CIDG files multiple murder charges vs 13 MILF commanders

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) formally filed multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder charges against 13 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commanders, including fugitive Dan Laksaw Asnawi and 300 other john does involved in the killing last month of 19 soldiers and wounding of 15 others in Al-Barka town, Basilan province, official said.

Senior Superintendent Generoso Bonifacio, CIDG-9 director, said aside from Asnawi, other MILF leaders included in the case are Long Malat, Hud Limaya and 10 other identified leaders.

The case was filed before the Basilan court last week following weeks of investigation.

The CIDG official said they are now waiting for the court to issue the warrant of arrest that will be served against the 313 suspects.

The court has also issued warrant of arrest against Asnawi and 129 others involved in the 2007 ambush and killing of 14 Marines in Barangay Guinanta of the same town.

Asnawi was captured in 2009 at the Zamboanga International Airport while trying to fly to Manila, supposedly on his way to Mecca, Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj.

In December 2009, Malat and his followers rescued Asnawi and 30 MILF and Abu Sayyaf detainees at the Basilan Provincial Jail.

Bonifacio said they will produce the pictures of the suspects for distribution in the province and will be coordinating with various security agencies.

He, however, admitted that it will be difficult to serve the warrant against a well-armed group of wanted personalities.

Timeline for peace talks

At the House of Representatives, Cagayan Rep. Juan “Jack” Enrile called on the government and the MILF to draw up a timeline to conclude their talks for a final peace agreement after both sides resumed informal negotiations in Malaysia.

Enrile said setting a timeline “will demonstrate the commitment from both sides to work on ending decades-old hostilities that have stunted economic growth in many parts of Mindanao.”

The peace negotiations between the government and the MILF have been going on for more than 14 years.

The lawmaker said the cessation of hostilities and signing of a peace agreement “are only a first step in bringing progress in the region, saying social, political and economic reforms need to be undertaken to reach Mindanao’s development potential.”

“We have to move from the negotiating table to the ground at some point. The sooner we make this transition, the sooner Mindanao can reach its full potential. We cannot remain in negotiations forever,” he said.

He said a mutually agreed timeline to reach a peace agreement will force both panels to “push the envelope” and speed up efforts to thresh out contentious positions.

Both the government and MILF peace panels held an informal meeting in Kuala Lumpur last Nov. 3 to “clear the air” and rebuild confidence following fresh hostilities between government troops and MILF rebels, including the Oct. 18 incident in Basilan that left 19 soldiers dead.

During the informal meeting, both sides agreed to conduct their respective investigation into the clashes but failed to draw concrete plans for the resumption of formal peace negotiations.

Government presence in war-torn Mindanao

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has provided some P8.1 million worth of assistance for families displaced by the ongoing armed clashes in Mindanao.

In a statement, the DSWD said it spent some P7 million for cash-for-work program and P1.1 million for family food packs.

As of Nov. 5, the DSWD said the number of evacuation centers in Zamboanga Sibugay went down from 11 to five.

Two evacuation centers remained open in Payao and three in Olutanga towns, providing temporary shelter only at nighttime to some 166 families or 830 persons and 135 families or 675 persons, respectively.

The DSWD also sent 14 teams of social workers to the municipalities of Alicia and Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay to conduct Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) sessions to families affected by the armed conflict. – With Helen Flores