Friday, February 29, 2008 MILF disowns Al-Khobar head By Ben O. Tesiorna
THE Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) vehemently denied latest allegations that the head of the extort group Al-Khobar is an MILF commander.
Arrested Al-Khobar extortion group member Musali Calo said an MILF commander named Zabide Abdul alias Bedz, whose base is in a marshland in Maguindanao, is also a leader of their group.
Calo, however, clarified that the MILF as an organization has nothing to do with the extortion activities of Al-Khobar.
In a telephone interview Thursday, MILF military spokesman Eid Kabalu said they have no member in their roster by the name of Zabide Abdul. He admitted though that Abdul could be getting help from some MILF members considering that his areas of operation are places where MILF rebels operate.
"Baka may mga kaalyado si Zabide sa MILF but wala sya sa listahan ng mga members namin," Kabalu said. (Maybe he has allies in the MILF but he is not in our list of members.)
In an interview Wednesday, Army 10th Infantry Division head, Brigadier General Antonio Amodia, said the MILF can easily disown or deny any arrested criminal as a member of their organization.
"Wala kasi tayong listahan ng roster ng members nila eh kaya (We don't have a list of their members so) they can deny anytime," Amodia said.
Zabide allegedly leads a unit of the MILF in Barangay Pawas, General SK Pendatun in Maguindanao.
Pawas, according to Calo, is in Liguasan Marsh where members of the group usually meet to plot extortion and bombing activities in Central Mindanao.
It was Zabide, who is trained to manufacture bombs, who led the operation.
Zabide, court records showed, is facing several murder charges in connection with a number of bombing activities in Central Mindanao, including the latest explosion at the PhilBest Tuna Canning Corporation in General Santos City that killed four and injured 28 others.
