Arroyo: Gov’t to pursue JI militants in RP

President Arroyo warned yesterday that troops will not hesitate to pursue Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militants in strongholds of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), despite peace talks with the Muslim separatist group.

Mrs. Arroyo said the government "will not allow the peace process to stand in the way of the overriding fight against terrorism," and "will not hesitate to pursue terrorists wherever they are and whenever they are pinpointed to be."

Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita, citing intelligence reports, said Sunday at least 31 Jemaah members were training MILF guerrillas in bombmaking at Mt. Kararaw and another location in Central Mindanao, that are known to be MILF strongholds.

According to one intelligence report, the al-Qaeda terrorist organization recently gave a JI handler $15,000 for the training, he said. The money was received and disbursed by Indonesian-born Jemaah Islamiyah fugitive Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi before he was gunned down in a shootout with troops in North Cotabato last October, he said.

"MILF formations will have to stand off these pursuit operations, or actively support us in the same," Mrs. Arroyo said in a statement.

She said she has asked the government peace panel to bring the matter to the MILF’s attention, reminding the rebels of their commitment to purge their ranks of terrorists.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said the government had accepted the declaration of the MILF that it would not cooperate with JI, and expects the rebels to help the government go after the militants.

The MILF has denied links with foreign terrorists. Golez acknowledged individuals within the organization may have linked up with Jemaah Islamiyah without their leadership’s approval.

He said the government was putting up a P300-million reward for information leading to the arrest of terrorists, including JI members, as well as kidnappers.

But he admitted the difficulty of running after foreign terrorists who slip across Southeast Asia’s porous borders, and who may have sleeper cells ready to be activated.

The Philippines is tightening security arrangements with neighbors like Malaysia and Indonesia and is enhancing border security in the hunt for terrorists, he said.

Golez said a region-wide security alert has been issued for key JI leaders, specifically mentioning Azahari bin Husin, an alleged Malaysian bomb expert educated in Britain. — AP, Marichu Villanueva