Fighting abates in Philippines; rebels pull out
By Manny Mogato
MANILA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Muslim separatists in the southern Philippines said on Tuesday they had started pulling out of Catholic farmlands after a fierce military assault on their positions that forced nearly 160,000 people to flee.
"Our forces on the ground are withdrawing from the conflict areas so we expect fighting to end by tomorrow (Wednesday)," Eid Kabalu, a spokesman for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), told Reuters. "We expect the situation to normalise."
Kabalu said fighting had subsided by Monday night after a two-day volley of bombs and mortars rained down on farms and villages in North Cotabato on troubled Mindanao island.
Manila has accused hundreds of MILF guerrillas of occupying the villages and had given them an ultimatum to leave.
Analysts said both sides were flexing their military muscles after yet another setback in long-running talks to end the near 40-year separatist conflict in Mindanao that has killed over 120,000 people.
Manila was keen to be seen protecting the majority Catholic population in the resource-rich south after details of its generous concessions to the MILF on territory, political power and mineral rights were leaked earlier this month.
Catholic politicians successfully halted the signing of the deal and legal experts expect the Supreme Court to rule within the next few months that the agreement was unconstitutional.
NO POLITICAL WILL
Some analysts said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had factored in the Supreme Court obstacle. Many believe she lacks the political will to transfer real power to Muslims in the south.
MILF commanders on the ground are outraged at the setback but analysts do not expect the current fighting to spread into an all-out war because neither side has the resources to issue a knockout punch.
The military has said 22 MILF rebels were killed since Sunday, including 15 on the island of Basilan, where guerrillas were trying to halt voting in local elections there on Monday.
The MILF has said five of its members were killed and three wounded in North Cotabato. It said it couldn't confirm the casualties on Basilan, which is around 200 km (125 miles) southwest of North Cotabato.
At least three civilians have been killed and three soldiers have been killed in fighting.
Nearly 160,000 people have fled their homes in North Cotabato and surrounding areas but disaster officials said they were still having trouble accessing them because of situation on the ground was still dangerous.
"Our problem now is we can't get in because of the security aspect, we are being prevented from going in by the International Committee of the Red Cross because of the unstable situation." said Richard Gordon, head of the Philippine Red Cross.
"But we are preparing for a big rush of food and medicine and all things that they need."
Arroyo will hold a meeting of her national security council later on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Mindanao. (Additional reporting by Rosemarie Francisco; Writing by Carmel Crimmins; Editing by Bill Tarrant)
