MILF turns over 6 Army intel agents to ceasefire body

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao, Philippines – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front turned over yesterday to the joint ceasefire committee six more Army intelligence agents guerillas intercepted while trying to sneak into their enclave in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat.

Eid Kabalu, spokesman of the MILF, and officials of their ceasefire committee turned over the soldiers, who belong to the 10th Infantry Division, to Gen. Rey Ardo of the government’s Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities.

Kabalu said the soldiers, disguised as ordinary Moro farmers, were intercepted by a rebel checkpoint while on board motorcycles bound for a known MILF enclave in a hinterland in Columbio, where there was an ongoing dialogue there among rebels on the resumption of the GPH-MILF talks.

Kabalu said the Army agents did not resist when they were frisked and even voluntarily yielded pistols and fragmentation grenades they kept in their pockets.

“They were treated nicely and humanely and were even immediately turned over to the government’s ceasefire committee to show that we adhere to agreed protocols on how to address such situations,” Kabalu said.

On Feb. 8, the MILF also “arrested” two members of the Military Intelligence Battalion of the 6th ID while “roaming around” Camp Darapanan, in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

The two soldiers were handed over to the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team and the government ceasefire committee.  

Their .45 caliber pistols were also returned by the MILF to them through the IMT.