Military assures civilians' safety

DALIAO, Maasim, Sarangani (September 14, 2008) – Traffic along the national highway traversing this coastal village was never disrupted even as government troops and an armed group were engaging in sporadic firefights the past two days.

However, Lt. Col. Edgardo De Leon, commander of the 73rd Infantry Battalion, said encounters had died down at 2pm Saturday (September 13) and assured residents of safety.

Going west, the highway connects General Santos City and Maasim poblacion to the towns of Kiamba and Maitum.

"Unta hangyo lang, kung pananglitan man na mag gyera, magpalayo lang sa sibilyan intawon," said Daliao barangay captain Abdulrajes Pangolima. "Mao nay pinaka the best na dili madamay ang sibilyan."

Pangolima recalled that on Friday noon (September 12) he just came from sambayang (prayer) when his constituents notified him of the presence of the military going to sitio Macao. After 20 minutes, they heard gunfire near a cellsite tower. The tower is some 150 meters away from a mosque.

The village chief said some residents told him that it was the group of armed men who fired first at the military.

"Haka-haka lang na may tinamaan na mosque, dito ko lang yan narinig pero sa totoo lang wala pang makapagsabi," he added.

De Leon said there was no mosque in the Friday engagement site which is a small area.

"Yong binabanggit po na mosque, wala pong mosque sa encounter areas kasi andon pa po yon malapit sa shoreline. Pinabubulaanan ko na may mosqueng pinagbabaril umano, wala pong ganun," De Leon said.

The military commander said the engagement area is contained just 700 to 800 meters away from the highway. "There's no mosque there. Hindi nag spill-over yong engagement."
"Hindi po natin pinabayaan na lumagpas sa highway yong encounter site. Dahil paglagpas po ng highway andon po yong barangay proper ng Daliao. Hindi ko po pinayagan na lumagpas pa ng highway baka madamay po yong mga civilian." De Leon said.

He said troops on patrol were checking out what residents reported as armed group. "Kahapon nga meron ngang nakita yong mga sundalo na humigit kumulang 20 armado don sa sitio Macao at ng nilapitan ng tropa natin don napo nagkaroon ng engagement or encounter," De Leon said.

"Yong armed group na yon di ko pa po masabi kung anong grupo yon. Baka mga bandido yon kasi wala naman dapat mga armed group dito, in-engage po ng mga tropa natin yong mga bandido," according to De Leon.

On the other hand, De Leon has assured the barangay captain that there was no need for Daliao residents to evacuate because they are protected by the 73rd IB.

"Wala pong naperwisyo so far," De Leon added. "Regular yong patrol kasi may persistent report, pag hindi namin ginawa yong pagpa-patrol, eh hindi naming ginagawa yong tungkulin namin. And the information came from civilians kasi gusto namin bumalik sa normal at takot na takot na sila. Una, hind kami naniwala na may armado don kaya nong nagpatrolya, meron nga talaga."

A military report said armed men responsible for the attack of Maasim town hall and police office was sighted and engaged by patrolling troops of 73rd IB Friday. The said group has been the subject of complaints by civilians who have virtually evacuated the area for more than two weeks already for fear of atrocities to be perpetrated by the group.

As 73rd IB troops were advancing into the hiding places of the armed band, firefights ensued "that killed twenty (20) LMG's (Lawless MILF Group) and wounded several others in Sitio Macao," according to the military report.

The military launched long-range patrols as a follow-up operation on the continuous hunt for those who attacked the PNP station and Municipal Hall of Maasim last August 18, killing two civilians and robbing several stores in the public market.

Armed groups have pillaged communities in Maitum town in June and held civilian hostages as they retreated towards Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat. Sarangani has remained to be peaceful until the armed groups believed to have come from different parts of the region, particularly from Cotabato and Palimbang launched terror actions.

Yesterday afternoon, a team from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Philippine National Red Cross arrived in Daliao to extricate the body of one of those killed in the encounter.

De Leon personally made the request to the ICRC.

De Leon said his troops brought down from the hills the body late yesterday. "He was positively identified by Maasim Chief of Police Insp. Joeffel Remudaro to be Yasser Benito, one of those who took part in raiding Maasim Police Station and filed with criminal case."

"Found in his possession are one pistolized carbine and one Cal. 45. Found in the site were one rifle grenade, one round of RPG (rocket-propelled grenade), two bags and one sack of belongings. The cadaver was brought by persons and vehicle of Maasim LGU (local government unit) to barangay Pananag," De Leon added.

The Maasim Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council reported that as of 8am Sunday (September 14) 781 families with 3,164 dependents are being given relief goods at evacuation centers. (SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)