By Ronron
April 17, 2007
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is defying a call of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) for the immediate suspension of hostilities in Sulu in observance of the 1996 peace accord of the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
At the same time, it has offered a P1 million-bounty for the arrest of rouge MNLF commander Ustadz Habier Malik whose group of more than 300 is now the subject of the ongoing operations in Panamao town.
In a chance interview Tuesday at Camp Aguinaldo, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said Tuesday that the ongoing military offensives in Panamao town are just targeted against the group of Malik and not the entire MNLF.
He clarified that the AFP is not waging a war against the entire MNLF.
“We are not suspending operations against Habier Malik,” Esperon told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.
“This is an operations against Habier Malik so that he will be made to answer for his criminal liabilities, including the death of a child and the death of two Marine soldiers when he fired mortars at the headquarters of the Marine Battalion Landing Team and the Panamao Municipal Hall,” he added.
The AFP launched offensives against Malik’s group starting last Saturday after the latter shelled mortars against a civilian community and a military detachment beginning Friday midnight.
Sulu-based AFP Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF) commander Brig. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan said in a television interview yesterday that three soldiers have already been killed and 53 others were wounded since the hostilities began.
A civilian also died while another one was wounded in the MNLF attacks.
On the MNLF side, Pabustan said intelligence reports indicate that 17 MNLF rebels were killed while more than 50 others were already wounded so far.
“Generally, that should be the idea, the suspension of hostilities. There have been no hostilities in the first place between the AFP and the MNLF… We have been establishing the rule of law in Jolo (capital of Sulu) so it should not be that those we are dealing with in the peace agreement will be the ones initiating chaos in Jolo,” Esperon said.
The OIC Secretary General, Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, had said that the Philippine government and the MNLF should “abide by the provisions of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement in letter and spirit” and “resume negotiation in good faith for the full implementation of that Agreement.”
Asked if there is hope for Malik to be convinced by fellow MNLF commanders to return to the folds of the law, Pabustan said: “Definitely, I believe that. There are still other MNLF commanders, who are still sober and still believe on the provisions of the 1996 peace agreement.”
Pabustan echoed other officials’ earlier statement that only a few MNLF commanders support Malik’s actions.
“I do believe that the numbers of the MNLF force joining Malik will not increase and right now, we have already several MNLF commanders who are with our side,” Pabustan said.
In a phone interview from Sulu, Pabustan said Esperon already offered P1 million for any information that would lead to the arrest of Malik.
“Gen. Esperon has offered P1 million for the quick arrest of Malik. He announced it today through (Lt.) Gen. (Eugenio) Cedo (commander of the AFP Western Mindanao Command),” Pabustan said.
Pabustan, however, was not aware where the funds will be sourced.
“I think the capture of Malik will happen sooner with this bounty,” Pabustan said.
In the earlier interview, Esperon was asked if the standing order to all troops in Sulu is to get Malik “dead or alive.” He replied: “Well, if he doesn’t give up.”/DMS
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