AFP’s punitive action must be put on hold as joint CCCH investigates July 10 clash in Basilan

By Ronron
July 26, 2007

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should hold off its planned punitive actions against selected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) believed responsible for the death of 14 Marine soldiers in the July 10 incident in Basilan as the ceasefire committee of the government and the secessionist group investigates said incident.

This was the call of the government peace panel and the MILF on Thursday, a day before the joint fact-finding mission of the government and MILF’s coordinating committee on the cessation of hostilities (CCCH) sails to Basilan to officially start investigation work on the July 10 ambush/clash in Al-Barka town.

“What we have done is to propose that recommendation (holding off of the punitive action) to the chief of staff… I’m saying that they should hold off their offensive action so that we will really know the actual truth through this joint investigation,” government peace negotiator retired Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview.

Garcia said he has brought up the proposal to AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. a few days ago and has reiterated the same during their meeting just last Wednesday.

“He (Esperon) had an open mind… I am still awaiting word but I believe it would be (granted)… I think it is the prudent thing to do because how can you launch a military operation when there is still no determination of the truth,” Garcia said.

Garcia said he understands that the recommendation will be presented in today’s (Friday) command conference of AFP top brass in Zamboanga City that will be presided over by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In a separate interview, Von Al Haq, chairman of the MILF CCCH, told Manila Shimbun he is confident the punitive action by the AFP in Basilan has been called off to give way for their investigation there starting today (Friday).

A call to the AFP to suspend its actions should, in the first place, never be made in the light of the fact-finding mission of the GRP-MILF CCCH because otherwise, it would show that the Philippine military is not sincere in its pronouncement about giving primacy to the peace process, said MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu in another interview.

“There should be no operations first, otherwise, the violation to the ceasefire agreement will further be compounded. So both parties will have a harder time to resolve the problem because the issues will pile up,” Kabalu said in Filipino.

The AFP, despite the pouring in of some 5,000 troops in Basilan, has yet to initiate actions against their alleged targets due to the absence of warrants of arrest. The planned punitive action was announced last Saturday and was supposed to begin Monday when the MILF refused to turn over by Sunday the alleged suspects in the killing of the 14 soldiers, 10 of whom were mutilated.

Elements of the 1st Marine Brigade had just finished checking the presence of abducted Italian Catholic priest Fr. Gian Carlo Bossi and his captors in the morning of July 10 when they came under fire from suspected MILF members, supported allegedly by the Abu Sayyaf Group and other local bandits.

Yesterday (Thursday), the Philippine National Police in Basilan already filed multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder charges against 16 identified suspects and several John Does before the Basilan Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in relation to the July 10 incident, said provincial police director Sr. Supt. Alex Macapantar.

Macapantar told Manila Shimbun they filed the case even without the death certificates of the victims so the military can start their planned actions soon. Their pieces of evidence were just statements of witnesses, he said.

Most of the respondents, he said, are members of the MILF’s 114 Base Command based in Basilan.

But two hours after the filing, Macapantar said the death certificates arrived so they will attach those either today (Friday) or in the coming days.

“What is important is we have filed the case,” Macapantar said in a phone interview.

The MILF forces in Basilan and the rest of Mindanao have been advised yesterday by their chairman, Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, to exercise maximum restraint in the face of the standoff in Basilan.

“Our forces will not move. They will not fire unless fired upon. They will remain in their areas and they will not initiate clashes,” Kabalu said.

“The substance of the issuance is because we want to preserve the primacy of the peace process. So we will not add up the tension in Mindanao because of the death of the Marines and the Imam,” he added.

Asked if they are willing to produce their members found by the CCCH panels to have erred in the July 10 incident, Kabalu said: “We will abide whatever the findings of the CCCH. Of course, that is the rule.”

But he said this does not mean that they will immediately turn over their erring members to the government. He said the turn over issue should still be negotiated by the GRP and MILF panels.

Although the MILF admitted to have been involved in the clash, it denied any responsibility as to the beheading is concerned./DMS