4 MILF members seen in Iloilo City

CEBU, Philippines — Four members of the Mindanao-based Moro Islamic Liberation Front have been spotted in Iloilo City, police and military officials confirmed Thursday.

The MILF’s presence in the laidback and generally peaceful Iloilo City, however, should not readily be equated to violence, according to Lieutenant Nicanor Vivar, commander of the Central Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“For now, we have not received any information that they are here to sow terror,” Vivar said, adding that the reports of sightings showed the four arrived in the city unarmed.

The four male members of the MILF allegedly went through Cagayan de Oro City before making their stop in Iloilo City on Tuesday.

“Our operatives are looking into their purpose in going here. They could be part of the MILF group who went to Iloilo to seek peace. But of course, we won’t believe that easily. We still have to look further,” said Vivar.

“Maybe they are also like our other countrymen who, when their place is in a chaotic situation, go to another peaceful area. We know that Iloilo is very peaceful,” he said.

Vivar said his command is now profiling the four to determine if they are MILF fighters or combatants or just regular members. “If they took part in any violence in Mindanao, they will be subjected for operations,” he said.

But with Western Visayas now in the thick of preparations for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meetings, MILF’s presence could not be brushed aside easily.

“That’s why, we have intensified our security preparations, in cooperation with the PNP, the local government units, and the populace,” Vivar said, adding that visitors, whether coming from Luzon, Mindanao and nearby provinces, are being scrutinized.

In yesterday’s regular meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council, Chief Superintendent Josephus Angan, Western Visayas Police chief, said a whole-of-government approach for the security preparations for the APEC meetings will be implemented.

The APEC meetings will be done on April 29 to 30 in Bacolod City; May 7-24 in Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan; and September 18-October 6 in Iloilo City.  (FREEMAN)