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Wednesday, August 06, 2003
MILF confirms Salamat's death
By Ben O. Tesiorna
THE Central Committee of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) confirmed the death of their chairman, Hashim Salamat last July 13.
Salamat, founding chair of the MILF, died due to complications of a heart illness and acute ulcer, the group's vice chairman for political affairs, Ghazali Jaafar said.
"In behalf of the central committee of the MILF, of all the leaders of the MILF and the entire Bangsamoro people, our brother Hashim Salamat ay namayapa na (died) last July 13 around 11:25 in the morning somewhere in Mindanao because of heart illness," Jaafar declared.
He said their central committee chose former MILF chief of staff Al Hadj Murad as the new MILF chair after a 7-day meeting attended by all their leaders as well as other Muslim leaders in Mindanao.
When asked of the implications of Salamat's death to their organization, Jaafar said all the positions within their organization remain "undisturbed" and was even strengthened as a result of their leader's death.
He said in the just concluded central committee meeting, all of them came to an agreement that they would continue fighting for what Salamat fought for.
"We will continue in living the struggle of the MILF," Jaafar said.
In the MILF website, it was revealed that vice chairman for internal affairs Aleem Abdulaziz Mimbantas was elected as the vice chairman of the MILF and concurrently Vice Chairman for military affairs.
Jaafar was also quoted in the website as saying that As Siddique succeeded Murad as the new chief of staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), MILF.
"Murad will remain as the chairman of the MILF Peace Panel negotiating with the Philippine Government," Jaafar said in the website article.
The succession was described to be very smooth, "free and democratic with popular mandate from the rank and file."
Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Jesus Dureza meanwhile cautioned the people not to speculate on the possible implications of Salamat's death especially on the peace process.
"We mourn the passing away of a leader. Alam naman natin that chairman Salamat is working for his people. At this time we should not speculate about the implications of his passing away. This is a time for mourning," Dureza said.
It was not immediately known if Salamat's death would affect peace negotiations, which are being hosted by Malaysia.
Salamat, whose age was unknown, was buried the day he died by his comrades in the southern town of Butig in Lanao del Sur province.
Murad will now head the MILF panel in the peace negotiations slated anytime soon in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Dureza said.
"Murad is very competent to represent the MILF in the peace talks," he said.
Dureza said he signed about five agreements with Murad way back when he was still the government chief negotiator.
Murad was already heading the MILF then when he was still the MILF chief of staff.
Dureza said Murad had handled the peace negotiations well and he hopes that he will still do the same now that he is the chairman of Muslim secessionist group.
Presidential Adviser on the peace process Sec. Eduardo Ermita meanwhile said that Murad's appointment as MILF chair, at the same time head of the MILF panel in the peace talks is "good news."
Ermita said Murad is easy to talk to and can be trusted, adding that he is hoping that the negotiations will be faster if this pushes through.
There was a delay in announcing the death because the separatist group's central committee had to inform Salamat's relatives and choose a successor, Jaafar said.
They chose the group's military chief of staff, Al Haj Murad, as the new chairman, he said.
The chairman formally renounced terrorism last June 22, meeting a demand of the government for talks to end the group's decades-old campaign for a Muslim homeland in the country's south.
Jaafar said there would be no change in their intention of pursuing a peaceful, political settlement to their rebellion.
The government issued arrest warrants for Salamat and four other leaders of the group, each with a $94,340 bounty, for a string of deadly bombings this year that killed more than 200 people, most of them civilians.
The rebels denied involvement in the bombings, and the government suspended the warrants as part of a deal to resume the peace talks.
Negotiations were stalled since 2001, most recently because of bombings and raids the government blamed on terrorists within the MILF's ranks.
The guerrillas have been fighting for Muslim self-rule in the southern Mindanao
Region. The government is offering them autonomy, but not independence.
Salamat was born in the southern village of Kudal in Pagalungan town in Maguindanao province and studied in Manila and Cairo.
His revolutionary politics came in response to the poverty among Muslims in the southern Philippines.
He went underground on Sept. 24, 1972 - four days after late dictator Ferdinand Marcos imposed martial-law rule amid worsening political and economic problems.
Salamat organized the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in the early 1970s with Nur Misuari, a Marxist activist at the University of the Philippines, and other Muslim militants.
He had a falling out with Misuari in the late 1970s and formed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which eventually became the country's largest Islamic rebel group. BOT with wires
(August 6, 2003 issue)
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