MILF rebels abandon positions on vital Mindanao highway

After weeks of heavy fighting, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has announced it would pull back its forces from along a key highway in Maguindanao, clearing the way for a possible resumption of peace talks with the government.

The military said it would continue its operations to check if the MILF has indeed abandoned its positions before occupying the Secretary Narciso Ramos Highway to prevent the rebels from returning.

MILF vice chairman for military affairs Al-Haj Murad claimed the pullout was in response to a growing clamor for a ceasefire from various sectors, including former President Corazon Aquino and Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin.

"The MILF is hereby voluntarily repositioning its combat troops now positioned along the Narciso Ramos Highway to the defense perimeter of Camp Abubakar Assidique, thereby completely clearing the highway of MILF combat troops within 48 hours starting at 6 p.m. today, May 15," Murad said in a statement.

Malacañang received the news with ambivalence. "Even before the MILF made this announcement, the government already said that we would be willing to talk to them and in fact, we're suggesting to them the date, May 30," Press Secretary Ricardo Puno said.

"I think the position of the government all the time was that the Narciso Ramos Highway has to be totally cleared by the MILF," Puno said, adding Cabinet Cluster E on national security will assess the latest MILF move.

The declaration, signed by Murad on behalf of the MILF central committee, said the withdrawal was also prompted by an appeal from an independent fact-finding panel of government and MILF officials to clear the highway for a possible resumption of talks.

Commenting on the rebel announcement, Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said, "We are not the ones who left the negotiating table."

But the military remained wary.

"The military will continue its mission of clearing the highway despite this pronouncement because we have no order as of yet to stop the operation," said Capt. Noel Detoyato, spokesman for the Army's 6th Infantry Division. "And we are taking with extreme caution that unilateral declaration. We have had experiences in the past where MILF forces violated the policies imposed on them by their own central committee."

He said MILF rebels were still attacking until 2 p.m. yesterday.

"There has never been a lull in their attacks. They would often crawl towards the positions of the soldiers, open fire and then retreat toward the jungles. We're sure these fighters will not abide with that declaration of their central committee," Detoyato said.

At the height of hostilities, soldiers said, the rebels jammed military radio frequencies to hamper the offensive. Some troopers were killed when their attacks became uncoordinated.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said, "The MILF will religiously see to it that all its forces will comply with that unilateral effort of our central committee."

He said the pullout was decided upon after several consultations among its leaders.

"We found the clamor of various sectors, including the civilians displaced in the clashes, too irresistible to reject. After all, the MILF wants this problem resolved peacefully," Kabalu said.

The Matanog-Balabagan portion of the road was closed on April 28 when the military moved in against MILF checkpoints which motorists complained were being used for extortion.

The attack triggered the worst fighting in the region in recent years and prompted the MILF on April 30 to walk out of the peace negotiations, accusing the government of attacking their main base, Camp Abubakar.

On May 5, the MILF declared a ceasefire which was ignored by the government, suspecting it to be a ploy to enable the rebels to regroup and counterattack.

The government then demanded an MILF pullout before peace talks could resume.

About 30,000 to 60,000 local residents fled their homes to escape the fighting and seek shelter in refugee centers in various towns. Vice President and Social Welfare Secretary Gloria Arroyo put the number of refugees at 116,000.

The Department of Health yesterday released about P1.2 million for the purchase of medicine and medical supplies for refugees. Health Secretary Alfredo Romualdez said medical supplies have dwindled but the situation was still manageable.

Meanwhile, two grenades exploded last Sunday which police had blamed on the MILF. One of them killed a man in Alamada, Maguindanao while the other one went off in front of a restaurant in Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat but no one was hurt.

Although declining to either confirm or deny responsibility, Kabalu said MILF field commanders have the discretion to carry out attacks against the government in any form.

At the height of the fighting in Maguindanao, the MILF had threatened to carry out terrorist attacks in other parts of the region. -- With AFP, AP, Mayen Jaymalin, Allen Estabillo, Lino dela Cruz, Marichu Villanueva