ID OF MALIK FOUND AMONG SLAIN MNLF FIGHTERS

Zamboanga City, 24 Dzulqa’idah 1434/29 September 2013 (MINA) – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday announced that identification (ID) card belonging to Commander Habier Malik has been found in one of the slain Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fighters in Zamboanga City.

But AFP public affairs office deputy head Maj. Angelo Guzman said it is still being determined if the body is indeed that of the slain MNLF commander, Philippines News Agency (MINA) quoted by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Guzman said there were “similarities” between the body and their records of Malik, one of the commanders of MNLF forces involved in the clashes for 20 days in Zamboanga City.

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“ID belonging to Malik found in one killed Nur fighter in Zamboanga (but) is not a guarantee that he is Malik, though they have similarities,” Guzman said in a post on his Twitter account.

But AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said Malik is just one of the five commanders of the MNLF forces that had briefly taken over parts of the city.

“We have to consider how many forces, there are five commanders, and Malik is just one of them,” Zagala said.

As for MNLF founding chair Nur Misuari, the AFP public affairs office chief said their information indicates he is still in Sulu but declined to elaborate. He added that they are constantly monitoring Misuari.

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The latter’s followers had engaged government forces in a standoff starting September 9, when they took civilians as hostages.

But government forces managed to retake the MNLF-controlled areas on. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin had said the crisis was over and Misuari’s forces been totally defeated. (T/P09/E1).

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).