Rebels abduct 5 villagers in North Cotabato

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao — Moro guerrillas abducted five villagers as they fled after a brief encounter with soldiers in an interior barangay in Midsayap, North Cotabato early yesterday morning.

Lt. Col Julieto Ando, civil-military operations chief of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the rebels could have snatched the innocent civilians to prevent the military from pursuing them.

Ando added that hostilities in Barangay Polumogen started after sunrise when the rebels, said to have come from the Liguasan Marsh, intruded into a farming community in the area to collect revolutionary taxes. Soldiers, however, were patrolling nearby.

One of the rebels, identified as Mama Izla Bangon, was killed in the ensuing firefight, which waned only when five of the rebels were also wounded by Army snipers.

Local leaders in Midsayap said that to stop soldiers and militiamen from firing at them, they took civilians from nearby houses and used them as human shields as they fled.

Local political and religious leaders are now negotiating for the release of the five civilians.

According to Army commander Capt. Abdulmaguid Buisan, the rebels were asking that the body of their slain comrade be returned in exchange for the hostages.

Buisan said the military was willing to grant their request.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said he was still confirming if the raiders were real members of the MILF or gunmen posing as rebels. — With AFP