Moro rebs out to kill OMA head?

Office for Muslim Affairs (OMA) chief Datu Zamzamin Ampatuan is not taking his security lightly these days.

The reason: the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has allegedly marked him for assassination because of his hardline stand against radicals in the secessionist group and for his efforts to bring back the rebels to the negotiating table.

Ampatuan, however, is undaunted, saying he has survived several assassination attempts in the past, the latest of which was the Feb. 20 bombing at Cotabato City’s Awang airport, which destroyed a portion of his house.

"I’m not taking any chances. The threat from the MILF is real. I’m beefing up my security," Ampatuan told The STAR in a telephone interview yesterday.

The death threats intensified last week after the OMA chief announced that there was an MILF faction that wanted the resumption of the peace talks with the government to avoid further loss of lives and displacement of civilians.

Ampatuan admitted that emissaries from moderate groups in the MILF have indicated their desire to talk peace without any conditions.

Hardline MILF commanders, however, perceived the announcement as an attempt to divide the rebel group and weaken its all-out war against the government.

MILF sources said hardline commanders have accused Ampatuan of trying to misrepresent the Bangsamoro people, the mainstream base of the Muslim separatist group.

"Ampatuan cannot speak for the Bangsamoro people," one of the sources told The STAR.

Ampatuan, however, said he was not representing the Bangsamoro but was speaking as an individual Muslim seeking lasting peace in Mindanao.