COTABATO CITY, 27 June — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday said it will file a formal protest against the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for violations of the existing cease-fire pact between the two sides in Mindanao.
Spokesman Eid Kabalu of the MILF the protest is against indiscriminate firing of at least nine rounds of 81 mm mortar bombs toward the civilian community in Barangay Indatuan in Kabuntalan, Maguindanao at about 2 p.m. on Monday afternoon.
"The shelling started when the military came to the area obviously to extend assistance to the group of certain Commander Bab, who was then earlier under attack by another group of armed men said to be his personal enemy," said Kabalu.
In its own report yesterday, the military said two separatist rebels were killed and three others wounded in a firefight triggered by a personal grudge between two rival guerrilla factions of the MILF.
The report said 70 fully armed followers of MILF commander Mangkang Malang "harassed" the residence of another MILF commander, Bob Panangala, in the village of Indatuan, igniting the brief gun battle. Two of Malang’s men were killed and three others wounded. The military said the encounter was caused by a personal grudge between Malang and Panangala.
But the MILF disowned Commander Bab. It said Bab was known for his notoriety in the community, having killed nine people since May last year. "In fact his attackers Monday early morning were said to be a close relative of the family he massacred and robbed on May 17, 2001," Kabalu said.
