Enrile to gov't: Stop recognizing MILF territories

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile urged the government yesterday to disregard the document signed by its peace negotiators acknowledging some camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as "MILF territory."

"This is sheer foolishness and it should be ignored," Enrile said.

Earlier, Sen. Renato Cayetano described as "treason" the official acknowledgment of Camp Abubakar and at least 47 other rebel camps as MILF territory. He said that the government rightfully considers the MILF occupation of some portions of the Narciso Ramos Highway as an infringement of national sovereignty so he could not understand why it should officially recognize MILF territories.

"The government does not want the MILF to occupy even a square inch at the Ramos Highway and yet it gave away thousands of hectares of Philippine land as MILF territory. That is treason!" Cayetano said.

Enrile said that the military should not allow the MILF to use its camps as sanctuaries and if there is hot pursuit, then the pursuit should extend even up to Camp Abubakar or other camps.

The official acknowledgment is contained in a document signed on Feb. 10, 1999 by government negotiators Secretary Robert Aventajado and retired Gen. Orlando Soriano. The negotiators also committed the government to recognize more in upcoming negotiations.

Enrile also said that the armed confrontation with the MILF should continue unless there is a negotiated ceasefire.

The condition for a ceasefire, according to Enrile, are for the MILF to confine themselves to a certain area, for the MILF to agree to a determination of their present armaments and not expand them, and for MILF to agree to a determination of their present manpower and keep it at that level.

"These must be the starting points for any negotiations. We can't afford to have two standing armies in the country. That is against the Constitution," Enrile said.