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Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Military accuses MILF of training rebels for suicide missions
By Al Jacinto
THE military on Monday accused the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of secretly training fresh recruits in Mindanao, and indoctrinating them to carry out suicide attacks.
Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Edilberto Adan said the covert trainings violated a fragile truce the MILF signed with the government four years ago.
The MILF is currently negotiating peace with Manila in an effort to end the more than three decades of bloody fighting in the southern Philippines.
The general said intelligence reports suggested that the MILF recruited and trained as many as 4,000 members in at least eight provinces and towns across the strife-torn region.
The training included indoctrination on suicide attack missions, but the general did not say if there were foreigners involved.
Earlier, western-influenced intelligence source had linked the MILF to the Indonesian Jemaah al-Islamiya group and the al-Qaeda terror network of Usama bin Laden.
"There had been decentralized and specialized training activities with the purpose of enhancing the military skills of its members and maintaining their war-fighting preparedness," Adan said in a news conference.
He said the MILF training also included basic commando tactics, guerrilla warfare, weapons and marksmanship and explosives, among others.
Adan said the military was deeply concerned over the illegal training and has ordered commanders to stay vigilant.
"I am warning the MILF that any training activity that is military in nature is considered an offensive action.
The Southern Command will not take these violations lightly and allow such deceptive strategy to continue," Adan said.
Eid Kabalu, a rebel spokesman, said the MILF was not recruiting members, but admitted that thousands of Muslims voluntarily joined the country's largest Muslim secessionist group over the years.
"Our brothers have voluntarily joined the MILF because they believed in us and have joined us for the long walk to peace," Kabalu said.
He admitted that the MILF has been regularly training rebel forces, but all these were part of a regular program to enhance the skills of its members.
"There is nothing illegal about these activities. The MILF has not violated the ceasefire agreement. We are sincere with the peace talks," he said.
Kabalu said the military could have fed wrong intelligence about the MILF by politicians who were opposed to the peace talks. Most of them, he said, were owners of vast tracks of lands, have vested interests, other than the welfare of the public.
"There are politicians who are opposing the peace talks because of their selfish motives and business interests. As for the MILF, we want nothing, but peace and stability in Mindanao, not for us, but for all the people in the region," he said.
He appealed to the public to support the peace process. "Help us realize this dream, join us in our search for just and lasting peace," he said.
Last week, the influential Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC) reiterated its strong support to the peace talks.
"We are glad that a lot of confidence and trust has been built and promoted by both parties and we urge and pray that they will reach a negotiated peace agreement as soon as possible."
"We hope and pray that the genuine Islamic and Christian values, which we share in common, will inspire every provision of the peace pact and that we beg God/Allah to bless all the members of the two panels as well as the sponsoring governments of Malaysia, Libya and other Muslim States," it said in a statement.
The statement was signed by Archbishop Fernando Capalla, Mahid Mutilan, president of the Ulama League of the Philippines, and the Bishop Emeritus of the National Churches of Christ in the Philippines, Hilario Gomez.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye earlier said President Gloria Arroyo's drive for reconciliation and unity extends to all ideological and partisan groups.
"President Arroyo has wielded a comprehensive political, economic, diplomatic and security approach to win the peace, isolate terrorists and prepare the ground for shared prosperity among Mindanao's poor."
"The indisputable collaboration of the government and the MILF in the Mindanao peace process serves as an emblem of hope for the Filipino people," Bunye said.
Many Arab countries, including the influential Organization of Islamic Conference and Libya, Saudi Arabia and the United States, strongly support the peace talks.
President George W. Bush offered as much as $30 million in financial assistance to help develop Mindanao should the MILF seal a peace agreement with the Arroyo government. The money would be used to help the rebels get back to the mainstream of society.
President Arroyo previously said that 80 percent of the peace talks have been completed and that peace in Mindanao is within reach.
MILF chieftain Murad Ebrahim has said that his group is sincere in the talks and is willing to end the war in Mindanao.
(December 13, 2005 issue)
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