Air and ground troops communicated during July 10 incident, says military source privy to operations

By Ronron
August 6, 2007

The findings of an internal military probe that there was no radio communication between air and ground troops during the July 10 incident in Basilan is not true.

This was the assertion on Monday of a military source privy to the operations, saying that providing the wrong radio frequency to the operators of the choppers and planes that flew to the encounter site in Al-Barka town “is impossible.”

According to the source, who requested anonymity due to the gag order on military officials with regard to the July 10 incident is concerned, the military air assets actually established contacts with the engaged Marine troopers that fateful day, saying he is definitely aware that the right radio frequency was relayed to the pilots of the responding OV10 bomber plane.

“As far as I’m concerned, in this dispatch (of air support), the two (air and ground troops) communicated… In fact, I was the one who relayed that information (location of enemy) to them (pilots)… We gave the grid coordinates, the location of the enemy, and that of the troops,” the source said in Filipino in a phone interview with Defense reporters at Camp Aguinaldo.

But while he affirmed the military’s internal report that no fire was shot by the air assets, the source gave a different reason for that. He said there the first batch of air assets had to quickly return because one of its men was hit, while the second batch was ordered to recall for reasons still unknown to this day.

Having said this, the source, who is an official based in Mindanao, belied the military investigation’s finding that only three air assets arrived at the encounter site.

He said there were two dispatches of air support that time. The first came from the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) in Zamboanga City, involving a Huey chopper and an MG520 attack helicopter.

The two choppers arrived at around 11:30 am but they did not stay long because the gunner of the Huey was allegedly hit by fires coming from the enemy on the ground.

“They have not even started attempting to communicate with the troops on the ground when they left because one of them was already hit,” the source said in Filipino.

He said the MG520 also had to disengage even if only the Huey was hit because the two choppers work as buddies.

More than an hour later, the source said the engaged Marine troopers sought for close air support from the air assets based in Sulu. He said an OV10 bomber plane and two MG520’s arrived at around 1:20 pm.

But, like in the first dispatch, the second set of air assets also hovered only very briefly and even left without firing a single shot.

The source said the initial information was that the aircrafts need to refuel, but he found out later that they withdrew in compliance with a recall order. He said it was during this second dispatch that the air assets communicated with those on the ground fighting out with the armed rebels.

“Even the pilot admits that he was talking to the troops on the ground,” the source said.

Asked for the reason of the recall, the source said: “That we don’t know. It (OV10) was already there, armed with bomb.”

Pressed if it has something to do with calls for ceasefire that time, he said: “I really don’t know.”

The source said he was not aware who ordered the recall but hinted it could be Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, the deputy commander of the Wesmincom.

The source said it is the area commander who orders the dispatch and recall of air support, but at that time, Wesmincom chief Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo was attending the Mindanao Peace and Security Summit in Cagayan de Oro City.

Besides, Cedo later denied ordering the recall of the air support, and maintained that in fact, he ordered for the air strike, said the source.

The source said it was a waste that the OV10 just dropped its bombs in the sea while they were flying away from Basilan. This is because the plane cannot land unless it has disposed of its bombs.

“It’s a wasted ordnance. Those should have been used against the enemy,” said the source.

“It (recall) is highly unnatural because they took off with the intention to have everything, and then they were recalled? It’s like, you were told to abandon those you were supposed to help,” he added.

The source admitted that had the air assets performed their purpose, their enemy would have been prevented from reinforcing and there would have been fewer military casualties.

He said he does not know how the military investigation report, as relayed to the media by Armed Forces Public Information Officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, came up with its findings as he maintained that the after-battle report did not mention about the conveyance of a wrong radio frequency and the failure to communicate between the ground and air assets.

“I don’t know how made that statement… Probably he is not aware of what transpired… The reason they cited is very flimsy,” the source said.

Bacarro was not immediately available for comment, as well as Sabban.

The July 10 exchange of fire lasted for about nine hours, leaving 14 Marines soldiers and four MILF fighters killed, and nine soldiers and seven MILF rebels wounded.

The MILF said they opened fire at the Marine troopers because they encroached in their territory without prior coordination./DMS