COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 5, 2008) – A fragile cease-fire agreement and commitments of support by international communities are what is holding a full-blown war from erupting in the southern Philippines, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said Sunday.
The MILF said rebel forces are parrying attacks by Filipino troops in the provinces of Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Sarangani and Lanao del Norte, although sporadic fighting have been reported in Sultan Kudarat, Shariff Kabunsuan and Basilan island.
President Gloria Arroyo has suspended the seven-year old peace talks with the MILF and ordered a military offensive against rebels forces blamed for a series of attacks in North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte and Sarangani in August after the aborted signing of the Muslim territorial deal the government initially signed with the secessionist group.
She also disbanded the government team negotiating peace with the MILF and totally scrapped the ancestral domain agreement with the country’s largest Muslim rebel group.
“There is no hope of resuming the peace under this Arroyo government. She had reneged on a deal that would have brought peace to the Bangsamoro land,” Eid Kabalu, a senior MILF leader, told the Mindanao Examiner.
He said government offensives against the MILF are continuing in Mindanao.
“The cease-fire agreement with the Philippine government and commitments of support to the peace in Mindanao are the only thing holding back a full-blown war between rebel and military forces,” he said.
Kabalu said many countries are still supporting the peace process in the troubled region.
“We have Saudi Arabia, Libya, Malaysia, the United States, Japan, Brunei, including the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to name a few which are supporting the peace process in Mindanao. And the MILF is sincere in achieving peace in Mindanao,” he said.
But Manila insisted the MILF to surrender rebel three commanders, Ameril Kato, Abdurahman Macapaar and Sulayman Pangalian who led the deadly attacks in the provinces before peace talks could resume.
The MILF rejected the demand and said it would investigate the involvements of the trio in the attacks and punish them if they are guilty. “We will sanction them and the MILF will not condone any atrocities committed by its members,” Kabalu said.
Authorities have offered P10 million reward each for information that will lead to the arrest of Kato, Macapaar and Pangalian, who are facing criminal charges along with over a hundred followers also implicated in the attacks.
Kato even posted a video recently on the Internet and taunted the military to get him, while Macapaar spoke on radio and mocked government forces for failing to capture him despite thousands of troops, backed by US military intelligence, pursuing them. (Mindanao Examiner)
The MILF said rebel forces are parrying attacks by Filipino troops in the provinces of Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Sarangani and Lanao del Norte, although sporadic fighting have been reported in Sultan Kudarat, Shariff Kabunsuan and Basilan island.
President Gloria Arroyo has suspended the seven-year old peace talks with the MILF and ordered a military offensive against rebels forces blamed for a series of attacks in North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte and Sarangani in August after the aborted signing of the Muslim territorial deal the government initially signed with the secessionist group.
She also disbanded the government team negotiating peace with the MILF and totally scrapped the ancestral domain agreement with the country’s largest Muslim rebel group.
“There is no hope of resuming the peace under this Arroyo government. She had reneged on a deal that would have brought peace to the Bangsamoro land,” Eid Kabalu, a senior MILF leader, told the Mindanao Examiner.
He said government offensives against the MILF are continuing in Mindanao.
“The cease-fire agreement with the Philippine government and commitments of support to the peace in Mindanao are the only thing holding back a full-blown war between rebel and military forces,” he said.
Kabalu said many countries are still supporting the peace process in the troubled region.
“We have Saudi Arabia, Libya, Malaysia, the United States, Japan, Brunei, including the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to name a few which are supporting the peace process in Mindanao. And the MILF is sincere in achieving peace in Mindanao,” he said.
But Manila insisted the MILF to surrender rebel three commanders, Ameril Kato, Abdurahman Macapaar and Sulayman Pangalian who led the deadly attacks in the provinces before peace talks could resume.
The MILF rejected the demand and said it would investigate the involvements of the trio in the attacks and punish them if they are guilty. “We will sanction them and the MILF will not condone any atrocities committed by its members,” Kabalu said.
Authorities have offered P10 million reward each for information that will lead to the arrest of Kato, Macapaar and Pangalian, who are facing criminal charges along with over a hundred followers also implicated in the attacks.
Kato even posted a video recently on the Internet and taunted the military to get him, while Macapaar spoke on radio and mocked government forces for failing to capture him despite thousands of troops, backed by US military intelligence, pursuing them. (Mindanao Examiner)
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