By Priam F. Nepomuceno & Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan
MANILA, (PNA) — With clearing operations in formerly Moro National LIberation Front occupied areas in Zamboanga City now beginning in earnest, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala is urging MNLF stragglers just to surrender and give themselves up to military authorities rather than attempt to fight back.
“If they will use force, we have no choice but to neutralize them,” he added.
Zagala also emphasized that the AFP’s goal is to ensure the orderly surrender of these stragglers, stressing that the remaining MNLF fighters will be treated humanely.
As of Sunday, the AFP public affairs officer said that six MNLF stragglers were killed after firing on military units conducting clearing operations in Zamboanga City, even as it clarified that the worse is over in Zamboanga City.
Zagala added that they are looking into the possibility that MNLF commander Habier Malik was killed during the fighting.
The AFP official stated that they are closely looking at every MNLF dead to ascertain this fact.
“There is (a) possibility he was killed also, so we are identifying each body that we find, ” Zagala stressed
He also said that the possibility that Malik escaped is very slim as the military cordon is very tight and the latter vowed to die in place with his fighters.