7 MILF guerrillas, soldier, militiaman slain in clashes
Sparked by hostage-taking of bus passengers in Pikit
By: Bong Reblando
KIDAPAWAN
CITY — Seven separatist guerrillas, a soldier and a militiaman were killed in
clashes between troops and rebels, sparked by a hostage-taking of passengers of
a bus in Pikit, North Cotabato at dawn last Monday.
Gov. Manny Piñol of
Vehicular traffic has resumed but the
highway is closely guarded by troops and policemen at key areas.
The seven rebels were killed when two
OV-10 bomber planes and two MG520 attack helicopters unloaded bombs and rockets
at the guerrillas who withdrew towards Liguasan Marsh, Col. Cardoso Luna, 602nd
brigade chief, said.
Five civilians, including children,
were also wounded in the skirmishes.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said the
Bangsamoro fighters have to apply “guerrilla warfare” because the rebels cannot
match the troops, who are backed up by artillery, fighter planes and helicopter
gunships.
“The MILF is applying guerrilla warfare
tactics in fighting the military,” Kabalu said, “and we see to it that the
assaults are made at dawn or evening when air support cannot be used.”
Governor Piñol said the rebels were led
by Commander Pakil Ayunan, a fugitive facing strings of murder, cattlerustling
and robbery charges. They sneaked into the village under cover of darkness due
to brownout that plagued the area and attacked the militia detachment in
barangay Dalangaweng, Pikit.
In the course of the fighting, other
guerrillas blocked the highway with a truck hauler, and as a cruising Weena Bus
screeched to a halt, followed by a car owned by an employe of a softdrinks
firm, the rebels boarded the bus and herded the passengers to a nearby public
school building.
Army M/Sgt. Juanito Digno, who was
among the more than 20 bus passengers, was separated from the civilians and was
shot pointblank in the head in a firing-squad fashion. His body bore a small
poster: “I was shot dead because I am a soldier.”
The caliber .45 pistol of the slain
soldier was taken by the rebels, while the bus passengers complained that their
mobile phones, cash, jewelry and other personal belongings were seized by the
insurgents.
“The MILF rebels robbed the bus
passengers, while others harassed the militia detachment, killing one of the members,”
Chief Supt. Nestor Sañares said.
A member of the Civilian Volunteers
Organization of the barangay was also killed in the firefight as the MILF
rebels put up heavy gunfire, using rifle grenade launchers and assault rifles
before they captured the detachment.
The outnumbered militiamen led by
Anpune and Dalangaweng barangay captain Omar Unge withdrew from the detachment
even as reinforcement from the Army and Marines arrived and clashed with the
rebels.
For a time, artillery and air support
provided by planes and helicopter gunships failed to unleash their weapons as
the rebels used their hostaged passengers as “human shields.”