Sunday, October 12, 2008 20 rebel returnees to be freed By Ben O. Tesiorna
AT LEAST 20 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who surrendered to authorities last August are expected to be released soon after investigation showed they were not involved in the August 18 attack in Lanao del Norte.
Reports reaching Sun.Star Davao showed that preliminary investigations by the Iligan City Prosecutor's Office and the police had cleared the 20 MILF members of involvement in the attacks in the towns of Kauswagan, Kolambugan and Linamon.
It was learned that the MILF surrenderees were turned over by the military to the custody of Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz after their surrender last August 20.
The rebels will undergo debriefing before they will be sent home to their families. The local government will also provide livelihood projects to the rebels, allowing them to go back to their normal lives.
The surrenderees belong to the MILF's 14th Brigade command under Alvin Cunto who earlier claimed that he and his members from Barangay Rogongon in Iligan City decided to go back to the folds of the law for fear that Kumander Bravo would run after them for having not followed the order to kill civilians during their rampage in Kauswagan on August 18.
Cunto said he refused to abide by Kumander Bravo's order since it was against Islamic teachings. It was learned that Cunto and six of his armed followers were in Kauswagan during the MILF raid but did not participate in the atrocities against civilians.
It was learned that Cunto's group are from Higaonon tribe and not Muslims.
