MILF mulls disbanding peace panel due to loss of trust in government

COTABATO CITY – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is planning to disband its peace negotiating panel due to “loss of trust” in the government.

In the MILF’s website, the rebel group cited the government’s move to scrap the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) even before the Supreme Court had ruled the agreement as unconstitutional.

The MILF’s www.luwaran.net said the SC ruling virtually shut out all possibilities of securing a lasting peace in Mindanao.

The MOA-AD was supposed to allow the MILF to govern an expanded autonomous region in Central Mindanao under the concept of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

The SC stopped the signing of MOA-AD, granting the petition of local government leaders questioning the constitutionality of the initial peace agreement.

The MILF lamented the apprehension of local leaders and other sectors against the MOA-AD.

The MILF statement virtually dimmed prospects for the resumption of peace negotiations with the Philippine government as both sides stood by their respective positions regarding the impasse.

MILF chief peace negotiator Muhaquer Iqbal said they could only pursue the peace process if the government fulfills its end of the bargain and implements the MOA-AD.

The MILF maintained the MOA-AD is already a “done deal” but the government said they would pursue the peace deal if the rebel group abides by the disarmament, deactivation and reintegration (DDR) framework proposed by President Arroyo.

Iqbal insisted that the MILF would not even agree to have the MOA-AD renegotiated.

The government also said it could only pursue peace talks with the MILF if the rebel group surrenders the commanders behind the bloody rampage in Central Min-danao that killed scores of people and left thousands more wounded and homeless.

The hostilities erupted after the SC last July issued a temporary restraining order on the signing of the MOA-AD.

The government has launched a manhunt for Ameril Umbra Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar, alias Commander Bravo, the MILF commanders behind the bloody rampage in Central Mindanao.

Hostilities continue as an Army trooper was killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao yesterday.

Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman for the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, said the still unidentified trooper was killed when the Army’s 68th infantry battalion encountered a large number of MILF rebels in Liguasan Marsh.

The identity of the slain soldier was withheld pending notification of relatives.

Cabangbang said the rebels were forced to withdraw after sustaining a number of casualties.

Shortly after the encounter, MILF rebels clashed with government troops in Sitio Katigpuan in Barangay Muslin, in the same town.

The military said the rebels were led by Bravo, who was recently interviewed by the media to dispel reports that he was wounded.

Bravo admitted attacking several towns in Lanao del Norte last August but denied killing women and children.

He said those who were killed during the assault were those who resisted and fought back.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner explained why media were able to reach Bravo when the thousands of troops who are supposed to be running after the renegade rebel leader could not.

He said Bravo and his men are operating in a very wide area, and Bravo knows how to take advantage of modern communication equipment in contacting the media for his propaganda stunt.

Brawner said the television interview further spurred the troops to lay their hands on Bravo, who has a P10-million bounty on his head.

As the news video showed, Bravo’s force decreased significantly from the peak of 1,500 fighters to only 300 men at present, Brawner pointed out.

“Many of his men have either been killed or have abandoned him,” Brawner said.

Col. Marlou Salazar, chief of the Army’s 601st infantry brigade, said in a separate phone interview that there are a few locals who still provide sanctuary to Kato, who also has a P10-million reward on his head. A number of his fighters have since abandoned him.

A ranking intelligence officer, however, revealed the regional Jemaah Islamiyah terror network is supporting the MILF forces.

In return for this support, the Indonesian-based JI is getting the much-needed ground training and exposure for new recruits, according to Col. Eddie Maningding, operations chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy of Staff for Intelligence (J2).

“As training and exposure area for JI recruits, they are also supporting some rogue MILF elements for extortion and other criminal activities,” Maningding said. – With Jaime Laude, James Mananghaya, Edith Regalado