Cotabato City- The Kawagib Moro Human Rights Organization here condemn on its highest term the inhumane acts and brutality of the military forces when it indiscriminately dropped bombs from OV10 to families crossing Bugok River in Barangay Tee in Datu Piang, Maguindanao leaving 6 civilians killed, 4 of them minors and a pregnant teenager, and other 2 minors wounded.
The attacks launched by the military troops were no longer attacks against the MILF commanders but an attack to Muslim civilians and communities. The use of planes belies the previous announcement of the AFP not to use planes and mortars in respect of the civilians and Ramadhan but their operations go against their previous statements.
“Their statements contradict to what they are doing, and we are used to these lies of the military officials whenever they committed human rights violations. They denied they used bombs but later admitted they dropped rockets to scare MILF. They told that those killed were rebels but photos and reports showed that victims are minors and civilians” Bai Ali Indayla , the group’s spokesperson said.
“The government and its troops are again showing its military might and it seems that there is an undeclared Martial Law here. What the military have done is a big violation to the International Humanitarian Law, the Protocols of War and Human Rights, the military officials in command should be held accountable and for disrespecting the rights of the Muslim civilians to peacefully observe the holy month of Ramadhan”, Indayla added.
On September 08, 10:30 in the morning, Manunggal-Mandi family rode a pumpboat crossing Bugok River when an OV10 bomb dropped to them. Killed were Daya and Vilma, 18 yrs. old and 6 months pregnant, Bailyn Mandi , 10 years old, Caharudin Mandi, 7 years old, Adtayan Mandi , 5 years old, and Faiza Mandi , 2 years old.
