Philippines arrests senior MILF leader ahead of peace talks

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 11, 2010) – Philippine authorities are holding a senior leader of Moro Islamic Liberation Front and accused him of terrorism ahead of peace talks between Manila and the Muslim rebel group fighting for separatism in the troubled region on Mindanao.

The MILF said it was protesting the arrest of Eduard Guerra and it also wrote Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks, to say that the man had been tortured into admitting false charges of terrorism.

“We have filed a protest with the Philippine government and informed Malaysia about the arrest of Brother Eduard Guerra. He is a senior official of the MILF Central Committee and all the charges against him were false,” said Von Al Haq, a spokesman for the rebel group.

He said Guerra was arrested late last month at the Davao International Airport on his way to Switzerland to attend the United Nations Human Rights Council Meeting upon the invitation of an international nongovernment organization.

The MILF demanded the immediate release of Guerra who is being held at a military base in Manila. “Brother Eduard is has been tortured and is not allowed to see his lawyers or family members,” Al Haq said.

He said the MILF also passed a resolution condemning Guerra’s arrest. It was signed by Muhammad Ameen, chairman of the MILF Central Committee, and Ghazali Jaafar, MILF Vice Chairman for Political Affairs.

The resolution considers the arrest as a “direct blow to the early resumption of the negotiation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia” and described it as a blatant violation of the truce accord between Manila and the MILF.

Murad Ebrahim, the MILF chieftain, sent a letter to the Malaysian peace talks facilitator, Datuk Othman bin Abdulrazak, and raised the issue of the arrest and its serious implications to the early resumption of the peace negotiations.

Authorities accused Guerra as behind the series of bombings in Sarangani province and General Santos City in Mindanao.

There was no immediate statement from the police or military about the MILF accusations. Manila has opened peace talks with the MILF in an effort to end bloody fighting in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)