Philippines unrest REBELS SHOOT DOWN C47

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33110, 28 December 1972, Page 9

Philippines unrest REBELS SHOOT DOWN C47

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) MANILA, December 27. President Marcos has left Manila by boat to visit the strife-torn areas of the southern Philippines where dissidents shot down a Philippines Air Force C 47 aircraft on Christmas Eve.

A Government spokesman, Mr Francisco Tatad. told a

news conference that the President wanted to make a personal assessment of the tense situation in areas where Government forces had clashed with armed rebels. He would be away for three or four days. It was only yesterday that the military authorities announced that the C 47 had been shot down on Christmas Eve • near Sulu Island, and that its crew of seven were

missing. It was the second military; aircraft to be lost during operations against rebels on the predominantly - Moslem Sulu Island, which is 580 miles south of Manila. Mr Tatad linked a foreignsupported Moslem secessionist group to the disorder: on Sulu. A Moslem leader; and former Governor. Datm Udtug Matalam. he said, had told Mr Marcos before his; departure for the south that; mobile training camns under' foreign-trained soldiers had been established in the Mindanao region. Datu Matalam had also disclosed the existence of a Moslem secessionist movement operating actively in Mindanao, and said to be suooort from outside the country. A former University the Phiiipnines professor was among those active in

• the organisation, Mr Tatad! [ said. 1