Still-unidentified armed men ambushed the group of Umbra Kato in Shariff Kabunsuan on Tuesday, seriously wounding the rogue commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and killing two of his men, a regional military spokesman said on Wednesday.

                Maj. Armand Rico, spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said the armed men waylaid Kato and his men in the town of Mother Kabuntalan on Tuesday afternoon, wounding the rebel commander and killing two of his men, one of whom was identified as a certain Monib.

                Rico said they were still gathering additional information about the ambush.

                The incident was confirmed by the mayor of Mother Kabuntalan in an interview by radio station dzBB in Manila.

                The local chief executive, who also appealed for help for his displaced constituents, said Kato and about 30 of his men were fired upon by elements of the Charlie company of the Army’s 64th Infantry Battalion, while they were onboard a pump boat.

                Kato is the commander of the 105 Base Command of the MILF, which was driven out of the 15 barangays in North Cotabato last week by soldiers and policemen. The barangays were taken and illegally occupied by the rebels for nearly two months.

                The ambush of Kato was also confirmed by Director General Avelino Razon Jr., chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), citing intelligence reports.

                However, Razon said the national headquarters is still trying to get additional reports on the incident from its men on the ground.

                The PNP chief also said they have strong evidence to hold Commander Bravo accountable over the attacks in Lanao del Norte, which resulted in the death of more than 30 people, including Army Lt. Col. Angel Benitez.

                He said police investigators, led by Director Jefferson Soriano, chief of the directorate for investigation and detective management, are still in the province collating evidence on charges that would be filed against Bravo.

                Bravo, commander of the 102 Base Command of the MILF, denied leading the attacks in Lanao del Norte in an interview by radio station dzXL, but pointed to mujahideens or holy warriors.

                He said the warriors, who he did not identify, along with their leader were allegedly frustrated over the aborted signing of the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain.

                Bravo said three local leaders, Mayors Celso Lobregat of Zamboanga City and Lawrence Cruz of Iligan and North Cotabato Vice Gov. Emmanuel Piñol and the Supreme Court, should be blamed for the attacks after they moved to stop the signing.

                Maj. Gen. Hilario Atendido, commander of Task Force Tabak, called Bravo a liar.

                “If you believe his claims, it’s up to you,” he told defense reporters. “But he is a liar.”

                Maj. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino, commanding general of the Philippine Marines, alerted the Marine Battalion Landing Team-8 based in Zamboanga del Sur against possible attacks by the MILF.

                Dolorfino said he had ordered the Marines to beef up security in the towns of Siocon and Siraway following intelligence reports that the rebels may also siege the towns.

                Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Mark Antonio Supnet, commander of the 104th Infantry Brigade, turned emotional during the meeting of the local peace and order council in Lanao del Norte on Wednesday, after the military was accused of moving slow in its defense of the province.

                “I was expecting that they would say, ‘Thank you 104th Brigade for protecting Iligan City.’ I was not expecting that they would say the military did not do its job in protecting them,” he lamented during the meeting, which was attended by local and police and military officials and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.

                Supnet, walked out in the middle of the meeting, but his colleagues who followed him outside the venue prodded him to return. He returned crying.

                The military official, who led the defense of the province during the siege, said no one can accuse them of not defending Lanao del Norte and its residents, as he recited some of the actions that he and his men have taken.

“You tell us the military was slow in moving? We do not expect that. I will not accept allegations that the soldiers did nothing in Iligan. I accept full responsibility for what’s happening in Lanao, but don’t tell that your AFP is not moving,” Supnet said. --R. Acosta

‘Karen’ kills five in the North

Five people were killed while another one was declared missing as Typhoon Karen battered the whole of Northern Luzon on Tuesday, disaster officials said.

6 injured in Zambo grenade explosion

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Six people were injured in a grenade explosion Wednesday night in downtown Zamboanga City.

PNP files 61 cases vs MILF leaders

The Philippine National Police (PNP) filed 61 separate criminal complaints against leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who were responsible for the pillage of several barangays in North Cotabato.

Groups give ‘comment’ on MOA-AD issue

PIKIT, Cotabato—A group of church leaders, multisectoral organizations and people’s groups that would belong to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) should it push through also want their voices heard by the Supreme Court (SC) when the High Court hears arguments on August 22 on the controversial memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD).

Bandits kill Marine officer, woman

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Gunmen believed to be Abu Sayyaf bandits killed an officer of the Philippine Marines in an ambush Tuesday in the island province of Sulu, where troops are hunting down the remaining leaders and followers of the bandit group.

2 students in condo robbery nabbed

Police arrested two students for breaking into the condominium of a police colonel in Ermita and taking some P600,000 in cash, electronic gear and jewelry Monday night.

Kato wounded in ambush

Still-unidentified armed men ambushed the group of Umbra Kato in Shariff Kabunsuan on Tuesday, seriously wounding the rogue commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and killing two of his men, a regional military spokesman said on Wednesday.

Malacañang to foreign embassies: Govt-MILF pact signing shelved

Malacañang has informed heads of foreign embassies in Manila that it has to shelve its plan to sign the controversial memorandum of agreement  on ancestral domain with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) following “barbaric attacks” launched by the Islamic secessionists in parts of Mindanao.