The military here has condemned the atrocities carried out
by outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in three areas in Central Mindanao on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day even
as it vowed to intensify manhunt against the bandits.
Capt. Joanne Petinglay, spokesperson of 6th Infantry
Division, said pursuit operations against the bandits would continue. She also
appealed to peace-loving citizens to help authorities thwart destabilization
attempts.
On Thursday, about 300 BIFF simultaneously attacked
Christian villages in Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat and three communities in Datu
Abdullah Sangki town in Maguindanao, killing eight civilians they took as
hostages when government forces responded.
Four BIFF rebels were also killed when government forces
chased the attackers in the mountains of adjoining towns of Esperanza and
Abdullah Sangki. Four firearms of slain bandits were recovered by pursuing
forces.
Army bomb disposal teams also defused four improvised bombs
left by BIFF in and around the area where the civilians were killed.
Lt. Colonel Ricky Bunayog, 33rd Infantry Battalion
Commander, said about 300 men carried the attacks and are now the subject of
massive manhunt.
“We already warned the civilians in areas identified to be
vulnerable to BIFF atrocities, I hope they will cooperate with the security
sectors,” Petinglay told Radio DXMS-AM.
Almost simultaneously, separate band of BIFF attacked
Barangay Simsiman, Pigcawayan, North Cotabato
on Christmas Eve.
Led by Commander Alamada Abonawas, the BIFF fired a rifle
grenade toward the house of Robert Lerado, village councilman of Barangay
Simsiman, killing him on the spot, raising the death toll to 13, nine civilians
and four BIFF.
After attacking villages in the borders of Maguidnanao and Sultan
Kudarat, the BIFF also stormed the village
of Malagakit , also in Pigcawayan, North Cotabato , firing at a Catholic chapel where a
midnight mass was on going.Churchgoers scampered for safety but nobody was
hurt.
Also on December 24, at about 9 p.m. another group of BIFF
stormed a detachment of 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion in Barangay Dapiawan,
Datu Saudi Ampatuan in Maguindanao. No casualty was reported.
Colonel Bunayog said government forces had difficulty
retrieving the remains of slain farmers due to improvised bombs planted by BIFF
before fleeing.
“One of the field commanders of the BIFF was killed that is
why they were so brutal on civilians,” Bunayog said.
Bunayog said the fatalities were all civilian farmers and
not para-military troops as claimed by the BIFF.
Capt. Petinglay assured the national highways linking Cotabato City
to Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City to Davao
Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, chief government peace
negotiator, in a statement, expressed solidarity with the families of the slain
civilians.
“We commiserate with the families of the nine civilians who
were summarily executed by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in
separate incidents over the last few days,” she said.
“The BIFF’s sporadic attacks indicate an attempt to gain
momentum for their bid to destabilize the situation in these areas and garner
attention for themselves and their flagging cause,” Ferrer said.
Ferrer said she was sad that the soldiers had to cancel
celebrating the holiday season to respond to situations. “We pray for the
safety of our soldiers who, instead of humbly celebrating the holiday season in
their remote posts, have been mobilized to prevent the hostile group from
wreaking more harm on the populace.”
Ferrer said prayers are offered for strength and safety of
civilians who are exposed to the danger of on-going hostilities.
To the BIFF, Ferrer asked the armed band “to reconsider
their violent ways and take heed of the people’s desire for peace and normalcy
in their lives.”
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=841435
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