ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - - City leaders cried foul over the statement of some leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that the city iss anti-peace and antagonist of the peace process following the city's fresh complaint of alleged “intrusion” of the rebel group's members in this city.
“That perception they are putting about the city of Zamboanga – that is unfair,” Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said.
Climaco-Salazar said that throughout the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro (CAB), the cityhas prepared three documents and reports of the actions of the so-called MILF members in the city that prompted the local government here to call the attention of the MILF leaders through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).
The latest spat between the city and the MILF stemmed from the alleged mineral extraction by the group of a certain Bob Jumadil, MILF chairman based in this city, at the mineral-rich village of Baluno in the west coast last July 31 and the monitored movement of about 40 MILF in the uphill village of Tagasilay in the east earlier.
The same group was also the subject of the complaint by the city after the former attempted to establish their liaison office in Barangay Cawit, a village nearby Baluno, a few days ahead of the signing of the CAB last March.
The Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team (IMT) intervened and reminded the involved MILF members their action will violate the peace negotiation.
“...We want both parties to respect the peace process, and if there are violations we pass it through the proper channel so that we will avoid mistaken identity and avoid name calling,” said Salazar.
The mayor added that they have to forward their complaint to OPAPP as a proper channel to avoid any violation of the agreement.
“Because we want to send the message across that we, the citizens of Zamboanga, are for peace and we do not want any violations of the peace agreement that will be charged against us. That is why I firmly asked him (Mohagher Iqbal) to patrol their ranks,” Salazar said.
Salazar also reminded the MILF leader that the peace talks at the moment are "very sensitive and we do not want any room for disagreement or misunderstanding.” - Roel Pareño