Thursday, April 03, 2008 MILF hits 'unauthorized' entry of Army soldiers By Ben O. Tesiorna
THE Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) criticized the alleged "unauthorized" entry of Army soldiers in Butig, Lanao del Sur, on Sunday.
Government soldiers onboard 10 vehicles and two tanks allegedly entered the area Sunday and Monday without proper coordination with the MILF coordinating committee on the cessation of hostilities (CCCH), the MILF said in a report posted in its website luwaran.com.
The MILF said the uncoordinated movement caused tension in the area, which is a known MILF stronghold.
Butig was the venue of the huge expanded meeting of the MILF central committee last March 9 to 11. It is also home to the satellite office of the MILF peace panel, where said meeting was held. Camp Boshra Somiorang is also situated there, the MILF report said.
The government-MILF ceasefire agreement provides that mass movement of troops by either party shall be coordinated with the other party to prevent the occurrence of fighting and to uphold the ceasefire.
The tension was immediately settled though after series of communication between the MILF and government CCCH.
It was learned that the Army soldiers belonging to the 51st Battalion under Colonel David Deciano were dispatched there by higher headquarters to conduct a medical mission in the area and had returned to their base Monday afternoon.
A member of the MILF CCCH, who requested for anonymity, said that such "unintentional provocative act" should not be repeated, as it endangers the maintenance of the ceasefire considering the fragile status of the peace talks.
