Saturday, March 15, 2008 Rebel spokesman: MILF not in war mode
KORONADAL CITY -- Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters have been ordered to refrain from conducting offensive operations against government forces amid the restiveness growing in the ranks of the rebels in the face of a slow moving peace process, a spokesperson said Thursday.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu calmed down fears of another war in Mindanao following the pronouncement of top field commander Abdulrahman G. Macapaar, alias Commander Bravo, that he and his men are prepared to return to war if peace talks fail.
Macapaar is the commander of the 102nd MILF Base Command in Lanao del Norte.
He headed the MILF fighters in storming and occupying the Kauswagan town hall in 2000, which prompted then President Joseph Estrada to declare an "all-out war" against the rebels.
"For us mujahideens, we wanted to end this. I tell the government, if they fail to give us freedom and justice according to Islam, if MILF permits me, I'm prepared to die," Macapaar was quoted as saying in newspaper reports.
Kabalu, for his part, said the MILF's central committee respects the views of Macapaar, and all other MILF commanders for that matter, but reminded him not to wage to drastic moves.
But Kabalu stressed: "So far, the MILF hierarchy has not decided to wage a war and we expect our field commanders to abide by this policy."
The rebel spokesperson said the MILF is still bent on resolving the Mindanao conflict through peaceful means.
Peace negotiations between the government and the rebels have been stalled by the ticklish ancestral domain issue.
Negotiators were supposed to hammer this out last December in Malaysia but the MILF peace members walked out after a government proposal contains the phrase "constitutional process."
Kabalu said the slow moving peace process is not only causing restiveness among their fighters but also annoyance due to the attitude demonstrated by the government.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has reportedly given the go-signal for the government peace panel to present its new proposal on territory to the MILF in an upcoming meeting in Malaysia, which is brokering the amity talks.
Saying that civil society in Mindanao is also annoyed by the snail-paced peace negotiations, Kabalu said the front's hierarchy has recently reiterated its policy to resolve the Mindanao problem in a peaceful manner.
This was done in Butig, Lanao del Sur, where thousands of MILF fighters and supporters gathered for a three-day meeting that ended March 11, with MILF chieftain Murad Ebrahim leading the event.
Murad also said the delays in the resumption of peace talks are causing anxiety to many people.
But he did not discount the possibility that the peace talks can be concluded in the remaining days of the Arroyo administration. (BSS/Sun.Star General Santos)
