DUSK had not yet completely fallen on the outskirts of the city of Pigcawayan, North Cotabato Province, South Philippines. The atmosphere was deathly still. Hundreds of special police were on alert in this small town, a base for Muslim guerrilla fighters located about 960 kilometers south of Manila. On Sunday afternoon two weeks ago, the PACER (Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response) force was combing a number of trouble spots.

Since Fathur