Peace talks on despite Salamat’s threat

Despite the "total war" order supposedly issued by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Hashim Salamat, the government will still proceed with peace negotiations with the separatist rebels, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Eduardo Ermita said yesterday.

Ermita said the government will proceed with peace talks with the MILF after President Arroyo secured the commitments of Malaysia and Libya in supporting the government’s efforts.

At the same time, Ermita relayed to The STAR his doubts on the veracity of the radio message of Salamat to his MILF commanders to launch total war against the government.

He said that even MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar, in a radio interview, denied the total war order.

"I heard Ghadzali Jaafar say this. So I don’t believe in such alleged MILF plans of total war, human bombs or suicide bombs," Ermita said.

Ermita said Jaafar also aired suspicions that a "third party" was behind the recent spate of bombings and killings in Mindanao, all aimed at derailing the peace process.

"Jaafar said these things happening in Kabacan were not the handiwork of the MILF but a third party which wants to destroy the peace process in Mindanao, and he reiterated that the MILF is committed to the peace process and conduct negotiations with the government," Ermita said.

While Jaafar was unable to identify the "third party," Ermita surmised that the MILF leader suspects communist New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas were behind the incidents "in order to pin the blame on the MILF."

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu repeatedly denied they were behind the recent spate of attacks in Central Mindanao which left about 18 people killed and over 30 injured.

Ermita, for his part, said he also suspected the communists had indeed carried out the attacks in order to push for the inclusion of the MILF, along with the NPA, in the international terror list.

"We do not want to fall into the hands of this third party," Ermita told The STAR. "As of the moment, President Arroyo’s policy is that peace talks are off until they (MILF) prove themselves otherwise."

So far, Ermita said, they have reason to believe the claims of the MILF central committee that it is ready to proceed with the peace talks since Malaysia and Libya have already committed to act as intermediaries.

He said no less than Mrs. Arroyo got the official commitments during her bilateral talks last Monday in Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel-Rahman Mohammed Shalgem.

Mrs. Arroyo had separate talks with Mahathir and Shalgem at the sidelines of the 13th Summit meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held in Kuala Lumpur.

Ermita underlined the commitment made by Malaysia and Libya since the two countries are member-states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) which is pushing calls for peace in Mindanao.

He said the MILF cannot afford to displease Malaysia and Libya. "Otherwise, they (MILF) would lose their allies in the OIC. They would (also) lose the strategic support of these OIC countries."

Peace posturing

Ermita, Jaafar and Kabalu made the remarks after Salamat supposedly ordered MILF units to wage "total war" against the government forces after the capture of key MILF camps in Mindanao last week.

Salamat supposedly sounded the call in a recorded message to his followers even as Malaysia and Libya agreed to mediate peace talks between the government and the MILF.

On the other hand, the Office of Muslim Affairs (OMA) belittled the declaration of total war by the MILF and said the Muslim separatist group lost much of its capability to engage in a conventional war.

OMA chief Datu Zamzamin Ampatuan said the series of military offensives has crippled MILF capability.

A source close to the MILF high command also revealed to The STAR that Salamat directed the order to all its guerrilla fronts in the country.

Although the MILF concentrates its forces in Mindanao, the source said the rebel group maintains "roving guerrillas" in other parts of the country.

The same source disclosed that the supposed recorded message made by Salamat is also a coded order which would be later confirmed by the MILF spokesman.

Kabalu, being the MILF spokesman, has yet to confirm the Salamat order in a public announcement.

Ampatuan said the supposed declaration of total war by Salamat is actually a "posturing for negotiation."

The OMA chief, however, warned that the MILF is still capable of carrying out terrorist attacks against civilian and military targets.

As this developed, Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Narciso Abaya ordered the cancellation of all leaves and unnecessary travel of all military personnel in Mindanao.

He said the troops have been placed on red alert to counter any possible attacks by the separatist rebels.

A high ranking official of the Philippine National Police (PNP), however, pointed out the absence of logistical support and manpower is hampering efforts of the MILF to spill the war outside Mindanao.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the PNP official doubted the capability of the MILF to conduct an all-out war in Mindanao citing the poor sources of war materiel by the rebel group.

No letup

The military said MILF rebels have stepped up retaliatory attacks in various areas in central Mindanao.

Thirteen people have died in separate clashes between government troops and the MILF, the military reported yesterday.

A clash last Monday near Pikit left four guerrillas killed and two soldiers wounded.

Two militiamen and two civilians were also killed in an MILF ambush Monday in Sirawai, while other MILF rebels torched a bus in Pantukan in Compostela Valley and burned down two power transmission posts in Talayan last Sunday.

In Talayan town in Maguindanao, the military reported that militiamen repulsed MILF rebels who attempted to topple two power transmission lines with shoulder fired anti-tank B-40 rockets.

"Local officials and civilian volunteers are now scouring the surroundings of Talayan in search for the suspected MILF rebels," Army spokesman Maj. Julieto Ando said.

Reports, however, reaching Armed Forces headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo said the rebels managed to knock down two electrical transmission lines in the town since Sunday.

Reports also said the rebels succeeded in toppling a power pylon of the National Power Corp. (Napocor) in Lanao de Sur.

The rebels, reportedly used acetylene torches and steel saws, destroyed the Napocor power pylon located in Barangay Patani, Marawi City early yesterday.

The rebels pressed on their attacks by engaging government troops in an hour-long gunbattle in Kalacacan area in Pikit, North Cotabato.

Army 6th Infantry Division commander Col. Cardozo Luna said the firefight erupted when a band of MILF rebels led by Commander Pakil Ayunan opened fire at patrolling soldiers.

Luna said the soldiers were earlier informed by residents of the presence of Ayunan’s group.

The military said Ayunan, implicated in the massacre of 18 civilians in Barangay Cadiis, Carmen town, some 40 kilometers north of Pikit, is also wanted for kidnapping and extortion.

Luna said several soldiers were "slightly" wounded in the encounter even as Kabalu claimed the MILF ambushed the soldiers, killing six of them.

"Six soldiers were killed in that ambush," Kabalu said.

But local officials at neighboring Pikit and Aleosan towns, also in North Cotabato said nine of the rebels died in the skirmishes.

Luna said a group of rebels also harassed soldiers in Barangay Dungguan in Aleosan, provoking a brief firefight.

The national government, for its part, is exerting efforts to normalize the situation following the fierce fighting in Pikit which left almost 200 people dead and displaced thousands of families.

Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman said Mrs. Arroyo has ordered the release of P5 million to fund the return of the displaced families in Pikit.

"We have already organized a composite team of volunteers from non-governmental organizations, local government units and the military," she said.

Soliman said the fund is intended for the rehabilitation and repair of the roads and infrastructures damaged during the fighting. – With Perseus Echeminada, John Unson, Mike Frialde, Jaime Laude, Roel Pareño, Jose Rodel Clapano, AFP