10 MILF rebels surrender in South RP

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Police pursue kidnappers of univerity official in Mindanao

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 21, 2008) – Police forces mounted fresh operation Tuesday to capture gunmen who freed a kidnapped university official in the restive region of Mindanao, south of Manila, officials said.

Gunmen released Hipolito Minoza to Marawi City Mayor Fahad Salic on Monday afternoon after a series of negotiations. No ransom was paid for the safe release of the hostage, who was kidnapped Oct. 16 while driving his car near Saguiraran town in Lanao del Sur, one of six provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.

Minoza is the budget officer of the Mindanao State University.

Details of the negotiations were unknown or who were behind the kidnapping, but military authorities have implicated Abdurahman Macapaar, a leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front tagged as behind a series of deadly attacks in the region in recent weeks.

“Police forces are now tracking down the kidnappers,” Chief Superintendent Bensali Jabarani, the regional police commander, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Jabarani said three kidnappers had already been captured by police forces. He said police is investigating reports of Macapaar’s involvement in the kidnapping.

The MILF has strongly denied that Macapaar’s group was involved in the kidnapping, saying, it could be connected to Minoza’s job.

“Macapaar has no involvement in that kidnapping. Authorities should investigate deeply the motive of Minoza’s kidnapping and it could be related to his job as budget officer of MSU,” said Eid kabalu, a senior MILF leader.

The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group which is fighting for self-determination in the troubled, but mineral-rich region of Mindanao. (With a report from Merlyn Manos)

Philippines Doubles Bounties For 2 Wanted MILF Leaders

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 5, 2008) – The Philippines on Friday doubled its rewards for the capture of two notorious leaders of the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is negotiating peace with Manila.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said they have raised the bounties to P20 million for the capture of Ameril Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar, who led hundreds of rebels in a series of deadly attacks in Mindanao last month.

Manila last week offered P10 million rewards for the capture of the two rebel leaders and President Gloria Arroyo ordered police and military forces to pursue the duo, blamed for the brutal killings of dozens of innocent civilians in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte provinces.

The MILF said the bounties put up by the Philippine government would only complicate the tensed situation and the peace talks in Mindanao.

Arroyo earlier dissolved the government panel negotiating peace with the MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for a separate state in the troubled region.

She also scrapped a territorial deal initially signed by government and rebel peace negotiators after the Supreme Court stopped the formal signing of the accord that would have granted Muslims their own homeland in more than 700 villages across Mindanao.

“The bounties offered by the Philippine government for the capture of Kato and Macapaar will only make things worse in Mindanao. It will not help resolve the problems in Mindanao, not even the peace process,” Eid Kabalu, a senior rebel leader, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Manila repeatedly demanded the MILF to peacefully surrender Kato and Macapaar.

The MILF said it will not yield the two rebel leaders, saying, it would investigate their involvements in the attacks, which occurred after the aborted signing of the ancestral domain deal.

Mohagher Iqbal, the chief MILF peace negotiator, blamed hawkish factions in the Arroyo government and politicians opposed to the homeland deal for the failed peace talks. “We have nothing to blame but the Philippine government if war breaks out in Mindanao,” he said.

Manila said Arroyo was not aware of the provisions of the ancestral domain deal initially signed by the peace negotiators on July 27 in Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks.

But Iqbal said the President knew about the ancestral domain deal long before it was initially signed in Kuala Lumpur because the issue had been tackled many times since last year by the Cluster E.

“The President knew everything about the ancestral domain agreement and other important developments as far as the peace talks were concerned. President Arroyo had been informed about anything that has something to do with the peace process,” Iqbal said.

"They also wanted us to sign the peace agreement, but we declined because there are more important things to talk about as far as the Mindanao problems are concerned."

"The memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain had been tackled many times since last year with the Cluster E and as a matter of fact they rushed the signing of the ancestral domain deal because President Arroyo wanted it included in her state of the nation address in July 28," Iqbal said.

Cluster E refers to the cabinet Cluster for Political and Security Affairs that routinely advised Arroyo on national security matters. Its members included the National Security Council, National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Justice and Finance secretaries.

Arroyo, in her state of the nation address, said: “A comprehensive peace has eluded us for half a century. But last night, differences on the tough issue of ancestral domain were resolved. Yes, there are political dynamics among the people of Mindanao. Let us sort them out with the utmost sobriety, patience and restraint. I ask Congress to act on the legislative and political reforms that will lead to a just and lasting peace during our term of office.”

Iqbal said the ancestral domain deal is considered final. “It has been initialed already and the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain deal, as what we have repeatedly said in the past, is a done deal. We will not negotiate anymore what has been already agreed by the peace panels,” he said, adding, the peace talks are now in “purgatory.”

Arroyo opened peace talks with the MILF in 2001, but since then nothing significant had been signed except for the ancestral domain agreement. But the homeland deal sparked a series of protests from politicians and residents who were opposed to the inclusion of their areas to the agreement that will make up the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

Arroyo has shifted in the basic premise of the government's peace effort after the MILF attacks.

“Expect President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to personally push her administration’s new paradigm on ending the decades-old Mindanao conflict and the communist insurgency by focusing on negotiations with the armed groups genuinely interested in peace, in a common cause with the affected communities and other stakeholders,” said Press Secretary Jesus Dureza.

He said the government will hold a series of consultative meetings starting middle of this month with various stakeholders in Mindanao to explore initiatives and mechanisms that would truly realize lasting peace and stability in the region.

Dureza previously headed the government team negotiating with the MILF, but was removed after he illegally inserted a provision in one of the agreement with the rebel group.

Arroyo's allies in Congress have earlier proposed to amend the Constitution to change the system of government from presidential to parliamentary or federalism.

But militant groups accused Arroyo of using the peace talks with the MILF to change the Constitution and use this to prolong her to stay into power.

Under the presidential form of government, Arroyo is allowed only one six-year term. In the charter change proposal suggested by her political allies who dominate Congress, she can be elected as prime minister should Congress dissolve the Senate and change the system of government to parliamentary and eventually prolong her into power beyond 2010.

Arroyo deposed President Joseph Estrada in a people power revolution in 2001, but corruption scandals in her government and allegations of poll fraud in 2004 has made her extremely unpopular. (Mindanao Examiner)

War In The Making: Arroyo Dissolves Peace Panel; MILF Pursues Armed Struggle In Mindanao

Philippine leader Gloria Arroyo talks with Muslim job-seekers on Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at the Philippine Trade and Training Center in Pasay City. Arroyo on Wednesday also dissolved the government panel negotiating peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. (Photo by Rey Baniquet / Text by the Mindanao Examiner)

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 3, 2008) – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front vowed to continue its armed struggle after Manila on Wednesday dissolved its peace panel negotiating with the Philippines’ largest Muslim rebel group.

The government’s announcement came two weeks after MILF commanders Ameril Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar led hundreds of rebels in separate attacks on the provinces in Mindanao. Dozens of people were brutally killed in the raid.

“If the peace talks with the Philippine government fail, then we have no recourse but to continue our armed struggle,” Mohagher Iqbal, the chief MILF peace negotiator, told the Mindanao Examiner. 

President Gloria Arroyo, who opened peace talks with the rebels in 2001, has already scrapped a territorial deal with the MILF after the Supreme Court stopped its formal signing last month in Malaysia because many of its provisions were unconstitutional.

Peace negotiators in July initially signed the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain that would have granted some four million Muslims their own homeland in more than 700 villages across Mindanao, whose 21 million populations are mostly Christians and indigenous tribes.

The homeland deal sparked a series of protests from politicians and residents who were opposed to the inclusion of their areas to the agreement that will make up the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

Rebel forces launched the attacks after the failed signing of the controversial ancestral domain agreement. 

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said the government’s decision to dissolve the peace panel, headed by Rodolfo Garcia, will pave the way for a fresh start to the peace process in the restive region.

Manila repeatedly demanded the MILF to surrender Kato and Macapaar after authorities filed criminal charges against them for the attacks. But the rebel group flatly rejected the demand, saying, it is investigating the duo for their involvement in the deadly attacks.

Fighting erupted in many areas in Lanao del Norte and Maguindanao provinces where security forces mounted a massive operation aimed at capturing the two rogue MILF leaders.

The continuing hostilities, the MILF said, are already threatening the peace talks and that the fighting could spread to other areas in Mindanao if the government will not stop attacking rebel forces in the guise of pursuing Kato and Macapaar.

“Our struggle for self-determination will not falter. All that is happening is Allah’s will and the struggle of the Bangsamoro people for self-determination is also the struggle of the MILF,” Iqbal said.

Arroyo has shifted in the basic premise of the government's peace effort after hundreds of rebels under Ameril Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar led a series of attacks in the provinces in Mindanao that killed dozens of civilians.

Iqbal said the peace talks are now in “purgatory”.

 

Presidential peace adviser Hermogenes Esperon said the government will longer sign the ancestral domain deal, which the MILF insisted is already a done deal after peace negotiators initially signed the accord in July.

Manila also demanded the rebels to lay down their weapons before peace talks can resume. This was also rejected by the MILF. 

Iqbal said Manila should provide official statement to Malaysia and the MILF the scrapping of the territorial deal and the termination of government peace panel or whether Arroyo would still continue the peace talks with the MILF or not. 

“Without these official communication, the MILF cannot decide whether to continue the peace with the Arroyo government or not,” he said.

Last year, peace talks were also stalled after Manila reneged on the ancestral domain deal. Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks, has pulled out its truce observers deployed in Mindanao after blaming the Arroyo government of stalling the seven-year old negotiations.

Manila said previously that it would pursue a proposal by Senator Aquilino Pimentel to put up a federal government and divide the Philippines into eleven states.

Pimentel proposed four federal states in Luzon, three in the Visayas and three more in Mindanao. He said the establishment of a federal system, as embodied under Joint Resolution 10 which he introduced, will not only overhaul the political structure of government, but also bring about a dramatic change in the system of apportioning the wealth of the nation between the central government and the local government units.

"Since the central government will be left with less power, it will need fewer funds. And therefore, its share of the national wealth or resource shall be reduced correspondingly,” he said, adding, the sharing of revenues will be 80 percent for the Federal states and 20 percent for the Central government. 

Pimentel said federalization of the country would enhance national cohesion and unity because the proposed 11 component states will enjoy full autonomy.

Arroyo's allies in Congress have earlier proposed to amend the Constitution to change the system of government from presidential to parliamentary or federalism.

But militant groups and political activists have repeatedly accused Arroyo of using the peace talks with the MILF to amend the Constitution and eventually prolong her to stay into power.

Under the presidential form of government, Arroyo is allowed only one six-year term. In the charter change proposal suggested by her political allies who dominate Congress, she can be elected as prime minister should Congress dissolve the Senate and change the system of government to parliamentary and eventually prolong her into power beyond 2010.

Arroyo deposed President Joseph Estrada in a people power revolution in 2001, but corruption scandals in her government and allegations of poll fraud in 2004 has made her extremely unpopular.  (Mindanao Examiner)

 

Photo: Ameril Kato And Abdurahman Macapaar And The Children Of War In Mindanao

Children help their parents in harvesting rice Friday, August 29, 2008 in Talayan town in southern Philippines’ Maguindanao province, where military forces are pursuing hundreds of rogue Moro rebels under Ameril Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar who led a series of attacks in the provinces. Authorities have distributed wanted posters of the two rebel leaders. (Mindanao Examiner Photo / Mark Navales)