By Florante S. Solmerin

TWO suspected members of the defunct Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) were killed and one government trooper was wounded so far as firefight erupted in an island occupied by the marauding rebels since Saturday in Palawan.



Military spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the firefight started minutes after sunset Tuesday after the rebels failed to comply with agreed upon terms to voluntarily surrender and lay down their arms to avoid being assaulted.

“The Marines made the assault because the rebels did not leave the area before sunset yesterday. The fighting is ongoing,” Brawner said.

Brawner assured there was no presence of civilians anymore in the site of the firefight.

“They already evacuated since the armed men arrived,” he said.

Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, spokesman of the Philippine Navy and Marines, said the fighting was in Sitio Marabon in Matanguele Island in Balabac town.

“We’ve information that the armed men were members of the MNF numbering 30 to 40, armed with high-powered firearms. They occupied the place last Saturday and held hostage some of the villagers but were later released them. We don’t know if ransom was paid for their released,” he said.

He identified the leader of the group as Abdullah Abdurajak alias Commander Po Guru, who, according to the police had three arrest warrants for illegal possession of firearms.

“They suffered two casualties and our soldiers captured two of them. One of our soldiers was wounded,” Arevalo said.

Until now, Arevalo said MNLF founder Nur Missuari could not confirm nor deny the group of Abdurajak were members of the MNLF.

“Mayroon na pong impormasyon na kinukumpirma na ni Nur Missuari kung talagang MNLF ang mga ito. But we’ve to act with dispatch,” he said.

In September 1996, the MNLF signed a peace pact with the government.

But in November 2001, then MNLF chair Nur Misuari waged a mini-rebellion in Sulu, prompting authorities to file rebellion charges against him.

Misuari has since been replaced and is on house arrest pending resolution of his case.

To prevent the armed from escaping, Arevalo said three Navy patrol gunboats were deployed around the island along with platoons of Special Forces from the Navy.