More than 60,000 civilians have been displaced in Zamboanga City from the intense attacks of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) troops reportedly under MNLF founding chairman Nur Misuari.

This despite military reports that about 70 percent of areas in Zamboanga City, as of this writing, have been cleared from MNLF presence.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged both the MNLF and government troops to do more to protect civilians from harm.

“Government forces should not be making blanket assumptions about whether individuals are rebels based on whether they have proper documents or not. Officials can check those leaving the conflict zone, but they need to ensure that civilians have safe passage and are not put at unnecessary risk,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at HRW.

HRW reported that some Zamboanga City residents in coastal villages feared they would be accused of being rebels and could be subject to government attack.

“Aside from demanding documentation, it is unclear how the authorities are distinguishing civilians from rebel fighters as required by international law,” said HRW.

As of September 16, the fighting has resulted in the deaths of 62 people, injury to almost 100 people, the displacement of at least 60,000 people, the shutting down of seaports, airports, banks and businesses, and the burning down of hundreds of houses.

The HRW also reported that in Rio Hondo village, civilians probably numbering as many as 300, were trapped in an ice plant building after abandoning their houses.

Aquino government officials said that 6,024 families are now evacuated in 26 evacuation centers all over Zamboanga City. The Joaquin Enriquez Sports Complex alone hosts 44,000 evacuees, Mindanao-based online newsmagazine Davao Today reported.

The attacks has also resulted in fires, many of which razed civilian homes. The HRW added that as of September 14, officials said as many as 500 homes in Zamboanga City were razed.

“Authorities alleged that rebels started the fires, with rebel snipers targeting the fire trucks that responded to the blazes. Human Rights Watch could not confirm these allegations,” the HRW stated.

Countless organizations have appealed to both sides, especially to government troops, to facilitate a ceasefire so that civilians can go to safer grounds.

“We want an immediate end to the deaths, destruction and displacement being caused by Aquino’s war to the people of Zamboanga City. We want an end to the suffering being inflicted by Aquino’s war to our kababayans,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, chairperson of the militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU).

The standoff between government troops and the MNLF began after the former attacked the latter’s “politico-military rally” in Zamboanga City.

Misuari’s MNLF had criticized the ongoing negotiations between the government and the other Moro revolutionary group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF.

Diversionary tactic?

KMU said that the government’s insistence in attacking the Misuari-led MNLF could be a “diversionary tactic” of the Aquino administration that is now embroiled in the pork barrel scandal.

“This diversionary tactic, which was clearly initiated by Aquino, will surely boomerang at him. People are increasingly becoming aware that this war was launched to cover up the scandal in the pork barrel system and corruption in his government,” Labog said. “The people’s anger at the pork barrel scandal and corruption in government will be directed at Aquino himself.”

Meanwhile, the underground Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) also said “(m)any are convinced that the Aquino regime has chosen to launch its siege at this time to create a diversion in order to draw attention away from widespread protests against the Malacañang and congressional pork barrel.”

The group, which is also waging a “people’s war” against the ruling regime and system, also criticized the government’s “complete disregard of the welfare and safety of the civilian residents in (Zamboanga City).”

“The Aquino regime has caused the forcible evacuation of civilian residents under threat of armed action. The US military contingent in Zamboanga—the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P)—based inside Camp Navarro, has taken advantage of the military standoff to fly its surveillance drones in violation of Philippine sovereign airspace,” the CPP stated.

The CPP said the government could have just allowed MNLF’s protest action in Zamboanga City — just as like what happened in cities such as Davao.

“For the past several months, the MNLF has launched such protest actions, bearing arms and denouncing the Framework Agreement forged by the reactionary Manila government and the MILF. The Aquino regime has largely tolerated these protest actions launched by MNLF fighters, including those held in city centers such as Davao,” it said.

Still, the revolutionary group also criticized the MNLF for its reported use of civilians in shielding itself from government troops’ attacks.

“The CPP censures the MNLF for engaging in politico-military adventurism with the narrow aim of protecting Misuari’s fiefdom threatened by a new re-arrangement of resources and political power being forged between the Manila reactionary government and the MILF,” the group added.

Nevertheless, the CPP reiterated that it continues to support and fight for the Bangsamoro people’s right to self-determination.