MILF to file complaint vs gov’t anti-terror operations

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said yesterday it would file a complaint before the joint ceasefire committee to protest the "uncoordinated" operations by the military and government tagging high ranking members of the front as "terrorists."

MILF deputy chairman for military affairs Aleem Abdulaziz Mimbantas said they will lodge a protest before the ceasefire panel on the military operation against Pentagon gang leader Tahir Alonto and his men at the Liguasan marsh in Maguindanao.

Alonto and 18 of his men were killed by massive aerial strikes by the military in pursuit operations last Aug. 13.

Mimbantas claimed the air attack also left three civilians killed and four villagers wounded, including women and children.

Mimbantas decried the terror tag on Ustadz Ali Sulaiman Pangalian, one of the group’s high-ranking members.

Pangalian was tagged as terrorist by the government for his alleged link with the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and the Dec. 30, 2000 bombings in Metro Manila that killed and wounded scores of civilians.

He said Pangalian would not carry out such an attack since he is "a very religious man."

Mimbantas himself and four other leaders, including the late MILF chairman Hashim Salamat were branded as terrorists behind the spate of bombings that rocked Davao City and central Mindanao early last year.

The government agreed to lift the terror tag as precondition of the MILF in resuming the peace talks late last year before Salamat passed away.

Mimbantas charged the authorities of resorting to the usual practice of placing explosives, firearms and other items as evidence to put the terrorist tag on Muslim guerrillas.

Mimbantas made the statement even as presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Deles declared the proposed peace talks between the Philippine government and the MILF remain on track.

The peace talks have not been postponed, according to Deles, contradicting claims by MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu that the negotiations have been pushed back citing cases of ceasefire violations.

"There is no postponement but no date has yet been set by Malaysia. We are very hopeful that the date will finally be set within the next few weeks," Deles said on government television.

Kabalu had earlier said the talks will have to be postponed following clashes in which a soldier and two MILF guerrillas were killed near Datu Saudi Ampatuan in Maguindanao last week.

The military claimed the troops were ambushed by rebels as they were checking on a reported shooting. They accused the rebels of violating the truce signed last year.

But Deles said "ceasefire mechanisms are well in place" before the arrival of a Malaysian-led international peace monitoring group.

Malaysia, an influential member of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), is mediating the peace talks. It recently approved the creation of a 60-man monitoring team to be deployed in some areas in Mindanao.

Malaysia is pushing for the dispatch of 60 monitors to end the decades-old Muslim rebellion in Mindanao. Kuala Lumpur is also set to host more peace negotiations between Manila and the MILF.

The Malaysian group will include policemen, soldiers, and diplomatic officials which would monitor the truce put in place in July last year.

President Arroyo welcomed the Malaysian decision and at the same time, named two more members to the government peace negotiating panel.

Appointed were retired general Rodolfo Garcia, who previously headed the GRP truce monitoring committee, and Rudy Rodil, a historian and expert on Mindanao history.

Mrs. Arroyo signed the appointments of Garcia and Rodil on Aug. 9 – the first two to make up the GRP panel from a shortlist of candidates.

Outgoing Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita hailed Garcia’s appointment to the GRP panel, saying the former general has been well respected by the MILF.

Garcia will be succeeded by Brig. Gen. Alexander Yano as GRP Coordinating Committee on Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH).

Rodil, on the other hand, is a native of Mindanao and a scholar on the region’s history.

Rodil was selected since his main concern on the peace negotiations is the issue of ancestral domain of Muslims. — With Jaime Laude, AFP