MILF 'ready to cooperate' in tracking down terrorists

MANILA, Philippines - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is ready to cooperate with the government in tracking down terrorists as long as long as the agreements signed by the peace panels are complied with.

Reacting to President Aquino’s second address on the Mamasapano clash, MILF chief negotiator Mohaquer Iqbal maintained that prior coordination is needed before security forces operate in their area.

“As long as signed documents would allow, then we are cooperating fully with the government,” Iqbal said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel anchor Tina Monzon-Palma Friday night.

Iqbal was asked to react to the president’s demand that the MILF do everything it could to help capture wanted terrorist Basit Usman, who managed to evade law enforcers during the operation in Mamasapano.

When asked to comment on Aquino’s appeal for the MILF not to interfere with the government’s pursuit of Usman, Iqbal replied in Filipino: “Indeed but we need to have coordination.”

“The incident on January 25 happened because there was no coordination. We did not want it to happen. The government did not want it to happen,” he added.

With regard to Aquino’s demand for the MILF to surrender Usman in case one of its members is protecting him, Iqbal said his group does not sanction the coddling of terrorists.

“If there is such occurrence, just for the sake of argument, it does not have the blessing of the MILF. If such situation arises, the mechanisms of AHJAG (Ad Hoc Joint Action Group) will operate,” the MILF chief negotiator added.

The AHJAG is a mechanism of the peace talks that was created to isolate and interdict lawless groups and terrorists.

Despite Aquino’s demands, Iqbal described the president’s address as “very fair and objective.”

MILF’s sincerity in talking peace with the government has been questioned after wanted terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir or “Marwan” was killed in an area inhabited by its members.

Marwan was killed shortly before 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF) died in an encounter with MILF forces in Barangay Tukanalipao in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

Usman, a Filipino bomb expert with a bounty of $1-million on his head, was also believed to be in the area but was able to escape. Security officials are now conducting pursuit operations against him.

When asked why the MILF was not aware of the presence of Marwan and Usman in Mamasapano, Iqbal said the area was a community composed of different groups.

“It is a community and not an MILF camp. There are many people and groups there. Besides, the Armed Forces of the Philippines reported in 2012 that Marwan was killed in an air raid in Sulu,” Iqbal said.

The MILF’s chief negotiator claimed that the MILF would not gain anything from protecting terrorists.

“These people are being hunted not just by the Philippine government or the international community but also the MILF. We do not want what they are doing and we won’t gain anything from them,” Iqbal said, adding that the terrorists are moving from one place to another.

The military previously admitted that its trust in the MILF has been tainted because of the presence of Marwan in its bailiwick. Armed Forces spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla said the MILF could regain the trust by assisting in efforts to run after terrorists.

Iqbal said statements reflecting distrust towards the MILF does not bode well for the peace process.