Sulu Gov: "Military massacred villagers"

by Julie Alipala

Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan ordered the national colors at the provincial capitol in Patikul town flown at half mast as he accused government troops of killing eight civilians, including two children and a pregnant woman, in an island village of Maimbung town on Monday.

"We cannot tolerate these acts. We are condemning in the strongest terms these dastardly and barbaric acts by supposedly elite forces of the Armed Forces for killing innocent civilians," Tan said.

"We not only condemn the killings of innocent civilians, but criminal charges should be filed against the perpetrators of this heinous crime," he said.

The military had earlier claimed the civilians might have died in the crossfire of a “legitimate encounter” with Abu Sayyaf fighters in which three extremist and two soldiers were also killed.

The eight civilians who died in barangay (village) Ipil were identified as Marisa Fayian, 4; Rismi Lahim, 9; Narsiya Lahim, 24, who was pregnant; Arnalyn Lahim, 19; Sulaiman Acob, 24; Jamiri Lahim, 37; Ipil barangay kagawad (councilman) Eldishin Lahim, 37; and former Moro National Liberation Front rebel turned Army sergeant Ibnul Wahid, 35, who was off duty at the time.
"It was a legitimate encounter," said Major General Ruben Rafael, commander of Task Force Comet, the regional anti-terror task force. "As far as we are concerned, troops clashed with the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah."

2 more Transco towers bombed in Lanao
by Richel Umel

Two more towers of the National Transmission Corporation (Transco) in Marawi City were bombed early morning Monday bringing to 14 the number of the firm’s steel towers bombed since the start of the year, authorities said Tuesday.