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WORLD> Asia-Pacific
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Police on alert in Manila after clashes in south
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-19 16:21 MANILA -- Police was placed Tuesday on full alert in the Philippines' capital of Metro Manila for fear of a spillover of clashes between rebels and government troops in the country's southern region of Mindanao. The alert, as well as that in the whole of Mindanao came after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to defend Mindanao from the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front's (MILF) atrocities. There were no specific reports of possible terror attacks in Metro Manila, but the police opted to place all units on full alert as a "preemptive" measure, said Nicanor Bartolome, spokesman for the police. At least 26 people, mostly civilians, were killed in some MILF fighters' latest attacks this week in Lanao del Norte and Sarangani provinces. Reports said Monday's attacks were led by at least three MILF sub-commanders, considered by the military as out of the control of MILF leaders. The rebels burned houses and shot or hacked to death civilians and took others captive. At least 6,000 people have left their homes and ran to nearby cities for safety. Meanwhile, military forces were strengthened in the south in anticipation of fresh rebel attacks. Armed Forces chief Gen. Alexander Yano vowed in a TV interview to chase down the rebels and said that the time to give peace a chance was now over. "If they (MILF) can't control them, the government will certainly control them and we will undertake our mandate to protect the people and the communities and we cannot renege on that constitutional mandate," he said. "We will pursue and take aggressive action against the perpetrators of the dastardly acts committed against innocent civilians," he added. |
