Two
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) military integrees killed in Thursday’s
battle against radical Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters(BIFF) in Midsayap, North Cotabato , would be conferred with posthumous
citations, the Army’s Sixth Infantry Division (6ID) here, said.
“The
slain soldiers displayed exemplary bravery in safeguarding peace. They deserve
the awards,” Col. Dickson Hermoso, 6th ID spokesperson, said.
Hermoso
identified the fatalities as Pfcs. Merham Dalimbang and Marlie Kalilangan, both
Muslims and integrated with the Army’s 40th Infantry Battalion in the area.
He
added that six other soldiers, identified as Sgts. Jose Navarro and Dante
Alfonso; Cpl. Darwin Timbang; and Pfcs. Jeffrey Daza, Ronnie Abas and Melron
Balolong, were wounded in same incident.
An
update said a dozen BIFF rebels were killed in the running gun battle that
lasted for 12 hours.
The
rebels, armed with high-powered assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades,
simultaneously attacked on Thursday dawn the detachments of the 40th IB in
Barangay Polomogen in Midsayap and Makabimban in adjacent Northern
Kabuntalan , Maguindanao, forcing over a 1,000 civilian families to
flee their homes.
Government
troopers held their position throughout the duration of the firefight, forcing
the rebels to withdraw later due to heavy casualties.
Hermoso
said Dalimbang and Lalilangan, who were both part of a military reinforcement
dispatched to the site of battle, were felled by rebel fire who set up an
ambush along the road leading to Polomogen.
The
slain soldiers were part of some 7,100 MNLF members integrated into the Armed
Forces of the Philippines as part of the provisions of the Sept 2, 1996
GRP-MNLF final peace accord.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=683344
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