Angni was rushed to hospital under police escorts because of his wounds after being shot by soldiers in the leg and shoulder, according to a statement released by the Lanao del Norte provincial government.

It was unknown how the 64-year old Angni was captured, but provincial authorities said the rebel leader is considered one of the most wanted criminals in Lanao del Norte.

The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group which is fighting for self-determination the past three decades.

Peace talks between Manila and the MILF collapsed last month after MILF forces launched a series of deadly attacks against civilian targets in Mindanao over the failed signing of territorial land deal in August. (Mindanao Examiner)

US Troops Deployed In Southern Philippines Where Fighting Is Raging

Filipino leader Gloria Arroyo and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Military chief Alexander Yano inspect MILF weapons recovered by Philippine troops during a visit in Iligan City in Lanao del Norte province on September 18, 2008. (Photo by Rolando Mailo / OPS-NIB)

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 18, 2008) – US troops have been deployed in the southern Philippines, where Filipino soldiers are battling Moro rebels, government media reported Thursday.

It said US forces are operating in Lanao provinces and involved in humanitarian assistance and development, but were also helping the local military in fighting terrorism, the Philippine News Agency said, quoting Filipino army commanders.

It quoted Army Colonel Benito de Leon, commander of the 104th Infantry Brigade, as saying the US forces are also into intelligence purposes which is in keeping with an earlier agreement with the Philippines' supporting the global war on terrorism.

“American troops are based mainly in Zamboanga and just come and go in the Lanao areas for technical purposes in intelligence swapping with domestic counterparts,” he said.

Philippine troops are battling Moro Islamic Liberation Front forces in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur provinces after rebels launched a series of deadly attacks since last month.

The local military said US troops were already deployed in the province constructing water system and irrigation projects even before rebels, led by Abdurahman Macapaar, mounted attacks that killed dozens of civilians.

Another Filipino army commander, Colonel Rey Ardo, said US military engineers are set to begin water system projects in the towns of Lumbayanague and Masiu, scenes of previous clashes between soldiers and rebels.

“Tapping the vast Lake Lanao, the Americans saw the rich agricultural potential of several towns which are actually considered rice basin of the province,” he said.

The Philippine military said US troops are not allowed to join combat operations, but can engage rebels if they are attacked.

Fierce fighting on Wednesday in Lanao del Sur’s Calanugas town left seven soldiers and one MILF rebel dead and at least 7 more infantrymen wounded in separate MILF attacks.

Peace negotiations between Manila and the MILF collapsed after the aborted signing of a Muslim homeland deal last month.

President Gloria Arroyo also disbanded the government panel negotiating with the MILF and scrapped the territorial deal which would have granted a separate homeland for about four million Muslims in Mindanao.

Arroyo demanded the MILF to surrender three rogue MILF commanders Ameril Kato, Sulayman Panglian and Macapaar, who were tagged as behind the series of attacks before peace could resume.

The MILF rejected the demands and warned that a bigger war could erupt in the restive region if Manila continues its offensive. More than half a million people have been affected by the fighting since last month.

Peace talks last year were also stalled after Manila reneged on the same territorial deal. Malaysia, which is brokering the negotiations, blamed the Arroyo government for stalling the seven-year old peace talks. (Mindanao Examiner)

Rebels, Troops Hurl Accusations At Each Other As Fighting Continues In Southern Philippines

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 30, 2008) – Philippine Muslim rebels fighting government forces accused the military Saturday of preventing food aid from reaching refugees in the troubled region of Mindanao.

Radio network dzRH on Saturday also reported that troops were preventing aid workers from bringing food packs to refugees in Lanao del Norte province.

Eid Kabalu, a senior leader of the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front, said troops prevent international and non-government organizations from bringing food aid in Lanao del Norte, where security forces are battling rogue MILF members blamed for recent attacks on government troops.

“Soldiers are preventing food aid from reaching the refugees, who are hungry and sick from continued government offensive in the province,” Kabalu told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said fierce fighting in Lanao del Norte and Maguindanao provinces had killed at least 30 soldiers since Friday. “Fighting is going on in Maguindanao and Lanao del Norte and at least 30 soldiers are dead in MILF attacks,” Kabalu said.

He said fighting was raging in Datu Saudi Ampatuan and Guindulungan towns in Maguindanao and also in Lanao del Norte’s Poona Piagapo town, where troops had captured a major MILF base.

But Maj. Eugene Batara, a regional army spokesman, denied all Kabalu’s claim and said at least two rebels were killed in Friday fighting in Poona Piagapo town. He said eight soldiers were also wounded in the clashes.

Batara also denied the military blocked food aid in the province.” There is no truth to that report and as a matter of fact, we have been securing aid workers to protect them from rebel attacks,” he said in a separate interview.

The Arroyo government on Friday said it has abandoned the homeland deal with the MILF, although it would still continue negotiating peace with the country’s largest Muslim rebel group.

Government and rebel peace negotiators last month have initially signed the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain which would grant a separate home for Muslims in more than 700 villages in the southern Philippines.

But the Supreme Court stopped the signing of the deal after some lawmakers and politicians opposed to the accord filed separate petitions, saying, there were no public consultations.

President Gloria Arroyo, who opened peace talks with the MILF in 2001, has shifted in the basic premise of the government's peace effort after hundreds of rebels under Ameril Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar led a series of attacks in the provinces in Mindanao that killed dozens of civilians.

Arroyo said the change in the government's approach to end the Mindanao conflict was prompted by the atrocities committed by the MILF attacks.

Hermogenes Esperon, the presidential peace adviser, said the government will longer sign the ancestral domain deal. "We will not sign the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain, but will continue with further negotiations with the MILF to arrive at final peace deal," he said.

It was unclear how this would affect the peace talks, but the MILF has repeatedly said that it would no longer negotiate the homeland deal after peace negotiators initialed the agreement last month in Malaysia, which is brokering the negotiations.

Kabalu said the MILF leadership will have to decide whether to continue the peace talks with Manila or not.

The MILF previously warned that a bigger war is likely to erupt should the peace talks totally fail. It blamed hawkish factions in the Arroyo government and politicians opposed to the Muslim homeland deal for the skirmishes in Mindanao which is threatening the seven-year old peace talks.

Batara said the MILF should surrender peacefully Kato and Macapaar, but the MILF insisted it will not yield the two notorious commanders, both linked by government intelligence to the international terror groups such as the Jemaah Islamiya and the Al-Qaeda.

Manila also put up ten million pesos bounty for the capture of Kato and Macapaar whose forces had brutally killed innocent civilians and pillaged villages in the provinces of North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao.

Rebel forces launched the attacks after the aborted signing of the controversial ancestral domain agreement. The influential Organization of the Islamic Conference condemned the attacks. (Mindanao Examiner)

Troops Capture MILF Base In Southern Philippines

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 28, 2008) –Philippine soldiers pursuing Moro Islamic Liberation Front forces captured Thursday one of the rebel’s biggest camp in Mindanao as government offensive continue in the troubled region.

Officials said troops occupied Camp Bilal that straddles several towns in the hinterlands of Lanao del Norte, scene of fierce clashes between security and rebel forces.

But soldiers failed to capture two notorious rebel leaders - Ameril Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar – blamed for the series of attacks in Mindanao that killed nearly 200 people since last week.

More than 160,000 have been displaced by the fighting despite a cease-fire agreement between the two sides and the exodus of civilians still continue in many areas in Mindanao.

The influential Organization of the Islamic Conference on Wednesday appealed to Manila to halt military offensives in Mindanao. Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the OIC Secretary General, expressed deep concern over the recent outbreak of hostilities that is threatening the seven-year old peace talks between Manila and the MILF.

Hundreds of MILF rebels under Kato and Macapaar launched a series of attacks after the aborted signing August 5 of the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain between by peace negotiators.

The Supreme Court temporarily stopped the signing of the deal after some mostly Christian lawmakers and politicians opposed to the deal filed separate petitions.

The accord would have granted Muslims their own homeland in more than 700 villages across Mindanao. But the controversial agreement sparked a series of protests from residents opposed to the inclusion of their areas to the ancestral domain that will make up the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

Ihsanoglu condemned the rebel attacks against innocent civilians, calling it illegitimate acts conducted by wayward elements affiliated with the MILF, which refused to abide to repeated appeals by the group's leadership to maintain calm, peace and restraint in Mindanao.

Manila has demanded the MILF to surrender Kato and Macapaar and also offered P10 million rewards for their capture. The government also said it will suspend the signing of the ancestral domain agreement until the two rogue leaders are captured.

But Ihsanoglu expressed concern over the reports that the Arroyo government intends to freeze the memorandum agreement on the ancestral domain, which he said came about as a result of strenuous, long and sincere efforts by peace negotiators.

He said it is unfortunate to let undisciplined elements from the MILF determine the course of negotiations or halt the peace process.

"The Secretary General urged the parties to the conflict to rapidly return to the negotiating table and continue working together in the same positive spirit that led to the conclusion of the agreement."

"The parties need to preserve and build upon the accomplishments so far achieved in a bid to reach the just and durable peace desired by all," the OIC said in a statement.

Ihsanoglu praised Malaysia for playing a key role in the peace talks between the Philippines and the MILF.

Malaysia has been brokering the peace negotiations, but had already pulled out most of its truce observers deployed in Mindanao after accusing Manila of delaying the talks, although Kuala Lumpur extended the stay of a small team for the next three months to bring together the peace process.

Ihsanoglu said the OIC and other countries are supporting efforts to preserve peace and restore calm and stability in southern Philippines.

He stressed that the Manila and the MILF would work out a swift settlement to the current crisis that threatens to thwart the peace process and for both sides to refrain from giving extremist elements the opportunity to dictate their own agenda or determine the course of events in Mindanao. (With reports from Mark Navales and Merlyn Manos)

5 More MILF Rebels Killed In Mindanao Fighting

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18 MILF Rebels, 2 Soldiers Die In Mindanao Clashes

Brigadier General Gaudencio Pangilinan, commander of the Army’s 1002nd Infantry Brigade, inspects Monday, August 25, weapons recovered by troops from Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels during fierce fighting in the hinterlands of Maasim town. The military said 40 MILF rebels are killed in the fighting in Sarangani since Saturday. Red Cross volunteers also distribute relief goods to refugees in Sarangani. (Sarangani Information Office Photo by Cocoy Sexcion / Text by the Midnanao Examiner )

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 25, 2008) – At least 16 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters and two soldiers were killed as clashes erupted anew in Lanao del Norte province in the southern Philippines, officials said Monday.

Officials said the weekend fighting broke out in Poona Piagapo and Matunggao towns after soldiers drove away dozens of MILF rebels who occupied four areas in the village of Nunungan.

The fighting erupted barely a week after security forces regained control of several towns in the province also occupied by rebel forces. But the clashes last week left over 100 civilians dead and wounded and displaced more than 160,000 people.

Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, said 16 rebels and two soldiers were killed in the fighting in Poona Piagapo. He said two soldiers were also wounded in the clashes. Allaga said troops seized several small bases of Macapaar in Poona Piagapo and Matunggao towns. Sporadic fighting was also reported in Maguindanao province.

Security forces were hunting down two notorious MILF commanders, Ameril Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar, who led a series of attacks in the provinces. Manila also demanded the MILF to peacefully surrender Kato and Macapaar, but rebel chieftain Murad Ebrahim said he would not yield the two commanders.

He said the MILF is a revolutionary organization and is not sanctioned by Philippine laws.

“We cannot subject our members to the laws of the government,” he said, adding, the MILF has started its own investigation into attacks.

The Arroyo government is currently negotiating peace with the MILF, which is fighting the past three decades for the establishment of a separate Muslim homeland in the troubled island of Mindanao.

Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, a spokesman of the 6th Infantry Division, said more than 100 rebels also perished in clashes last week in the towns of Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Piang and Kabuntalan towns, all in Maguindanao province. Ando said soldiers also recovered assorted munitions, mortar rockets and anti-tank weapons left behind by fleeing rebels.

On Saturday, at least 40 rebels were also killed in day-long fighting in the hinterlands of Sarangani province, Gov. Miguel Dominguez, quoting military reports, said. He said troops also occupied several MILF strongholds in the province. The MILF said the fighting in Sarangani killed at least 13 soldiers.

The MILF warned the fighting could lead to the collapse of the peace talks. It blamed hawkish factions in the Arroyo government and Christian politicians opposing the Muslim homeland deal to the skirmishes in Mindanao.

Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, said his group will not anymore negotiate any amendments to the ancestral domain deal, saying, peace negotiators have initialed the accord last month in Malaysia, which is brokering the talks.

Press Secy. Jesus Dureza said if the MILF wanted to continue the peace talks, it should surrender the Kato and Macapaar. “The inaction of the MILF leadership will be construed as its tacit approval of the criminal acts of its commanders and will be a clear proof of the MILF leadership’s insincerity to pursue the conclusion of the peace talks,” he said.

“We want to continue peace negotiations but not at the expense of our laws. There is no all-out war in Mindanao. This is waging all-out peace in Mindanao. We have gone a long way for peace but not at the expense of our innocent civilians who seek vindication for the violence inflicted on them by those lawless MILF groups. Our peace-loving citizens expect no less,” Dureza said.

The rebels launched attacks after the aborted signing of the ancestral domain deal between the MILF and Manila. The accord would have granted Muslims their own homeland in more than 700 villages across Mindanao, but the deal also sparked a series of protests from politicians and residents opposed to the inclusion of their areas to the agreement that will make up the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

The Supreme Court stopped the signing of the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain after some lawmakers and politicians filed separate petitions asking the government to bare the rest of the deal with the MILF. (Mindanao Examiner)

23 Dead As Fighting Continues In Southern Philippines

An undated photo of slain Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels is released Sunday, August 24, 2008 to the selected members of the Philippine media in Mindanao. The Philippine military said more than 100 rebels are killed in fierce fighting in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

A photo released by Sarangani provincial government on Sunday, August 24, 2008 shows villagers who fled the fighting in Maasim town in southern Philippines disembark from a truck that brought them to a refugee shelter. Sarangani Gov. Miguel Dominguez says 10 rebels were killed in the fighting Saturday in Maasim town. Another photo shows teary-eyed Cherry Anne Ling as she sings "Only for you my God" to fellow refugees in Maasim town. (Mindanao Examiner)

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 24, 2008) – At least 25 government soldiers and Muslim rebels were killed as fierce fighting continued Sunday in the southern Philippines.

Intense fighting was reported the towns of Datu Piang, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, all in Maguindanao province and also in Midsayap town in North Cotabato, Eid Kabalu, a rebel leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“Government soldiers torched houses owned by Muslims in Datu Saudi Ampatuan and fighting is raging in the villages of (Datu) Piang and also in Midsayap. We still do not know if there are casualties,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

Ten rebels were also slain in Sarangani province after a pair of military attack helicopters pounded suspected rebel lairs in the outskirts of Maasim town on Saturday, according to Gov. Miguel Dominguez.

He said security forces were still pursuing the rebels under MILF commander Alu Binago, blamed for the August 18 attack in the town that killed two civilians.

He said soldiers were pursuing about 70 rebels. “We are gaining ground in surrounding the enemies (in Maasim town),” Dominguez said, adding, troops had captured several MILF lairs in three areas in the hinterland village of Pananag.

“Hopefully we will see justice is served to the innocent civilians who lost their lives in the recent attack in Maasim,” he said.

The fighting in Sarangani forced almost 2,000 families to flee their homes. Many are now housed in different refugee shelters across the town.

The MILF said no rebels were killed in the Sarangani fighting. It claimed that 13 soldiers were killed in the clashes.

Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, a spokesman of the Army 6th Infantry Division, said troops also occupied at least five MILF bases in Maguindanao province after fierce fighting in the towns of Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Piang and Kabuntalan towns.

Ando said soldiers also recovered assorted munitions, mortar rockets and anti-tank weapons left behind by fleeing rebels. “The operation will continue against MILF commanders Kato and Macapaar. The MILF should surrender these two terrorists peacefully,” he said.

He said the ongoing military offensive is aimed at capturing two notorious MILF commanders Ameril Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar, who led a series of attacks recently in the provinces that killed dozens of people, mostly civilians.

Manila also demanded the MILF to peacefully surrender Kato and Macapaar.

The rebels launched attacks after the aborted signing of the Muslim homeland deal between the MILF and Manila. The accord would have granted Muslims their own separate state in more than 700 villages across Mindanao, but it also sparked a series of protests from mostly Christian politicians and residents opposed to the inclusion of their areas to the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

The Supreme Court stopped the signing of the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain after some lawmakers and politicians filed separate petitions asking the government to bare the rest of the deal with the MILF.

Murad Ebrahim, the secluded chieftain of the MILF, said they will not surrender the two rogue commanders and warned that an all-war is inevitable if the peace talks with Manila totally collapse.

Ebrahim has ordered MILF members to stop hostilities in Mindanao, but fighting still continue between government and rebel forces in many areas in the troubled region with both sides accusing each other of violating a fragile truce.

"We cannot subject our members to the laws of the government," Murad said, insisting that the MILF is a revolutionary organization. He said the MILF has started its own investigation into the attacks.

The MILF has blamed hawkish factions in the Arroyo government and Christian politicians opposing the Muslim homeland deal to the skirmishes in Mindanao.

Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, said his group will not anymore negotiate any amendments to the ancestral domain deal, saying, peace negotiators have initialed the accord last month in Malaysia, which is brokering the talks.

Manila has issued conflicting statements about the Muslim homeland deal. In several occasions, President Gloria Arroyo’s spokesmen said the government has scrapped the deal after finding it unconstitutional and at one point claimed Manila would still honor the accord. (With reports from Merlyn Manos)

Army Assures Respect For Human Rights, Rule Of Law In Pursuit Of MILF Raiders In Mindanao

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MILF: Stop Hostilities In Mindanao!

WARNING: Contains graphic images. A suspected rebel, Miguelito Maglangit, is escorted by policemen after he was arrested Tuesday, August 19, 2008 in Kauswagan town in Lanao del Norte province in the southern Philippines, as Philippine Air Force soldiers load ammunition. And the victims of rebel atrocities in Lanao del Norte province in the southern Philippines where Moro Islamic Liberation Front forces under Abdul Rahman Macapaar alias Commander Bravo went on a murderous rampage. (Mindanao Examiner Photos / Mark Navales and Juan Magtanggol)

LANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 20, 2008) – The leader of the Philippines' largest Muslim rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Wednesday ordered two senior commanders to stop hostilities in Mindanao.

But the skirmishes still continue elsewhere in the region and fighting erupted Wednesday in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province where an undetermined number of rebels and a soldier were killed.

Authorities blamed Amiril Umra Kato and Abdul Rahman Macapaar, blamed for deadly attacks in the provinces.

The fighting and rumors of impending rebel attacks also forced government officials to suspend classes and many commercial establishments closed in several towns in Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Norte on Wednesday.

Manila also offered P10 million bounties for the capture of the two rebel commanders, who led hundreds of fighters in attacking the provinces of North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat provinces that left dozens of civilians dead and wounded.

Murad Ebrahim, the secluded chieftain of the MILF, also ordered an investigation into the hostilities committed by the two rebel commanders.

But Ebrahim also blamed the Arroyo government for the escalation of hostilities in Mindanao brought about by the failed signing of the ancestral domain agreement.

"This could be the beginning of war if not properly handled. But there is still a chance in going back to the peace as long as both parties will implement utmost restraint in order to hold back the situation," he said.

The MILF, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila, said the attacks were carried out by rebels disgruntled over the slow pace of the talks and the failure of both sides to sign the ancestral domain agreement.

Peace negotiators have reached a deal in July on the ancestral domain, but the Supreme Court stopped the formal signing of the accord after politicians and lawmakers opposed to the deal filed their petitions and asking Manila to make public the rest of the agreement.

Ancestral domain is the single most important issue in the peace negotiations before the rebel group can reach a political settlement with the Philippine government.

Manila said there is need to amend the Constitution to allow plebiscite on areas under the ancestral domain that would make up the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity and give Muslims their own homeland.

Ebrahim said the MILF will sanction the two rebel leaders and that there is no need for the government to issue warrants for their arrest.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said Kato and Macapaar and their followers are being hunted by security forces in connection to the attacks. "These men have committed criminal activities and they are being pursued and they must be tried in accordance with our criminal justice system," he said.

"The apprehension and eventual trial of Umra Kato and Commander Bravo cannot be made as any precondition to the furtherance of the peace talks," he said.

Macapaar in a radio interview on Wednesday warned of more hostilities if the ancestral domain deal is not signed. He accused Manila of insincerity in negotiating peace with the MILF.

He also taunted the military to get him. "If the government declares an all-out war then we will also declare an all-out war. If they come and attack us, then we are ready to face them. We are prepared to trade fire until we are decimated," he told the Radio Mindanao Network by phone from a rebel base in Mindanao.

Macapaar also denied government accusation that his forces were behind the murderous rampage in the provinces. I have nothing to do with the attacks. It was carried out by the mujahideen, who are soldiers of Allah," he said.

He also said that his group strictly follows the MILF leadership as long as it adheres to the teaching of the Koran. "We recognize the MILF leadership and we strictly follow the chain of command as long as this is in accordance to the teachings of the holoy Koran otherwise we will not follow the orders of our leaders, but Allah," he said.

He said the mujahideen were frustrated by the failure of the signing of the ancestral domain deal and blamed North Cobato deputy governor Emmanuel Pinol, Iligan City Lawrence Cruz and Zambonga City Mayor Celso Lobregat for it.
"The mujahideen are so frustrated about the (failed signing of the ancestral domain agreement) because of the opposition of Pinol, Cruz and Lobregat," Macapaar said.

The ancestral domain covers the whole of the Muslim autonomous region which comprises the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Maguindanao and Lanao, including Marawi City. And some areas in Zamboanga Peninsula, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces in Mindanao and Palawan island where there are large communities of Muslims and indigenous tribes. And many politicians and residents in thse areas opposed their inclusion in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, has admitted that there are factions in their group which is skeptical on government sincerity to the peace process, especially after the failed signing of the ancestral domain deal.

"We have been saying this repeatedly, even right at the beginning of the peace process, that there are sectors in the MILF, both political and military, which are against in negotiating peace with the government because their argument is the government is not sincere in finding just and lasting solution to the problems of Mindanao," Iqbal said.

Iqbal said that Macapaar's group is so frustrated with the slow pace of the peace talks that they launched unauthorized attacks in Mindanao. "MILF members are so frustrated with what's going on. They believed that the government is insincere," he said.Former President Joseph Estrada also urged the Arroyo government to suspend the peace talks with the MILF and declare an all-out war following the series of rebel attacks in Mindanao.

During his presidency, Estrada ordered a massive military offensive against the MILF after the rebels failed to sign a peace deal. Mrs. Arroyo has ousted Estrada in a bloodless revolution in 2001.

Khaled Musa, a senior MILF leader, reacting to Estrada's tirade said: "Estrada has no more moral authority to speak on any national issues, saying that aside from being a convicted criminal – only conditionally pardoned - he proved during his presidency that he had no brains to run this country." (Mindanao Examiner)