The high cost of the Zamboanga crisis

Almost two weeks after followers of MNLF founder Nur Misuari attacked parts of Zamboanga City, the firefight between government troops and the rebels continues to cost lives in both camps.

The numbers below tell the story of how much physical and economic damage the city has suffered because of the intense fighting. 
 

 

In a report aired on GMA’s “24 Oras” Saturday, field reporter Jun Veneracion said sporadic gunfire could still be heard in some parts of the city.

 

In Brgy. Tetuan, 71-year-old Norma Laldones died after a mortar bomb fell nearby while she was cooking in the kitchen.

 

“Definitely, it’s a direct hit coming from shelling,” Zamboanga City chief inspector Elmer Acuna was quoted as saying in the television report.

 

The Zamboanga City police is conducting a post-blast investigation to confirm whether the mortar that hit the building were from the rebels or the military. The building is located about a kilometer away from the area where a firefight took place.

 

“What’s the use of the troops firing in this direction... Andun naman lahat ng mga kalaban e,” Col. Andrelino Colina of Task Force Zamboanga said.

 

Meanwhile, journalists in Zamboanga were barred from entering some parts of the city, as rebels were seen taking over their old hideouts, particularly Lustre St. where the KGK Building is located. The building served as the rebels’ main refuge at the height of the skirmishes.

 

The soldiers erected a Philippine flag on the top of the building to signify that it is now under government control, Chino Gaston said in a separate report.
 

On Saturday, two fires broke out in the area between Brgys. Sta. Barbara and Santa Catalina, where some 30 to 40 rebels were still battling it out with government troops.

 

The rebels are still holding approximately 20 hostages, the military said.

 

“Sa aming assessment, kakaunti na lang ang bala nila at pakonti-konti ang putok nila ng kanilang mga armas,” Armed forces spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Ramon Zagala was quoted as saying in the television report.

 

“We are using the best troops that we have [with] the highest morale and will to fight,” he added. – KDM, GMA News