|
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
MILF leaders claim chief to be used as bait
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
CAGAYAN DE ORO -- Moro separatists expressed concern Monday that their chief will be seized by government forces and jailed like Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari in order to be used as "leverage" for their surrender.
Mohagher Iqbal, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief public information officer, revealed that the government plans to capture and jail their leader.
"Once en route to the venue of the peace talks, Chairman Salamat Hashim will be seized by government forces," he said in a statement sent to Sun.Star Monday night.
He added that Salamat will be "used as bargaining chip to force the MILF to settle for concessions being peddled around by President rroyo and Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes."
Also Monday, Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. urged Arroyo's government to respond positively and speedily to the peace overtures of the MILF.
"This is if it really wants to forge a final peace agreement with the rebels within the soonest possible time," he said.
Pimentel lamented that the government has been slow in reciprocating the conciliatory gestures of the MILF despite the strong clamor of the people of Mindanao for peace and order.
Initiative
Up to now, he said the government has not reciprocated the indefinite ceasefire that was unilaterally declared by the MILF.
The opposition senator said no concrete effort has been taken by the government to lift the bounties and the arrest warrants on Salamat and other MILF leaders.
This is even after Salamat issued a statement declaring that the rebel group unequivocally abhors and renounces terrorism as a means to achieve its political goals.
"Even after Chairman Salamat has acceded to the government's demand to head the MILF peace panel, the government has not taken the initiative to lift the arrest warrant on him," he said.
"It seems the government is acting incoherently by failing to undertake its own confidence-building measures," he added.
The senator pointed out that the government, for purposes of the negotiations, may issue safe conduct passes to MILF leaders participating in the peace talks to ensure that they are not arrested.
He said this is in accordance with the existing agreement on safety and immunity guarantees between the government and MILF.
Only judges
Pimentel said the government should act aggressively in taking concrete steps that would pave the way for the resumption of the formal peace talks considering its desire to sign a final peace accord in 90 days.
"If both sides are sincere in their quest for lasting peace in Mindanao, it may even be possible to sign a final peace agreement in less than 90 days," he said.
Presidential Adviser on Strategic Concerns Renato de Villa earlier said Salamat could not be given this assurance as he has a standing warrant of arrest for the Davao city bombings last March and April along with other MILF senior officers.
"Negative in the sense that the warrants of arrest have been issued by our judicial branch of government and the President has no power or authority to reverse or to do anything about these warrants," he said in Cagayan de Oro last June 16.
He added that their position is that only the judges who issued the arrest orders can decide on whether these should stay or be scrapped.
De Villa admitted that they are still thinking of a mechanism by which the MILF chief can take part of the negotiations despite the arrest order against him.
President Arroyo earlier called on Salamat to head MILF's peace negotiations with government.
Leaderless
Government law enforcement sources admitted that they would have to serve Salamat's warrant of arrest if it is not withdrawn by the judiciary as this is part of their job.
Despite this, they said the MILF is only making this statement up and disseminating it to the media to draw people's sympathy to the rebel group.
"Would they really allow their leader to come out in the open to risk him being arrested?" they asked.
Iqbal said classified information was leaked to the Bangsamoro Islamic News Agency that Salamat will be arrested once he shows up for the talks.
According to Iqbal, the source also revealed that the government, especially the military, could care less about public opinion.
Government, according to Iqbal, wants "Salamat in custody, render the MILF leaderless, and dictate the terms of the talks." Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro |
|
|
|
 |
| click
to comment on this article or discuss it with other readers |
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
Slain gunman offered P1M to kill Brillantes?