MILF protests arrests of its members

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has filed protests on the government's arrests and detention of its 13 officers and members for the past two months, the Muslim rebel group ceasefire committee said today.

The MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) filed the protests to its counterpart with the government.

The MILF CCCH said the ceasefire agreement that has been in effect for almost 17 years between the government and the MILF were violated as well as human rights and due process.

"This is a major concern of the MILF because the trust and confidence of the military top brass and ground forces on the ceasefire and peace process are adversely affected," the MILF Ceasefire Committee stressed.

It said the instruction of its principals is to explore bold steps and measures to address "this problem in order to protect and promote the primacy of the peace process."

The government and the MILF peace panels recently reached a breakthrough by signing the annex on wealth-sharing of the framework agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB).

The MILF said that most of those arrested came from the southern provinces of Zamboanga Sibugay, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato, South Cotabato, Saranggani, and Zamboanga del Sur.

The MILF has been fighting government troops for decades to establish a self-rule Muslim state in the south of the country.