Misuari declares war; 52 killed, 83 wounded

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari declared war on the government yesterday, leading his men in an attack on an Army headquarters in Jolo, Sulu that left 52 people dead and at least 83 wounded.

The attack was launched on the third day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and barely a week before scheduled elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) whose results are expected to seal Misuari’s political inconsequence, analysts said.

Out of the 83 who were wounded in the whole-day fighting yesterday, more than half were civilians caught in the crossfire.

Armed Forces Southern Command (Southcom) chief Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu confirmed that four government troopers and 48 Misuari followers were killed in the fierce fighting while 13 rebels and 27 soldiers, one of them an Army colonel, were wounded.

At least 43 more civilians have been hospitalized with shrapnel wounds at the Sulu General Hospital, the Associated Press quoted head nurse Fadzlur Abdullah as saying.

Cimatu said government troops, backed by an OV-10 plane and MG-520 helicopter gunships, successfully repulsed the attack although intermittent fighting continued until mid-afternoon.

In other developments:

• Misuari aide Abdurahman Jamasali admitted Misuari’s followers launched the attack to prevent the holding of elections for the ARMM set for Nov. 26.

• President Arroyo, who is on the final leg of her working visit to the United States, ordered the military to launch a full military offensive against Misuari’s followers but ruled out the need for the country’s security advisers to return to the country.

• Presidential adviser on the peace process Secretary Eduardo Ermita called for an emergency meeting with representatives of the MNLF and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to ease tension in the island province.

• Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Alfredo Benipayo expressed confidence the situation would improve before the ARMM polls and announced the elections would push through as scheduled.

• Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema, one of the 15 MILF leaders who ousted Misuari from the top MNLF post in April, heightened security in the city amid reports the city and Marawi are also targeted for attacks by Misuari’s men.

Meanwhile, the military held Misuari responsible for the attack and pledged to launch a counter-offensive against the former MNLF chairman who supposedly wants to derail the ARMM elections which would name his successor.

A prominent Tausug banker in Cotabato City, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The STAR there had been "unusual movements" among civilians in Sulu since Sunday afternoon.

The banker claimed Misuari’s followers had been preparing for the attack although it had only been three days since the start of Ramadan.

"It’s a deliberate plan to show the government that the MNLF still has teeth," said Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan.

But Cimatu said the Southcom was already in control of the situation although intermittent fighting still raged in some areas outside of the provincial capitol.

"We were able to score victories. We have stabilized the perimeter of Jolo," Cimatu said.

"We hit their headquarters. We hit their command and control and we have to continue the operations despite the deteriorating weather condition," he added.

"This is the handiwork of Misuari," said Southcom spokesman Lt. Col. Danilo Servando. "It has no connection with the peace accord but only because of his personal and vested interest."

"He has to face the consequences," Cimatu said, noting field commanders reported seeing Abu Sayyaf bandits fighting with Misuari’s followers during various encounters outside Jolo.

The Abu Sayyaf bandits and Misuari’s followers overran an Army detachment in Indanan, just outside Jolo, at around 4 a.m. and launched a mortar attack on the headquarters of the Army’s 104th Brigade, which is in Barangay Busbos in Jolo.

The Southcom chief called for an air strike on rebel positions around the brigade headquarters and ordered the bombing of the rebel stronghold in Indanan town.

Jolo Mayor Suod Tan said scores of civilians were injured in the crossfire and hundreds of people fled their homes near areas occupied by Misuari’s followers trying to close in on the Army camp.

Residents fleeing the scene said they saw Misuari followers occupy a school about 50 meters from the camp perimeter and fire mortars and M-79 grenade launchers.

Misuari himself has not made any statement on the attack although Jamasali admitted in a telephone interview with Agence France Presse the attacks were staged to derail the ARMM elections.

"The battle is between the MNLF integrees (in the military) and the MNLF forces against the Armed Forces of the Philippines," Jamasali said, adding that "simultaneous attacks" were planned in the cities of Cotabato and Marawi and Pikit town in Sulu.

Jamasali’s remarks bolstered intelligence reports that Misuari originally planned to stage similar attacks on key Mindanao cities, betraying the peace pact Misuari signed with the government in 1996.

"We have forewarned the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and its monitoring teams in the Philippines about the government’s violations of 1996 peace accord," Jamasali said.

Misuari had claimed next week’s ARMM polls, which would name a new governor, were a violation of the peace accord but a candidate from the larger faction of the MNLF is also running in the elections.

The MNLF splintered into two groups in April after 15 senior MNLF leaders berated Misuari for allegedly wasting the money which the national government had allocated for ARMM development.

The MNLF’s executive council later ousted Misuari from the MNLF chairmanship and replaced him with a "Council of Fifteen."

"This trouble in Jolo is not a good way of dramatizing any sentiment about the peace process. This will just create more problems," said Sema, a member of the Council of Fifteen.

Sema said he has ordered Cotabato City police and military to augment security measures amid reports that Misuari also intends to sow terror in the city.

"He (Misuari) does not want the new elections. As far as the executive council is concerned, he no longer has any role because he was ousted," MNLF executive council member Abou Amri Taddik told AFP.

He said Misuari "has done nothing in the past five years" as ARMM governor and had "neglected the problems of the Muslims."

In Washington DC, President Arroyo assured the situation in Jolo is now under control and the military can easily deal with Misuari’s followers.

"The military can handle it," the President said, noting that Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes was continuously monitoring the situation from Washington and has concluded there was no need to cut short the US visit.

For his part, Ermita said the government would report Misuari’s actions to the OIC which had brokered and is monitoring the peace pact signed in September, 1996.

"As (incumbent) governor of ARMM, he should act the way a government official ought to act and he should do something fit to his position. Unless the Comelec would declare that there is a need to postpone the ARMM elections, it would push through on Nov. 26 as scheduled," Ermita said.

The Comelec has announced the election would go on but it has also asked the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to augment security precautions in areas where the elections would be held.

"The ARMM elections will go on," said Benipayo, adding that while the attack on Jolo was serious, it was an "isolated case."

At the same time, the Comelec has placed under its control 10 towns in Lanao del Sur. — With reports from Paolo Romero, Jose Rodel Clapano, Perseus Echeminada, Christina Mendez, John Unson, Edith Regalado, Jose Aravilla, Rey Arquiza, Sandy Araneta