LANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 21, 2008) – Sporadic fighting between government soldiers and Muslim rebels Thursday in the southern Philippines.
At least 4 soldiers were injured in the fighting in North Cotabato’s Midsayap town and clashes were also reported in several towns in Maguindanao province. Seven rebels were also killed in the clashes.
The fighting broke out as troops hunted two notorious commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Ameril Umra Kato and Abduhraman Macapaar, both blamed for recent attacks in North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat provinces that left at least three dozen civilians dead, many brutally murdered.
Manila demanded the MILF to surrender Kato and Macapaar and has offered P10 million bounties for their capture. But MILF chieftain Murad Ebrahim flatly rejected the demand, saying, he ordered an investigation into the involvements of Kato and Macapaar in the deadly attacks.
The military said 31 followers of Macapaar, who took part in the attacks, have surrendered late Wednesday and accused their leader of massacring innocent civilians.
“They surrendered because they could no longer take the inhuman instructions and atrocities committed by Commander Bravo,” said Army Brig. Gen. Hilario Atendido, commander of a military task force.
Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said the government will not return to the peace talks unless the MILF surrenders the two wanted rebel commanders. Criminal charges have been filed against Kato and Macapaar.
“We should expect him to surrender and bring to government the two commanders who are clearly responsible for these acts. Nothing short of that is acceptable to government," Dureza said in a radio interview, referring to the MILF chieftain.
“We cannot make peace at the expense of the people who have been massacred. The responsible people should answer to the law,” Dureza said.
President Gloria Arroyo also cancelled the agreement on the ancestral domain deal with the MILF after some of its provisions were found to be unconstitutional. The ancestral domain deal would have granted a separate homeland for about 4 million Muslims in the southern Philippines.
The Supreme Court stopped the formal signing of the accord August 5 after politicians and lawmakers opposed to the deal filed their petitions and asking Manila to make public the rest of the agreement.
“The cancellation of the memorandum of agreement is a painful step in our collective effort to come to an agreement with the MILF,” Lorelei Fajardo, a government spokesperson, said.
“She will seek a new agreement within the boundaries of law set within the constitution. Furthermore, the president will not allow adventurism by MILF forces to pressure government to sign any agreement even if it is for peace.”
Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, said his group will not renegotiate the ancestral domain agreement. “It is already a done deal, we have already initialed the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain. We will not revisit or renegotiate the agreement,” he said.
But despite the deal, there is still a need to amend the Constitution to allow plebiscite on areas under the ancestral domain that would make up the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity and give Muslims their own homeland.
Ancestral domain is the single most important issue in the peace negotiations before the rebel group can reach a political settlement with the Philippine government.
It covers the whole of the Muslim autonomous region – Sulu, Tawi-Tawi-, Basilan, Maguindanao and Lanao, including Marawi City. And some areas in Zamboanga Peninsula, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces in Mindanao where there are large communities of Muslims and indigenous tribes. And also Palawan Island, off Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
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