Hostages taken in Zamboanga

[jadegil6]

As the standoff and crisis continues, ground, sea and air offensive by 4,500 soldiers and police has left about 40 insurgents still holding around 20 hostages, officials said. Assault troops have calibrated their firepower to protect trapped civilians, slowing down an offensive by an overwhelming number of troops, the military said. Fresh clashes killed an army commando and six rebels Thursday. Some of the gunmen set clusters of houses on fire in the hard-hit community of Sta. Catalina in an apparent effort to cover their escape, while 15 insurgents, all looking famished and exhausted, emerged from a mangrove and surrendered, police said.

Despite the remaining hostilities, life has crept back to normal in the port city of nearly a million people, with its international airport reopening to two commercial flights from Manila after days of closure and many downtown shops resuming business. A smiling President Benigno Aquino III, who has overseen the offensive since Friday, went to Zamboanga's airport to welcome the passengers. Facing reporters later, he said the rebels still had the option to surrender.

[jadegil6]

On September 9 in the most serious armed challenge to the Philippine government in recent years, Muslim rebels attacked the city of Zamboanga in Mindanao. They took over several coastal districts, burning thousands of homes and taking scores of civilians hostage, in protest at an impending peace deal with a rival Muslim rebel group. President Aquino flew to the area on September 13 to take direct command of operations, vowing not to leave until the gunmen are pushed back out of the city. Military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ramon Zagala said the armed forces backed their commander-in-chief Aquino's latest pronouncement that "this is almost over." Zagala told AFP."We will work hard to finish this soon." He said about 4,500 soldiers remained in the city to clear it of guerrillas after two weeks of deadly street battles that left hundreds dead or injured. More than 10,000 houses were set on fire, and 111,000 civilian residents fled the street battles, according to the civil defence office in Manila. The military said there are now just several dozen fighters left, holding at least 20 hostages in one neighborhood of dense clusters of homes. "We're now engaged in close-quarter combat, we are going from house to house, room to room", he said.

[jadegil6]

Officials in the Philippines said Saturday, September 28, that a three-week standoff between government forces and a Muslim rebel faction in Zamboanga City has ended. The standoff between fighters of a Nur Misuari-led faction of the Moro National Liberation Front began Sept. 9, with about 200 people being held hostage by the rebels. As of today, 195 hostages have been freed, 15 soldiers were killed, 183 rebels were killed, and 292 rebels are in custody. Security forces will remain in the area to search for more rebels who may be hiding in the area, avoiding or trying to elude arrest.
The standoff caused more than $4.6 million worth of damage to Zamboanga and thousands of residents were displaced during the fighting. The clashes in Zamboanga City displaced more than 100,000 residents and strangled the economy of what had been a vibrant trading enclave. The fighting resulted in the destruction of more than 10,000 homes, many reduced to rubble by heavy gunfire, and many set on fire by the rebels.
"The fighting might be over, but the crisis continues on as we have to face reality hence forward," Zamboanga Mayor Beng Climaco said Saturday.
The army's clearing operation will likely take about two weeks.
She thanked police and military forces "who are at the forefront trying to keep Zamboanga safe." The southern Philippine island of Mindanao suffers almost daily bombings, killings and kidnapping, but the recent fighting in Zamboanga took the violence to a level not seen in years and left the government struggling to maintain a fragile peace accord.

[jadegil6]

Fugitive Muslim leader Nur Misuari has been charged with Rebellion following deadly attacks by hundreds of his armed followers on Zamboanga City. Although he was not present during the attack, the government says they have proof that he ordered the attack. Three of his commanders, who are also fugitives, were also charged with Rebellion. The penalty for Rebellion is life in prison.
Hundreds of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fighters occupied parts of Zamboanga for three weeks, taking scores of civilian hostages and battling military and police in a bid to disrupt government peace talks with a rival Muslim rebel group. At least 244 people were killed during the 3 weeks of the attack, and over 10,000 homes were destroyed by fires set my the rebels. The violence was the country's worst since President Benigno Aquino took office in 2010.
Rebellion charges were also laid against 57 other MNLF members who were captured during the fighting that began on September 9.

[jadegil6]

The Philippine government has ordered a massive manhunt for Nur Misuari, chairman and founder of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), who has been pinpointed as the mastermind in the three-week siege of Zamboanga City that resulted in some 200 deaths and displacement of tens of thousands of residents.
A combined police and military operation is now ongoing in the province of Sulu, the southernmost tip of the Philippine archipelago, where Misuari and some of his armed followers are said to be hiding.
Earlier, a Zamboanga City regional trial court has ordered the arrest of Misuari, his trusted commanders and some 60 others charged with rebellion and violation of international humanitarian law. Aside from Misuari, most of the other co-accused are now in government custody.

Ariel Huesca, spokesman for the regional police command in Zamboanga City, said Misuari was actually among the fifth batch of suspects facing charges in connection with the attack on Zambonga City that started on September 9.
He said that with the fifth batch charged, the authorities have now brought rebellion and other cases against a total of 224 MNLF members and leaders in connection with the violence.
Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has expressed confidence that the cases filed against Misuari and his cohorts are based on evidence gathered and testimonies given by MNLF fighters who surrendered or were captured.
Misuari, a former professor of the University of the Philippines, organized the first Muslim rebellion in the Philippines in the early 1970s. In 1996, he signed a peace agreement with the government of then President Fidel V. Ramos and became chairman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), an autonomous entity which was created by the l996 peace accord. When Misauri lost his bid for a new term in the ARMM in 2001, he mounted another rebellion in Mindanao during which they also took civilian hostages. He escaped to neighboring Malaysia but was arrested and extradited to the Philippines on charge of rebellion. He was granted bail and acquitted for lack of evidence.

The Zamboanga siege occurred because Misuari was angry at the government of President Benigno Aquino which signed the framework agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which was formed by former MNLF commanders who abandoned Misuari, ironically for signing a peace accord with the government. Feeling ignored by the Aquino government, Misuari revived his bid for an independent Muslim nation in Mindanao, called Bangsamoro Republik, and created his own Bangsamoro Armed Forces as commander-in-chief.

According to intelligence reports, under Misuari's plan, the Zamboanga raid was just the start of similar attacks by the MNLF on Christian-dominant cities and towns in Mindanao.

While the search for Misuari is on, the Philippine government has announced a massive rehabilitation program for Zamboanga City which was heavily devastated by the 21-day siege.
President Aquino has committed 6.1 billion pesos (150 million U. S. dollars) in government funds for the rehabilitation of Zamboanga City.

He is also requesting 24 million U.S. dollars for the overall humanitarian operation, and the Japanese government has also announced a 2-million-dollar emergency grant aid to support relief and rehabilitation efforts in Zamboanga City.