Peace Talks Maybe Imperiled, Says MILF After Chieftain Is Linked To Mindanao Bombings

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu shows a complaint against North Cotabato Governor Emmanuel Pinol who accused the rebel group as behind the recent bombing in Makilala town in North Cotabato province. (Mindanao Examiner/Mark Navales)

MAGUINDANAO (Mark Navales / 18 Oct) – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Wednesday warned that the peace talks with Manila may be imperiled after police filed criminal charges against its chieftain and two Jemaah Islamiya militants in connection with recent bomb attacks in the restive Mindanao region.

“This is a very serious development. We are now discussing this issue. This could imperil the peace talks,” Mohager Iqbal, the MILF chief peace negotiator, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Police linked Murad Ebrahim, chieftain of the MILF, and some of his commanders in the October 10 bombing in Makilala town in North Cotabato province where six people had died and more than two dozen others injured.

A bomb also exploded at a market in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat province and in Cotabato City in Maguindanao province, killing several people.

Aside from Ebrahim, police also filed criminal charges against Indonesian JI bombers Dulmatin and Umar Patek, and a Pakistani national, Usman al Majad; and several MILF rebels.

It was not immediately known what evidence the police have on Ebrahim.

North Cotabato Governor Emmanuel Pinol earlier accused a top MILF commander, Basit Usman, as behind the Makilala bombing.

The MILF has previously denied any involvement in the bombings, but police said a former rebel, who surrendered to the government, implicated Ebrahim and the others.

Presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza said he was surprised to learn that Ebrahim was linked to the bombing. “I was really surprised to hear that they included MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim to the bombing. I have not seen any connection of the MILF leader to the bombing.”

“This development is very sensitive because this can have an effect to our peace efforts in Mindanao,” Dureza said, adding, he has to see the charge sheet against Ebrahim.

The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for a separate Islamic state similar to Iran.

Manila began peace negotiations with the MILF in 2001, but no major accord has been signed by both sides, except for a cease-fire agreement. And many rebels are slowly losing their patience on the five-year old peace talks.

Peace talks ended last month in Malaysia with both sides failing to sign any agreement on the most contentious issue -- ancestral domain -- which refers to the MILF demand for territory that will constitute a Muslim homeland. It is the single most important issue in the peace negotiations before the rebel group can reach a political settlement.

Malaysia, an influential member of the Organization of Islamic Conference, is brokering the peace talks.

Ebrahim this month warned that Manila should be blamed if the peace talks fail. He said the talks are now passing “a turbulent area” and that the Filipino government must take responsibility for the breakdown of the negotiations.

“This signals that we are now on the danger zone of the peace talks,” Ebrahim said, referring to the failure of the negotiations on Sept. 9 held in Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks.

The MILF has rejected Manila's offer for a limited autonomy in the mineral-rich, but restive Mindanao island, home to about 4 million Muslims who want a separate Islamic state.

Iqbal previously said the Philippine government offered them the 5-province Muslim autonomous region and 613 other Muslim villages in exchange for a peace deal.

"They offered the MILF the whole of the Muslim autonomous region and 613 other Muslim villages scattered in Mindanao, but all these are subject to Philippine legislation. The offer is just like a leopard skin and we did not agree with it."

"Peace cannot be unilaterally imposed on the MILF and the Muslim people," Iqbal said.

The Muslim autonomous region is composed of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi -- which are among the poorest in the country torn by strife and clan wars since its creation in 1989.

The MILF previously proposed that the Muslims be given an option to choose in a referendum whether they wanted Mindanao to be an independent state or not.

The ancestral domain covers the five Muslim autonomous provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao. And other areas in Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces where there are large communities of Muslims and indigenous tribes. (Mindanao Examiner)