Philippine govt warns Muslim rebels to leave occupied villages

By Guest Column —— Bio and Archives August 8, 2008

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MANILA (AFP) - The Philippine government has given Muslim separatist rebels 24 hours to vacate occupied villages in the south or risk being thrown out by the military, officials warned Thursday.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels had made "incursions" in five towns and at least nine villages in Mindanao island's north Cotabato province in recent days. Troops estimated more than 1,500 families, or 6,000 people, had been forced to flee their homes, Puno said, adding more troops will be deployed to the region. "We are giving those individuals 24 hours to vacate or they will be forcibly separated from the area," Puno warned the rebels in a press conference Thursday. More