3 MILF commanders hunted for jail attack

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Police and the military have launched a massive manhunt for three commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who led the attack on the North Cotabato provincial jail in Kidapawan City before dawn Thursday.

A jail guard was killed while three others, including the jail warden, Redentor Marasigan, were wounded in the incident.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Ponce, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the three MILF commanders – Kamid Mangagta, Mong Balalay, and Alex Ganih – and their followers fled to the adjoining towns of Kabacan, Matalam, Carmen and Mlang after the attack.

Police said the separatist rebels swooped down on the provincial jail in an attempt to rescue their 12 detained comrades, among them Ibrahim Sacandal, one of the four founders of the Pentagon kidnapping gang, and three bomb makers that underwent training in making improvised explosives in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Gov. Emmanuel Piñol said he is willing to offer a reward from his personal funds for any information leading to the arrest of the attackers.

“They should be placed behind bars and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Piñol said.

Ponce said they have received information that the three MILF commanders who led the attack also took part in last month’s raid on Piñol’s banana farm in Tulunan town, where they killed several people and burned more than 50 houses of Manobo villagers.

Ponce said the MILF rebels who attacked the provincial jail belong to the same group that rescued detained foreign-trained bomb expert Datu Ali Sultan from the same jail two years ago.

More that 40 other inmates took advantage of that attack and bolted their cells.