Nur nephew surrenders; 114 MNLF rebels charged

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Police filed criminal charges against 114 gunmen in connection with the two-week siege of this city even as some 30 rebels led by the nephew of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founder Nur Misuari surrendered yesterday.

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Director Francisco Uyami said charges of rebellion, murder, arson and human rights violation under Republic Act 9851 or the Philippine Humanitarian Law were filed  against the 114 MNLF rebels.

Uyami said the charges were filed against the 114 rebels, including the 23 who surrendered last week.

Some 57 MNLF rebels were charged with the same offenses earlier Tuesday. 

Uyami said the CIDG started the filing of charges last Sept. 20 against the first batch of 25 rebels, followed by another batch of 22 last Sept. 22.

Uyami said the 114 rebels are those who were either captured or surrendered to the police and government forces.

“The operation is ongoing and we are expecting there could be more either captured or surrender on the ground,” Uyami added.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda added prosecutors of the Department of Justice were already in Zamboanga City to evaluate the evidence gathered against the MNLF chief.

“They will come up with an airtight case against those responsible. And once they are prepared to file charges, they will do so,” Lacierda said 

‘Smoked out’

As the police announced the filing of charges against the 114 rebels, Enir Misuari led the surrender of 30 of his men to the military.

Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, Armed Forces of the Philippines-Public Affairs Office (AFP-PAO) acting chief, said the rebels headed by the younger Misuari surrendered after government troops literally smoked them out of an abandoned building.

Cabunoc said the younger Misuari led the rebels that formed part of the group under MNLF commander Habier Malik, leader of the rebel offensive on Zamboanga City.

“The AFP confirms the bulk of Nur Misuari’s forces under Malik’s command have surrendered at around 10:30 a.m. (yesterday),” Cabunoc told a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.

Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II also confirmed the surrender of Enir Misuari and his men.

The rebels were forced to give up after being cornered by government troops in a building in the villages of Sta. Catalina and Sta. Barbara.

The troops succeeded in flushing the rebels out by using teargas and smoke grenades, Cabunoc said.

However, four rebels and a soldier were killed in the exchange of gunfire before the surrender.

The military said they have so far lost 17 soldiers after 17 days of fighting, while 147 others were wounded.

The AFP added five policemen were killed and 14 wounded.

There are now 12 civilian casualties with 51 others wounded.

The rebels sustained 110 casualties while 52 have surrendered and 171 have been captured.

Troops earlier captured a total of 37 rebels in separate incidents yesterday.

Officials said 26 rebels were captured while trying to escape the embattled zone of Sta. Catalina while 11 others were cornered separately.

Cabunoc said the surrender of the MNLF gunmen led by the younger Misuari left Malik with only a handful of loyal followers.

Initial information obtained from the MNLF fighters who surrendered said Malik was only left with six fighters. They said Malik has signified his intention to die fighting and even armed himself with an M60 light machinegun. 

“Our Tausug-speaking soldiers... are now using  loudspeakers to encourage the remaining attackers who have gone into hiding to surrender,” Cabunoc said. 

No more compromise

Malacañang maintained it could not possibly talk peace with Misuari who had proven to be obsessed in leading his faction to lay siege in Zamboanga City. “He’s not (Hollywood actor) Leo DiCaprio,” Lacierda said when asked to comment on the statement of Misuari’s spokesman Absalom Cerveza, who dared authorities to catch the MNLF chief if they could.

“We will use our government resources to do the right thing... Like I said, he’s not Leo DiCaprio...,” Lacierda said, referring to DiCaprio’s movie “Catch Me If You Can.”

– Aurea Calica, Jaime Laude, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Paolo Romero