July 17, 2000, The Philippine Star, 4 dead, 33 injured in Cotabato blast, by John Unson and Roel Pareño,

July 17, 2000, The Philippine Star, 4 dead, 33 injured in Cotabato blast, by John Unson and Roel Pareño,

A powerful bomb planted by suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels ripped through a crowded market in Kabacan, North Cotabato yesterday morning, killing four people and wounding at least 33 others. A second bomb was discovered several meters away but was defused, the military said.

The blast came amid reports that MILF military chief Al-Haj Murad had been killed in a military assault that led to the capture of Camp Abubakar, the separatist rebels' main base, in Maguindanao. Many of the injured in the bomb attack were in critical condition, military spokesman Capt. Noel Detoyato said. Sunday is market day in Kabacan.

"It could be the handiwork of Muslim rebels following the call for jihad (holy war) by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front," Detoyato said. Police said one of the fatalities, 10-year-old Ariel Sanchez, died on the spot. Another victim, a woman, died in the hospital.

MILF leader Hashim Salamat called for a jihad against the government following the capture of Abubakar on July 9. He had also ordered his troops to intensify attacks against vital government installations and vulnerable public targets in a "flexible warfare."

Salamat's failure to rally Muslims against the government drew the ire of MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu to brand those who refused to heed Salamat's call for jihad as "hypocrites." "The problem is that there are Muslims who are only living by the name," Kabalu said. Detoyato said soldiers are now tracking down the bombers and security was tightened in the area.

North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol has offered reward money for information that could to the arrest of the bombers. "We should not take this heinous offense sitting down," he said. Ordnance experts said the improvised explosive was an 81-mm. mortar rigged to a timing device, similar to those used in previous bombings by suspected MILF rebels. It went off at about 8:30 a.m., sending a deadly hail of shrapnel, and triggered a stampede.

"I condemn this attack against the civilians and I challenge the MILF to come forward and face authorities," Kabacan Mayor Wilfredo Bataga said, taunting the rebels to target the military. The bombing is the fourth in North Cotabato since April.

Known for his tough stance against the MILF, Bataga survived two MILF ambushes this year. "They cannot intimidate me. I am always ready to fight back," he said. Defense and military officials downplayed Salamat's call to arms, saying the majority of Muslims in the country do not support the MILF.

Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado still believes "we'll be able to negotiate" a peace settlement with the MILF despite the heightened Muslim insurgency. Last Saturday, the government issued "safe conduct passes" to 20 MILF leaders in an attempt to restart the stalled peace negotiations. This would allow MILF leaders to move freely, but they would be arrested if they commit crimes.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Angelo Reyes said Muslim leaders, during a recent conference in Manila, assured the government that they would not support Salamat's call. "This call for jihad will not get our Muslim brothers' support. What they want is peace," a statement quoted Reyes as saying.

"Conducting terrorist acts for secession is a criminal activity. If you invoke religion to support a criminal activity, that is not right," he stressed. Kabalu clarified that Salamat's call did not mean a holy war or a campaign against Christians. "There is no holiness in war. War is violence," he explained. "This is an armed struggle. When we fight against oppression and injustice, then it is jihad."

President Estrada ordered the assault on Abubakar, a 10,000-hectare self- sustaining camp, after the rebels rejected a June 30 deadline for them to lay down their arms and accept a peace deal that included limited autonomy. Murad was last seen rallying his troops during the military offensive against their headquarters.

He "was hit at his residence...and reportedly died during the intense bombing and airstrikes" on Abubakar, a military report from an army division in Maguindanao said. A rebel survivor, whom the military identified only as Salit, relayed the information, the report said.

The military is checking reports of his death, which Kabalu dismissed as "simple propaganda designed to sow confusion between and among the Bangsamoro (Muslim) people." Kabalu, however, could not give a specific answer on Murad's whereabouts. Salamat and other MILF top leaders were able to slip out of the country but would be returning soon, he said.

If the report about Murad's death is true, it would deal a significant blow to the MILF, whose thousands of fighters are on the run following the fall of Abubakar.

Former President Fidel Ramos, a former general whose administration concluded a ceasefire in 1997 with the MILF, warned that the government's tough stance against rebels would force them to switch to guerrilla warfare and terrorist tactics.

Malacañang said they already anticipated that and are prepared to meet the threat. Troops in Abubakar are bracing for an MILF counterattack. --By John Unson and Roel Pareño, with reports from AFP, AP, Allen Estabillo