MILF chief skips Senate probe

MANILA, Philippines - Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal did not show up at yesterday’s Senate hearing on the Mamasapano incident, prompting senators to urge him to “honor” the chamber with his presence.

The MILF leadership instead sent the chairman of the group’s Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) Rasid Ladiasan, who said Iqbal told him to answer any questions to the best of his competence.

Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs chairman Sen. Grace Poe said Iqbal sent a letter to her office on Jan. 29 informing that he had to seek clearance from the central committee of the MILF before he could attend the hearing.

“Because the aforementioned incident involves an inquiry into the possible conduct of officers and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which is a revolutionary organization, I will refer the said invitation to the central committee of the MILF which ultimately has the jurisdiction and mandate over such invitation,” Iqbal’s letter stated.

“Rest assured that the MILF is one with your committee in trying to understand what happened that day. MILF is also doing its own internal probe into the matter,” he added.

Attend next hearing

Senate President Franklin Drilon said Iqbal should attend the next hearing.

“Can we ask Mr. Iqbal to honor this committee with his appearance before the Senate? Can we have the honor of having Mr. Iqbal present?” Drilon said.

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano also urged the MILF to submit its own findings about the incident at the soonest possible time.

“The sooner they submit the factual report, the more not only credibility, the more we can compare and the idea of trying to navigate the reports here to show that the peace process should continue,” Cayetano said.

MILF aware of encounter

Ladiasan admitted he was aware as early as 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 25 that MILF forces were up against government troops in Mamasapano, but could not immediately implement a ceasefire order.

“I asked my counterpart to check on the information about the conflict. I even told him that it was the military that was engaged and that the immediate action I would take here is to work on a ceasefire,” he said, referring to Brig. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr.

Ladiasan said they were able to get in touch with the ground commanders of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the military arm of the MILF, who informed them that it was the government side that fired first.

Ladiasan said that though it wasn’t his intention to preempt the investigation, ground commanders had told him that the SAF side fired first, hitting two of the rebels, one of whom died instantly in the encounter in Tukanalipao.

He said he immediately informed his counterpart about it, and discussed how they could reach the area to work on the ceasefire.

Asked by Drilon if he relayed the same information to the MILF ground commanders, Ladiasan said yes.

“In fact I relayed the instructions with the leadership of Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces that we have to cease fire,” he said, adding the problem on the ground was that it was close quarters and they had to think of self-defense and battle for survival.

Sen. Francis Escudero questioned Ladiasan why it took six to seven hours before the MILF instructed their men to stop firing. “They only stopped when everyone was dead,” he said.

Ladiasan said that they had coordinated with their counterparts from the government on how to implement the ceasefire, but there were communication constraints.

Emerging situation

Government peace panel chairman Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said Galvez contacted her around 7 a.m. informing her of the “emerging situation” in Mamasapano.

At the time, Ferrer said she was told there were no casualties yet.

“The accounts would show that our ceasefire committee was not aware of the event. That it was actually Mr. Rasid Ladiasan who called our ceasefire chair requesting for immediate ceasefire around 6:30 a.m.,” she said. – With Michael Punongbayan