/ stevenwarran's Library/ Notes/ November 12, 2000, The Philippine Star, MILF attacks buses 1 dead 16 hurt, by John Unson,
November 12, 2000, The Philippine Star, MILF attacks buses 1 dead 16 hurt, by John Unson,
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November 12, 2000, The Philippine Star, MILF attacks buses 1 dead 16 hurt, by John Unson,
COTABATO CITY — Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels attacked two buses plying the Davao-Cotabato route at dawn yesterday, killing a passenger and wounding 16 other commuters in another atrocity the separatist guerrillas perpetrated even as they insisted they were ready to resume peace talks with the government.
The attack came less than 24 hours after the bungled attempt by MILF rebels to take over the town proper of Upi, a hinterland municipality in Maguindanao, which triggered skirmishes that left three rebels dead, three civilians wounded and the near-kidnapping of a Chinese businessman.
Citing initial feedback, Maj. Julieto Ando, spokesman of the Army's 6th Infantry Division, said the rebel attackers, armed with M-16 and M-14 assault rifles and positioned on both sides of a portion of the Davao- Cotabato Highway in Pikit, North Cotabato, opened fire on two Wenna buses.
Ando said one of the buses, which left Davao City at about 2 a.m. yesterday, was crippled in the middle of the highway after the rebels peppered its tires with bullets. Initial radio reports said an unidentified passenger was killed and 16 commuters were wounded in the attack.
Two of those wounded, teachers Genalyn Caño, 25, and Marivic Cadis, 24, said they were awakened by the burst of gunfire directed at their vehicle. Among those rushed here for treatment of gunshot wounds were Benny Escudero, unit manager of an insurance firm, and Deo Cosare, conductor of one of the ill-fated buses.
"Merong isang namatay pero hindi ko sigurado kung lalaki ito o babae. Napakabilis ng pangyayari (Somebody was killed but I'm not sure if the victim is a man or a woman. The incident happened so fast)," said Caño, now recuperating at a hospital here. Junaid Adam, manager of the Wenna bus company, said the attack would not stop them from plying the Davao- Cotabato route. The MILF denied any involvement in the attack. "MILF guerrillas only target military positions, vehicles, detachments in carrying out their offensives," MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said.
Meanwhile, soldiers were still pursuing the Moro rebels behind last Friday's bungled attempt to take over the town proper of Upi in Maguindanao and kidnap wealthy Chinese residents. A combined team of soldiers, policemen and militiamen engaged the rebels in a running gunbattle, driving them back into the outskirts of the hinterland town.
Three rebels were killed and another guerrilla was arrested by pursuing lawmen, who also recovered an M-16 rifle, a caliber .45 pistol and communication equipment from the fleeing suspects. "Our mopping up operations are still going on," Ando said. The hostilities in Upi came less than two weeks after armed men snatched Arthur Yap, a Chinese trader, from his house in Nuro, the town's capital district.
Yap was brought to a nearby jungle where foot trails have reportedly been booby-trapped and mined to forestall any attempt to rescue him. The military said the rebels succeeded in snatching So Ken Soriano, a grains trader in Upi, but later released him after sensing that armed residents and government security forces had started to outmaneuver them.
Policemen and civilian volunteers, led by Datu Michael Sinsuat Jr., managed to drive the gunmen away and put a security cordon around the town proper, preventing other armed men sighted in nearby areas to launch further attacks.
COTABATO CITY — Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels attacked two buses plying the Davao-Cotabato route at dawn yesterday, killing a passenger and wounding 16 other commuters in another atrocity the separatist guerrillas perpetrated even as they insisted they were ready to resume peace talks with the government.
The attack came less than 24 hours after the bungled attempt by MILF rebels to take over the town proper of Upi, a hinterland municipality in Maguindanao, which triggered skirmishes that left three rebels dead, three civilians wounded and the near-kidnapping of a Chinese businessman.
Citing initial feedback, Maj. Julieto Ando, spokesman of the Army's 6th Infantry Division, said the rebel attackers, armed with M-16 and M-14 assault rifles and positioned on both sides of a portion of the Davao- Cotabato Highway in Pikit, North Cotabato, opened fire on two Wenna buses.
Ando said one of the buses, which left Davao City at about 2 a.m. yesterday, was crippled in the middle of the highway after the rebels peppered its tires with bullets. Initial radio reports said an unidentified passenger was killed and 16 commuters were wounded in the attack.
Two of those wounded, teachers Genalyn Caño, 25, and Marivic Cadis, 24, said they were awakened by the burst of gunfire directed at their vehicle. Among those rushed here for treatment of gunshot wounds were Benny Escudero, unit manager of an insurance firm, and Deo Cosare, conductor of one of the ill-fated buses.
"Merong isang namatay pero hindi ko sigurado kung lalaki ito o babae. Napakabilis ng pangyayari (Somebody was killed but I'm not sure if the victim is a man or a woman. The incident happened so fast)," said Caño, now recuperating at a hospital here. Junaid Adam, manager of the Wenna bus company, said the attack would not stop them from plying the Davao- Cotabato route. The MILF denied any involvement in the attack. "MILF guerrillas only target military positions, vehicles, detachments in carrying out their offensives," MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said.
Meanwhile, soldiers were still pursuing the Moro rebels behind last Friday's bungled attempt to take over the town proper of Upi in Maguindanao and kidnap wealthy Chinese residents. A combined team of soldiers, policemen and militiamen engaged the rebels in a running gunbattle, driving them back into the outskirts of the hinterland town.
Three rebels were killed and another guerrilla was arrested by pursuing lawmen, who also recovered an M-16 rifle, a caliber .45 pistol and communication equipment from the fleeing suspects. "Our mopping up operations are still going on," Ando said. The hostilities in Upi came less than two weeks after armed men snatched Arthur Yap, a Chinese trader, from his house in Nuro, the town's capital district.
Yap was brought to a nearby jungle where foot trails have reportedly been booby-trapped and mined to forestall any attempt to rescue him. The military said the rebels succeeded in snatching So Ken Soriano, a grains trader in Upi, but later released him after sensing that armed residents and government security forces had started to outmaneuver them.
Policemen and civilian volunteers, led by Datu Michael Sinsuat Jr., managed to drive the gunmen away and put a security cordon around the town proper, preventing other armed men sighted in nearby areas to launch further attacks.
In Basilan, two MILF rebels and a militiaman were killed in a clash in Tuburan town last Friday, according to Capt. Charlemagne Batayola, acting civil-military operation chief of the Armed Forces' Southern Command.
Batayola said the fighting erupted when militiamen led by one Antonio Tompong chanced upon five armed followers of the leader of Barangay Saluyod. MILF rebels later reinforced the armed men and a firefight ensued, lasting for 15 minutes.
4 Abu Sayyaf rebels killed
Meanwhile, the military said four Abu Sayyaf rebels were killed and scores were wounded when government forces bombarded their group, numbering about 60, with mortar shells in a remote village in Talipao, Sulu. Maj. Gen. Narciso Abaya, chief of the Army's 1st Infantry Division and concurrent head of Task Force Trident, tasked with going after the extremist group, said a soldier, Cpl. Leonardo Rodolfo, was slain, and another Army man, Cpl. Ormon Rebueno, was wounded in the clash.
Abaya said elements of the 59th Infantry Battalion were on combat patrol when they stumbled upon the lair of the 60 Abu Sayyaf rebels in Barangay Sungcal, Talipao town. Early this week, government troops seized another hideout of the extremist group in Talipao. Several rebels were killed in the assault.
Since the military offensive started last Sept. 16, about 174 Abu Sayyaf guerrillas have been killed, 224 have surrendered and 125 have been captured. The extremist group still holds American Jeffrey Schilling and Filipino dive master Roland Ullah hostage. Ullah was among 21 mostly foreign hostages taken from the Malaysian island resort of Sipadan. Except for him, the other captives have been freed. — With Roel Pareño
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