MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces yesterday assured the public that pursuit operations against three fugitive Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commanders and their followers would continue even as the government dropped their arrest as a precondition for the resumption of peace negotiations.
Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, Armed Forces public affairs chief, said that while the military is supporting the government in its efforts to resume the stalled peace talks with the MILF, they are duty-bound to bring the rebel commanders to justice.
Since August last year, the military has been running after MILF commanders Ameril Ombra Kato, Abdurahman Macapaar alias Commander Bravo, and Alim Sulaiman alias Commander Pangalian.
“We support the efforts of the national government to resume the peace negotiations with the MILF immediately. However, we owe it to the Filipino people to go after the perpetrators of various crimes committed in central Mindanao, hence we will not stop our law enforcement operations to get Bravo, Kato and Pangalian,” he said.
The three are believed to have led the bloody attacks on civilian communities in North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte and Sarangani last year.
The government has offered a P10-million reward each for the capture of Kato and Macapaar and P5 million for Sulaiman.
Torres said the dropping of the three commanders’ arrest as a precondition for the resumption of the peace talks would not mean taking away the MILF’s responsibility in cooperating with the government in the pursuit operations because this could be discussed when the two panels return to the negotiating table.