GRP-MILF AHJAG expires but search and rescue for Bossi continues

By Ronron
June 21, 2007

The expiration Thursday of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines – Moro Islamic Liberation Front Adhoc Joint Action Group (GRP-MILF AHJAG) did not prevent the military units of both parties from continuing the search and rescue operations for abducted Italian Catholic priest Fr. Gian Carlo Bossi in Mindanao.

MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said that despite the expiration of the GRP-MILF AHJAG’s mandate yesterday, the MILF Central Committee gave the MILF AHJAG a special authority to continue the rescue operation for Bossi.

“The MILF decision to let its AHJAG continue its task in freeing Fr. Bossi is founded mainly on humanitarian ground and also in furtherance of the gains of the peace process. The life of man is of paramount importance over procedural matter,” Iqbal said in an MILF press statement posted yesterday on the group’s website, www.luwaran.com.

Asked by phone if the rescue operation is actually ongoing on the ground, Iqbal told Manila Shimbun: “Yes, it’s ongoing.”

GRP AHJAG chair Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ben Dolorfino affirmed Iqbal’s claim in a separate interview at Camp Aguinaldo, saying: “The military operation continues.”

But what is made clear is that the operations are being conducted independently this time by MILF and Philippine forces because the absence of an official mandate for the GRP-MILF AHJAG prevents Dolorfino and his counterpart from communicating officially.

Dolorfino said that while the operations yesterday of the Army troops and the MILF soldiers are being coordinated, they are unofficial in nature.

Thus, he warned, “there will always be danger of misencounter with the MILF.”

“They (Philippine Army troops) can continue with the operation but they should be very careful because their could be misencounters,” he said, although he claimed that there is really no risk to such effect.

On Wednesday, Dolorfino disclosed that his counterpart with the MILF, Atty. Abdul Dataya, relayed to him that Bossi and 13 of his original 15 captors were last sighted in the mountain barangay of Sapad, Nunungan town in Lanao del Norte province.

Dolorfino said they have yet to confirm this information, more so yesterday because he cannot make official communication with Dataya to get an update on the operation on the ground.

But in previous interviews, he said the Armed Forces has sent an Army battalion and a Scout Ranger company to help two brigades of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) cordon the area to prevent the suspects from leaving.

Dolorfino explained to reporters that the GRP-MILF AHJAG expires annually, and is reactivated upon the agreement of both parties. It is a mechanism created by the May 6, 2002 Joint Communique between the GRP and the MILF, as a confidence-building measure towards achieving a final peace pact.

But with the absence of a GRP chief peace negotiator following the resignation of Secretary Silvestre Afable, Dolorfino is apprehensive that the revival of the AHJAG’s mandate could take a while.

“We have reminded the peace panel. We sent a formal notice, a joint formal communication reminding the peace panel that we will expire June 21. However, there was no action because there was an impasse (with Afable’s resignation). I hope this will be cleared by the two peace panels,” Dolorfino said.

Dolorfino said the continuing deactivation of the GRP-MILF AHJAG is “definitely a setback” because the cooperation of the GRP and the MILF forces, especially those running after Bossi’s abductors, is suffering.

Dolorfino said the MILF support in the operations for Bossi’s release is “very crucial because the kidnappers are operating in their area.”

He said he expects President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to sign the designation papers of Professor Rudy Rodil as Officer-in-Charge of the Government Peace Panel as soon as possible so the panel can proceed to give the GRP-MILF AHJAG another mandate.

Rodil is the vice-chairman of the panel and is a professor from the Mindanao State University in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte.

Bossi was about to officiate a mass in Barangay Bulawan, Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay last June 10 when he was snatched by 10 armed men, and brought to two waiting motorboats in a nearby shore, sailing to unknown direction./DMS