Rebels surrender in southern RP

Rebels surrender in southern RP

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (DPA): A top commander and 24 followers belonging to the largest rebel group seeking a separate state in the southern Philippines have surrendered to the military, an official said yesterday.

Capt. Salih Indanan, spokesman of the Armed Forces Southern Command, said the rebels, headed by Commander Tarsila Balani, were part of the armed wing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Maguindanao province, 960 kilometers south of Manila.

Balani's group was the second batch of MILF fighters who surrendered to the military in a week. The first group was led by Abdul Racman Mansawi, chief of religious affairs for the Bangsa Moro Islamic Armed Forces.

The MILF, which boasts 120,000 regular fighters and some 300,000 militiamen, has been holding exploratory peace talks with the government since 1996. The two have signed a cease-fire agreement but it has been frequently violated with bloody clashes over conflicting territorial claims.