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Thursday, March 24, 2005
Task force chief takes rebels' war declaration seriously
By Ben O. Tesiorna
TASK Force Davao (TFD) Chief Eduardo del Rosario Wednesday said they are taking seriously the declaration of war by the group of Nur Misuari, former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader.
Colonel del Rosario, however, assured that such a declaration would not have much tremendous effect in Davao City since they are in good relation with the local MNLF leaders.
Del Rosario said the local MNLF are "not doing anything" that would disrupt in the peace and order situation.
"We have good and harmonious relationship with the local MNLF leaders here," he said.
Newspaper reports on Monday claimed that "a state of war has been declared by the MNLF Misuari faction as it prepares for a full-blown offensive against the government anytime soon in all of Mindanao."
A member of the faction's executive committee said Lahamuddin Ghulam, their deputy chief of defense, made the declaration of war.
The Misuari faction source claimed the "war," which would open with attacks on government installations and military detachments, would be joined by all revolutionary forces in the region including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Christian Revolutionary Army, a breakaway group of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army.
He said the call to war has greatly enticed more than 2,000 armed members of the MILF in Maguindanao to join the MNLF and pledged their loyalty to Ghulam.
The rebel leader said the call to war has been relayed to all Muslim fighters in Manila through text messages asking them to return to Mindanao for the offensive.
He said the ongoing hostilities in Sulu was exacerbated by the turning down of Misuari's call for a ceasefire, the killing of 22 Muslims at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, after a failed jailbreak and the campaign for the federalization of Mindanao.
The declaration was made without the knowledge of deposed MNLF chairman Nur Misuari, who remains incarcerated at the heavily fortified Fort Santo.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu also assured the public that they would not give any support to the MNLF's war declaration against the government.
In a telephone interview, Kabalu said: "The MNLF has no moral ground and had ceased to exist since they are no longer a revolutionary movement after signing their peace agreement with the government in 1996."
Kabalu also denied claim by an MNLF source that about 2,000 MILF rebels in Maguindanao are set to join the MNLF in the war against the government.
"He has no authority to speak for and in behalf of the MILF. We categorically deny that and we will not have any participation on that declaration of war. We are on the process of going back to the negotiating table," Kabalu said.
"Besides, non-implementation of the agreement is not a valid ground for the declaration of war," he added.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (March 24, 2005 issue)
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