18 April 2009

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under the 601st Infantry Brigade, 6th Infantry Division, Philippine Army indiscriminately launched several rounds of 105mm mortars toward villages in Datu Saudi and Mamasapano, Maguindanao as early as 5am today.

Artillery firings were launched from AFP detachments stationed at Datu Piang, Datu Unsay, Shariff Aguak, and Mamasapano, all of Maguindanao province.

According to field reports relayed to Luwaran.com, around 10 105mm mortars were fired in areas where they suspected of MILF fighters positions.

No casualty was reported. However, this sort sporadic shelling makes the foremost reason why until now displaced individuals still refuses to return to their communities of origin.

MILF reports said that the indiscriminate shelling was launched because of the failure of the AFP ground operations the past two days to locate the MILF guerillas.

“Because the government soldiers cannot find us, that’s why they fired mortars this early morning maybe with the hope that the mortars can hit us while we pray for Subuh (early morning prayer for Muslims),” a text report in vernacular said.

AFP troops had been conducting big ground movements and deployment in Datu Piang, Datu Unsay, Shariff Aguak, Mamasapano, Guindulungan and Talayan the past three days. More than 20 military trucks were used in these movements, reports said.

Three army battalions were conducting the ground operations, said a report. An MILF commander even conveyed to luwaran.com that the new commanding officer of the 601st Infantry Battalion gave a marching order to destroy all the MILF forces within his area of responsibility. The commanding officer was identified as certain Col. Jailani, believed to be a Muslim.

If the “destroy order” was true then this was the first of its nature as previous orders given were in the nature of “neutralizing the MILF forces only under 105th Base Command of the MILF.”

No assurance of safe return, rehabilitation program and fear of unexploded ordnance remain huge stumbling blocks for the return of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their communities.

These IDPs had been uprooted since the start of AFP operations in August 2008 against MILF forces in Maguindanao.

AFP operations against the MILF were launched after the government reneged on its obligation on the signing of the initialed Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain.