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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
AFP files protest vs MILF over Basilan clash
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The military has filed Monday a complaint before the Joint Committee on Ceasefire and Cessation of Hostilities (JCCCH) against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) following an attack in Basilan.
The government troops accused the MILF of starting the fresh fighting in the nearby island province of Basilan last Sunday that killed two rebels and wounded 17 marines, including an officer.
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Philippine Marines commandant Lieutenant General Benjamin Dolorfino condemned the attack by the rebel group, saying it violated the 2003 ceasefire agreement between the MILF and the government.
He also stressed that the attack violated the 2002 accord that called on the rebels to help the government eradicate terror groups like the Abu Sayyaf.
"It's very clear that they violated the ceasefire because they attacked our detachment," Dolorfino said.
Naval Forces Western Mindanao (Navforwem) chief Rear Admiral Emilio Marayag, for his part, said that from all indications, the attackers are members of the MILF.
Marayag said the MILF could not deny that the attackers were their members, citing the recovered remains of the two slain rebels' are in MILF uniforms.
The two rebels were Remie Indama, a member of the Abu Sayyaf group, and Pathi Kabulot of the MILF.
With enough evidence to prove that the MILF and Abu Sayyaf are behind the attack, the military is asking the joint committees to oust two rebel commanders who allegedly led Sunday's attacks on southern Basilan island, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres said.
The JCCCH is the authorized body that hears complaints of ceasefire violation between the military and MILF forces for proper action to be taken while engaged in a peace talk.
The government and MILF forged a ceasefire agreement in 2001 paving the way for peace talks aimed at ending the decade-old hostilities here in Mindanao.
Sunday's attack, according to Dolorfino, was led by Hudli Maya and backed by members of the Abu Sayyaf bandits.
It took place while the Marine Battalion Landing Team-8 (MBLT-8) were readying to leave Basilan province for a retraining and refurbishing at a marine base in Ternate, Cavite.
The MBLT-8 will be replaced by the newly retrained and refurbished MBLT-10 that disembarked Monday morning from a navy boat at Majini Pier of the Navforwem headquarters in Zamboanga City.
"This (attack) happened on the eve of the regular rotation of a marine battalion. As a consequence, the military will file today (Monday) a formal protest before the coordinating committee on the cessation of hostilities to stress our commitment to the ongoing peace process and the rule of law," Marayag said.
He exhorted the MBLT-10 troops "to put into action what you have gained during your retraining."
He said the marching order of the MBLT-10 is to implement the basic framework of triad operations that include combat, intelligence, and civil-military "guided by the mature judgment of ground commanders."
"As a reminder, the current detractors of peace, harmony, and socio-economic growth are dynamic adversaries who operate within a complex, interconnected operational environment. The conventional military environment of time and space has gradually transformed into what is now referred to as 'PEMSII' environment or political, economic, military, social, infrastructure, and information," Marayag told the MBLT-10 troops.
"It is not just a battlefield where clear lines are drawn to segregate friendly and enemy territories. It is now termed as a 'battle space' where friends and foes are not easily identified. This environment is where you will be deployed," he added.
MBLT-10 chief Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Mabalot said his officers and men are ready to face the "situation on the ground", citing several of his officers and men have been assigned previously in Basilan province where there is volatile peace and order.
"We are trained for that (situation) and we will try really to deal with that kind of situation," Mabalot said.
Mabalot said they will reach out the community leaders and the residents to determine what is needed for the development of the place, and "try as much as possible to avoid armed confrontation, but if it cannot be avoided, we have to confront it." (With AP/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. (May 27, 2008 issue)
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