Two soldiers were killed in a 30-minute encounter early Sunday between an Army unit and 50 “lawless” members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) allegedly under “rogue” 105th base commander Ameril Umbra Kato in Datu Piang town in Maguindanao province.

Col. Jonathan Ponce, Army’s 6th Infantry Division public information officer, identified the two soldiers as Private First Class Rocky Castillo and Pfc. Arnel Ramos.



The Army division reportedly launched simultaneous attacks in the towns of Datu Piang and Kabuntalan in Maguindanao and in Midsayap town in North Cotabato following reports that Kato was sighted in the area.



Ponce called it a law enforcement operation.

This was reportedly the first major operation launched by the Army’s 6th “Kampilan” Division under its new commanding general, Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton.

Government has put up a P10 million bounty each for Kato and Abdullah Macapaar alias Bravo another alleged lawless MILF commander. Both have been blamed for launching attacks against civilian communities after the government aborted the signing of the proposed Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain with the MILF.