ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 22, 2013) – President Benigno Aquino on Sunday has returned to Manila after spending more than a week supervising a military operation against Moro National Liberation Front rebels who occupied several villages in the southern Filipino port city of Zamboanga.
Aquino arrived in Zamboanga with some of his Cabinet members and chiefs of military services and defense officials in an effort to quell rebellion carried out by loyal forces of MNLF Chieftain Nur Misuari, who accused Manila of reneging on a peace deal signed 17 years ago.
But his stay in Zamboanga was also met with criticisms that he was avoiding a scandal involving some P10 billion in government funds channelled by lawmakers to bogus organizations for their development projects.
Even Aquino’s own pork barrel fund, which could reach over P1 trillion, is now being scrutinized and questioned by opposition politicians.
Before leaving Zamboanga with his Cabinet members, Aquino said authorities are gathering evidence to charged Misuari and those behind the deadly attacks with rebellion, among other criminal charges.
He also said that the government would help rebuilt Zamboanga and ordered the release of P3.6 billion in fresh funds to assist those affected by the violence.
Sporadic fighting still continue in some areas occupied by rebel forces, although not as intense during the past week, but the violence has in now entering its third week since hundreds of gunmen led by Misuari’s lieutenant Ustadz Khabir Malik stormed Zamboanga and seized nearly 200 civilians and used then as hostage.
Officials said 174 hostages had been freed or rescued, but the fighting left more than 100 rebels, soldiers and civilians dead.
The conflict forced over 100,000 people to flee their homes for fearing they would be caught in the crossfire or taken captive by rebels. The clashes resulted in a humanitarian crisis in Zamboanga and paralyzed its economy and severely affected the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi because of suspension of all air and sea travels. (Mindanao Examiner)
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