Palace rejects MILF offer to help in hostage crisis

Malacañang rejected yesterday the offer of the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to help in the rescue operations for the 20 hostages being held by the bandit group Abu Sayyaf.

Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said the government cannot accept the offer since the MILF is still an insurgent group.

Tiglao said that the military would instead allow the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), a former rebel group which signed a peace accord with the government in September 1996, to help in rescuing the captives, including three Americans.

"MNLF members are already integrees, which means they are part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines," he said. "They are not a separate group like the MILF."

MILF political affairs chief Gadzali Jaafar earlier made an offer to assist government troops in going after the Abu Sayyaf extremists which are believed to have returned to their lair in Mindanao after abducting 20 people in an upscale resort in Palawan at dawn last Sunday.

He said the MILF will do this to show support for the government’s efforts to promote peace in Mindanao.

"We will do it not for the reward," he said, referring to the P100-million bounty promised by President Arroyo for the capture of the bandits and the rescue of the hostages. "We will do it to enhance the peace talks."

However, the offer would pose two problems for the military in terms of operations and principles, according to Tiglao.

"Operationally, we cannot have an independent armed group undertake operations with the AFP because there might be problems in recognizing who are the friendly forces and who are the enemies," he said.

He added that the AFP might have a problem with the idea of involving the MILF in the rescue work since in principle, the rebel group is still considered an enemy of the State.

Tiglao said that the President’s order to the AFP is to do all it can to save the hostages without subjecting them to too much risk.

"We are hoping the bandits would get scared, panicky and just leave the hostages," he said. "We’re prepared to take the hostages safely."

In a related development, the heavily armed men who raided the Barcelo Pearl Farm Resort in Davao a week before the abduction of the 20 hostages in Palawan were not Abu Sayyaf men. The Philippine National Police (PNP) has gathered evidence that they are members of the MILF.

Superintendent Danilo Galapon, the regional police chief in Davao, said the MILF men were just about to ask directions from resort personnel when security guard Jimmy Kulam and boat mechanic Rolando Jara prevented them from docking at the resort.

The incident led to a gunfight between the rebels and the resort’s guards. – With Christina Mendez, Edith Regalado