By Noel Y. Punzalan

COTABATO CITY, Sept. 3 – The military here has cleared 80 percent of areas recently attacked by rogue elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in North Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces.

Such was noted by Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, Army’s 6th Infantry Division during a press conference at the government – initiated Regional Information Command Center situated at the Population Commission 12 building that also houses the Philippine Information Agency – Cotabato office. “The center of the remaining 20 percent military operations are at the borders of Guindolongan and Talitay towns in Maguindanao,” the military official stressed.

"At this period of Ramadan, we have also maintained a defensive stance with calibrated responses over future attacks that may be launched by the guerillas during their month-long fasting period,” he added. The Ramadan commenced last September 1 and is expected to end on November 1 this year. Moreover, Ando also refuted claims of military food blockade on areas perceived as MILF strongholds in North Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces.

“Actually, the local government units, with the assistance of international and local relief agencies are free to enter cleared conflict areas as they have been constantly coordinating with us,” he clarified. Ando maintained though that ongoing military operations in the Central Mindanao area remain focused on rogue MILF Commanders Amiril Umbra Kato and Bravo who recently launched attacks in North Cotabato and Maguindanao, and also Lanao del Norte, respectively. He said Kato’s trusted lieutenant, Wahid Tundok, also recently revealed in one of the radio interviews that the former was seriously injured in the series of gun battles against military forces. Ando said military operations would continue until they both get Kato and Bravo dead or alive. Each of the two renegade MILF commanders has a P5-million bounty his head.