Aquino: MILF will not stop arrest of Mamasapano suspects

MANILA, Philippines — President Benigno Aquino III expressed confidence that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will not hinder the arrest of its members facing charges over the deadly Mamasapano encounter.

"I am very positive of this, they will as they have already demonstrated in the past that if there is a law enforcement operation they will stand aside. They will not hamper the procedure," Aquino said in an interview with ANC aired on Tuesday night.

"But I would venture the guess that perhaps they will be even more than that. Again, they will not be a hindrance to our enforcement," he added.

On Tuesday, a government fact-finding team filed before the Department of Justice criminal charges against 90 commanders and members of the MILF, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and private armed groups over the death of 35 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos.

The 35 policemen belonged to the 55th SAF company that engaged MILF and BIFF fighters and private armed groups in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25.

In a memorandum-referral, the special investigating team of prosecutors and National Bureau of Investigation agents recommended the prosecution of the respondents that included 13 MILF commanders and six BIFF commanders for the complex crime of direct assault with murder.

"These 90 respondents acted in conspiracy with one another to attack, employ force, seriously intimidate or resist the 35 Philippine National Police SAF commandos, who were uniformed police officers and thus, persons in authority," read the formal complaint.

Aquino believes that most of the respondents will not appear for the preliminary investigation and will be issued with arrest warrants.

The president first revealed the filing of charges against MILF commanders in last week's press conference on the alternative version of the Mamasapano incident.

Aquino presented the latest findings disproving the alternative version of the incident that it was not the SAF troopers who killed Malaysian terror suspect Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, the target of the Mamasapano operation. — Louis Bacani