Malik eludes arrest as soldiers surround rebels

From the Manila Standard Today (Sep 28): Malik eludes arrest as soldiers surround rebels

While several of his men either surrendered or arrested, and most of them killed, Habier Malik, Nur Misuari’s top commander of the Moro National Liberation Front rebels who are fighting government forces in Zamboanga City, continues to elude arrest.

Malik, the military said, was nowhere to be found when they arrested six more rebels after a firefight on Friday, the 19th day of the standoff since  Misuari’s men stormed the city three weeks ago.

 

Casualties. Soldiers wearing gas masks look at bodies believed to be MNLF rebels next to destroyed houses at the site of heavy fighting in Santa Catalina, Zamboanga City. AFP

The military, however, believed that Malik was still inside the “constriction” area amid reports that the rebel leader had already escaped to Sulu.

The six rebels were arrested during close-quarter battles with government forces in Barangay Sta. Barbara.

The rebels were later brought to the city police office where medical personnel attended to their wounds.

On Thursday, public affairs head Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala reported that 45 MNLF fighters surrendered to the military in Barangay Sta. Catalina.

Zagala said the 45 rebels were fighting under female commander Misba Baladji, 69, who was among those who surrendered to authorities.

Baladji said they were forced to surrender because of injuries and hunger.

The military said Baladji had taken over her dead husband’s position as commander.

Baladji said she was promised P15,000 by a “trusted deputy” of MNLF founding chairman Nur Misuari to join a so-called peace march.

The Philippine National Police said many of the MNLF fighters who surrendered Thursday also claimed they had been similarly “deceived.”

“Many of them said they were deceived,” PNP deputy for operations, Deputy Director General Felipe Rojas Jr. said in a radio report.

As the fighting rages, reports said elite forces from the Army and Philippine National Police have recaptured Friday morning the Sumatra area in Barangay Talon-Talon and some parts of the “constricted” areas in Barangay Sta. Catalina, particularly Lustre Street.

Helicopter gunships of the Philippine Air Force continue to unleash rockets and machinegun fires on a mangrove area in Bgy. Talon-Talon, where some MNLF rebels are believed to have taken refuge to resume their fight against government troopers.

Other reports said the MNLF continues to burn more houses, buildings and structures in the affected barangays.

Meanwhile, the military reported that 15 more MNLF fighters were killed by government forces in clearing operations which started 9:00 p.m. Thursday and ended early Friday morning.

Zagala said the MNLF fighters were killed during engagements in the “constriction areas” in barangays Sta. Barbara and Catalina.

No losses were reported on the government side, he added.

In Manila,  the Justice Department said it was readying charges of rebellion and violation of international humanitarian law against Misuari and his men, in connection with the on-going standoff in Zamboanga City.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima disclosed that a special team of DOJ prosecutors are helping the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in gathering evidence to strengthen the charges of rebellion  and violations of Republic Act 9851 or International Humanitarian Law against the MNLF rebel forces.

“The rebels who escaped arrest along with Nur Misuari and other commanders will be still be charged criminally,” De Lima stressed.

Since the standoff broke out before dawn of September 9, De Lima said the special body had been gathering evidence and conducting a probe into the on-going Zamboanga Siege.

The special body is composed of Assistant State Prosecutor (ASP) Niven Canlapan; ASP Aristotle Reyes; Prosecuting Attorney Cesar Angelo Chavez III; Assistant Regional Prosecutor (ARP) Ivy Damayo-Elvinas; and Assistant City Prosecutor Edwinlino Custodio.

De Lima said the  PNP had already filed  rebellion and criminal charges against 29 followers of Misuari who have been arrested or surrendered.

She added that those who were charged by the PNP were linked by witnesses to the conflict.

On Sunday, the PNP lodged the first batch of cases against Misuari’s followers for occupying communities and holding residents hostage.

At the House of Representatives, opposition lawmaker Rodolfo Albano called for a congressional probe on the “substandard” helmets being used by the government troops who are engaging MNLF rebels in Zamboanga City.

Albano said he would filee a resolution to demand Congress to look into reports that a military officer fighting for his life after helping a rescue operation in one of the areas in the war-torn Zamboanga died after a bullet passed through his helmet.

This developed as House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said that the House is able to raise about P3 million financial aid for the victims of the ongoing Zamboanga crisis.

“We have gotten P3 million together and we will also make an effort to fly to Zamboanga and hand it over to (Zamboanga Mayor Isabel) Beng Climaco, and at the same time, we are going to pass a resolution to condole with (the families of) and extol the fallen soldiers, which we will pass Friday,” Belmonte told reporters.

House Deputy Majority Leader Sherwin Tugna of Citizen’s Battle Against Corruption (Cibac)also expressed hope that the standoff between the government and the MNLF will be over soon. 

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