MILF hits national gov't for food blockade in Basilan

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) urged the national government on Monday to lift immediately the food blockade around Basilan, saying this will starve to death civilians instead of members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

Elements of the Abu Sayyaf were earlier tagged as the “beheaders” of the 14 Marines in Guinanta, Al Barka town in Basilan last July 10, 2007.

Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF peace panel secretariat, said the food blockade ordered by Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, chief of Task Force Thunder, tasked to capture the beheaders of the 14 Marines "dead or alive", is a violation of human rights and should be lifted immediately.

“You cannot kill the ASG by this food blockade because they can get food everywhere,” he pointed out, stressing that Basilan is the home province of the ASG and they have many relatives there.

He added that, “The civilians are the victims here. It is an unethical approach.”

The blockade was announced by Sabban during a press conference in Basilan yesterday.

About 5,000 Marines are in the island province to take part in an offensive to arrest the ASG suspects, who were positively pinpointed in the findings of the Independent Joint Fact-Finding Committee (IJFFC) organized by the MILF and the government coordinating committees on cessation of hostilities (CCCH).

Around 12,000 people, or 3,000 families, have fled several villages in Al-Barka ahead of the fighting.