Muslim separatist rebels killed three civilians suspected of giving information to the military in the southern Philippines, police said Monday. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels swooped down on the village of Malingaw in Midsayap town, North Cotabato province, 900 kilometres south of Manila, on Sunday. Chief Inspector Eduardo Marquez, town police commander, said the guerrillas, led by an MILF commander identified as Samal Masgal, then opened fire on the victims who were then fishing in a river. "The guerrillas left after killing their targets and then proceeded to harass other civilians in the village," he said.
Marquez identified the victims as 32-year-old Kamsa Gampong, his 19-year-old brother, Salem, and 29-year-old Caisa Salik - all residents of Malingaw. MILF spokesman Eid Cabalu">Eid Cabalu confirmed that Masgal was the internal security chief of the rebel group in the area. "The attack was apparently in revenge for providing information to the military about their whereabouts that led to the death of his (Masgal's) followers," he said. Cabalu encouraged relatives of the victims to file complaints with the MILF, saying, "Within the organisation, we have a process with regards to cases like this incident." |