MILF to government forces: Continue coordinating movements to avoid misencounters

By Ronron
August 21, 2007

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is hoping that the government will continue to abide by the 1997 ceasefire agreement of the two parties as regards making coordination when the Philippine military operates against lawless groups in nearby MILF communities.

MILF chair for the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) Von Al-Haq said Tuesday that the coordination made by the government during last Saturday’s operation against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan shows that indeed misecounters can be avoided between government forces and the MILF.

Members of the Philippine Marines attacked some 70 to 80 ASG rebels at their suspected camp in Ungkaya Pukan town last Saturday morning as part of the government’s efforts to get the beheaders of 10 Marine soldiers last July 10 in Al-Barka town.

Al-Haq echoed MILF information officer Mohagher Iqbal’s earlier statement that no MILF rebel was involved in that firefight because the government forces coordinated with the MILF in the area.

But Al-Haq disclosed yesterday that the coordination was only made when the firefight had already begun.

“We did not know that the Marines were already in combat position. We only learned about it when the firing already erupted. So we told our men in the area to stay put, not open fire, or better, move out to safer places,” Al-Haq said in Filipino in a phone interview.

“We are just thankful that it did not result to another problem,” he added, apparently referring to the same incident last July 10.

Al-Haq said some 150 MILF fighters based in Barangay Baguindan, which is adjacent to the encounter site in Barangay Selangkum, were advised to move to Barangay Guinanta in Al-Barka town.

Al-Haq’s counterpart with the Philippine government, Brig. Gen. Edgardo Gurrea, said the government will always comply with the ceasefire agreement, that’s why it informed immediately the MILF about the operations last Saturday.

Asked why there are still no arrests made of MILF members tagged in the July 10 incident, both Al-Haq and Gurrea said it is because the court in Basilan has yet to resolve an MILF motion for the conduct of a reinvestigation on the case filed for a change of the subjects of the arrest warrant.

Al-Haq said the MILF has asked the court to clear the 74 members of the MILF included in the arrest warrant because the government is only running after the beheaders.

The arrest warrant released by a Basilan court in late July named at least 127 respondents, mostly MILF members, based on the complaint filed by the military.

A joint fact-finding mission of the government and the MILF has identified members of the ASG as the beheaders./DMS