Soldiers or Moro rebs? In Maguindanao, looks can be deceiving

MATANOG, Maguindanao - From a distance, the men manning the checkpoints here appear like well-groomed soldiers. But looking at them closely, one can see that these men have Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) flags stitched to their uniforms.

The Moro rebel group's elite squad recently took on a new kind of attire -- neatly ironed black overalls, shiny boots and a matching pair of sunglasses - apparently to improve the impression local people have of them.

Members of this squad are now scattered in many portions of the 145-kilometer Narciso Ramos Highway here, checking on every vehicle that passes by.

Al Haj Murad, military chief of the MILF which is fighting for a separate Islamic state in Mindanao, said these men are their most disciplined and most battle-tested fighters. "And they are the most courteous, too," he said.

Mosib Karandang, a trader who frequently travels to Cotabato City from Matanog, said he thought the rebels were Marines or members of the elite police Special Action Forces when he first saw them.

"When I saw their B-40 rocket launchers I realized that they were still the same MILF rebels, only wearing new outfits," he said.

Others who have seen the rebels sport their new look were surprised at the men's courtesy. Unlike insurgents they have seen in the past, these men wore smiles on their faces and extended a friendly greeting to civilians.

Asked if they were imitating the Marines who were recently deployed in the province to assist in keeping the peace, the members of the MILF elite squad simply smiled and shook their heads.

"Discipline has always been a big part of our soldiery," one of them said. "We are not copying anyone. For us, the simplest form of sadaka (charity) we can extend to others is our smile and our respect."