4 Manobos killed in Agusan del Sur gunbattle

BUTUAN CITY- Four suspected members of the Mindanao Manobo Defense Force (MMDF) were killed while several others were believed wounded in a gun battle with members of the Civilian Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) in Sitio Binugsukan, Valentina village, La Paz town, Agusan del Sur, police said Thursday. Reports reaching the Caraga Police Regional Office in Camp Rafael Rodriguez, Libertad, Butuan City, showed that the hour-long firefight between the two groups broke out late Wednesday afternoon near the Army’s command post in Valentina. The militiamen are under the supervision of the Panagangan Patrol Base of the 23rd Infantry Battalion, led by Sgt. Raul P. Garduce. Sketchy reports reaching the police regional command here said MMDF members fled soon after four of their colleagues died. The report added that the group carried the wounded as they retreated toward a forested area in Sitio Binugsukan. Authorities described the group as a criminal gang but Manobo leaders and huge number of lumads in the Caraga Region claimed otherwise, saying MMDF protects them from being harass by the military, communist rebels and illegal loggers who are reportedly armed by rogue cops. MMDF is also calling for autonomy of the indigenous people in Mindanao. The report said a joint hot pursuit operation of 23rd IB and provincial police force is still ongoing in southwestern part of Valentina area. Police regional commander Chief Supt. Antonio D. Nanas and Col. Dante B. Fernandez, commanding officer of 402nd Infantry (Stingers) Brigade deployed more combat troops in the area to beef up the police and military forces in hunting down the group. Recovered from the scene of encounter were the unidentified bodies of MMDF members, an Ingram automatic rifle and assorted live ammunitions. The bodies were brought to the La Paz Municipal Hall for identification and disposition. It was not determined whether there were casualties on the militia side. - GMANews.TV