The military operation against Moro bandits in Maguindanao
had slowed down as the BIFF fled to the marshland and disintegrated into smaller
groups.
Local military officials are checking on reports, with the
help of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that some outlawed Bangsamoro
Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have joined the MILF or mingled with the
civilians.
While the operations have slowed down, Capt. Joann
Petinglay, speaking for the 6th Infantry Division, said the Army continued its
covert operations.
Civilians in evacuation centers refused to return home for
fear clashes will erupt anew.
Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Gregorio Catapang has
directed all military units to continue scouring and clearing small communities
used by the bandits and its foreign allies in the so called "SPMS
box."
"SPMS box" is a term used by the military on the
area where the BIFF operates. These are the adjoining towns of Shariff Aguak,
Pagatin (Datu Saudi Ampatuan town), Mamasapano and Shariff Saydona, all in
Maguindanao province.
Catapang said the SPMS box has been used by BIFF as haven
for terrorists and bomb making factory.
"We have to assess further, there may be more camps
down there, we will not stop here, we will continue hunting them down,"
Catapang told reporters.
Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Toto Mangudadatu believed the
massive military law enforcement operation has weaken the BIFF.
"All they can do is to hit and run, some have joined
the civilians in evacuation centers," Mangudadatu said even as he appealed
to civilians to provide the military and the police with the information about
the BIFF.
"I hope they can help because it will bring normalcy in
the communities. Once the BIFF is fully neutralized, then normalcy will be
restored in the communities and they can continue farming," Mangudadatu
told reporters.
No major skirmishes have transpired in the past four days of
the 7-day law enforcement operation but 11 towns of Maguindanao's 36
municipalities were placed under state of calamity.
With the armed confrontation waning, government relief
agencies have intensified its mission feeding the internally displaced persons
which, as of last count, was about 45,000 individuals.
Several units of the 6th Infantry "Kampilan"
Division have been conducting medical mission to the affected families in
partnership with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao's humanitarian arm -
Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (HEART).
"We are managing the evacuation sites. All government
agencies are present in every evacuation site to attend to their needs,
especially health and sanitation," Lawyer Laisa Alamia, ARMM-HEART chair,
said. "Food supplies are enough as of today," she added.
The all out law enforcement operation in Maguindanao has
already resulted to at least nine BIFF were killed, three soldiers wounded and
two BIFF camps captured.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=741945
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