JOLO ISLAND (Mindanao Examiner / 25 Feb) – At least one government soldier was seriously wounded in fierce clashes Sunday with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) forces in the southern Philippine island of Jolo, officials said.
Rebel sources said at least six soldiers were killing in the fighting.
Officials said troops, pursuing Abu Sayyaf militants, clashed with rebels late Sunday afternoon in the hinterland village of Marang in Indanan town. Fighting was raging later in the night with soldiers trying to get out from an area where rebels, under Habier Malik and Khaid Ajibun, are actively operating.
There were no immediate reports of MNLF casualties. “One soldier is wounded in the fighting,” said Marine commander Maj. Gen. Mohammad Dolorfino, who was monitoring the situation in Jolo.
“There is a need to put up a coordinating committee between the MNLF and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to prevent hostilities. There is truce and we signed a peace agreement with the rebels, but sporadic clashes still occur. We have worked a long way to preserve peace in the South and we will pursue peaceful ways to resolve this problem,” Dolorfino told the Mindanao Examiner.
Hundreds of Muslim villagers have fled their homes, leaving farm animals behind, for fear the battle would escalate. The military on the island have sent more forces to reinforce the beleaguered soldiers.
Early this month, Malik and Ajibun held for 3 days a peace mission headed by Dolorfino and Defense Under Secretary Ramon Santos and demanded that Manila free their jailed leader Nur Misuari, who is facing rebellion charges, so he can attend a tripartite meeting arranged by the influential Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Saudi Arabia.
Dolorfino’s group was seized after reports of a scheduled tripartite meeting between the MNLF and the Philippines and the OIC on Feb. 6-8 in Jeddah had been shelved off by the Arroyo government. The OIC, which brokered the MNLF peace talks, organized the tripartite meeting to discuss the full implementation of the agreement.
The rebels signed a peace agreement with Manila in September 1996. After the peace agreement was signed, Misuari, became the governor of the Muslim autonomous region. But despite the agreement, there was a widespread disillusionment with the weak autonomy they were granted.
Under the peace agreement, Manila would provide a mini-Marshal Plan to spur economic development in Muslim areas in the south and livelihood and housing assistance to tens of thousands of former rebels to uplift their poor living standards.
Many former guerrillas were disgruntled with the peace deal, saying, the Arroyo government failed to comply with some of its provisions and uplift their standards of living. They accused Manila of failing to develop the war-torn areas in the south.
And in November 2001, on the eve of the elections in the Muslim autonomous region, Misuari accused the government of reneging on the peace agreement, and launched a new rebellion in Jolo island and Zamboanga City, where more than 100 people were killed. Misuari then escaped by boat to Malaysia, but had been arrested and deported to the Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)
Showing posts with label Habier Malik. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Habier Malik. Show all posts
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Rift Between Military And MNLF Worsens In Jolo Island
ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 06 Feb) – Philippine soldiers warned Muslim rebels who held hostage senior Philippine defense officials and soldiers in Jolo island to stay inside their camps or risk being shot if caught carrying illegal weapons in public places.
“The MNLF rebels should stay inside their camps. If we see armed men outside these camps, then we will engage them,” said Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade on Jolo island.
A faction of MNLF rebels under Habier Malik and Khaid Ajibun held Friday a government peace mission composed of Maj. Gen. Mohamad Dolorfino, of the Philippine Marines; Colonels Davy Ramon and Cipriano Bayan (earlier identified as Sibayan), of the Philippine Army; Defense Under Secretary Ramon Santos and 21 soldiers and staff of Presidential peace adviser, Jesus Dureza.
The rebels signed a peace agreement with Manila in September 1996, but the government allowed them to keep their huge inventory of high-power weapons, mostly automatic rifles, anti-tank rockets and machine guns. They later accused the Arroyo government of failing to comply with the accord.
Dolorfino’s group was seized after reports of a scheduled tripartite meeting between the MNLF, the Organization of Islamic Conference and the Philippines on Feb. 6-8 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia had been shelved off by the Arroyo government.
The hostages were freed on Sunday after Manila has agreed to proceed with the conference next month. The OIC, which brokered the peace talks, organized the tripartite meeting to discuss the full implementation of the agreement.
The gunmen earlier demanded Manila to free detained rebel chieftain Nur Misuari, who is facing rebellion charges in Manila, so he can lead the MNLF to the tripartite conference.
Dureza said relations between Manila and the MNLF had been damaged following the detention by rebels of senior military and defense officials in Jolo. Dureza said Malik’s group may face charges for seizing the peace mission.
Malik insisted that Dolorfino’s group was not only invited to stay longer inside the rebel base in Bitan-ag village in Panamao town to further negotiate the holding of the tripartite conference.
“We merely invited General Dolorfino’s group to stay longer until we agreed on the resumption of the tripartite meeting. And if Dureza wants to file charges against us, then that’s fine with me. No problems with us even if he files 100 charges.”
“We did nothing wrong, so why blame us. If there is somebody to blame, then it should be the military because they intruded inside our areas and massacred innocent Muslims,” Malik told a Manila-based radio network dzRH on Tuesday.
He said marine soldiers killed 10 MNLF members, including a boy, on Jolo island during a firefight last month with Abu Sayyaf militants. Three soldiers were also killed in the clash.
Sabban said those killed were Abu Sayyaf militants, whose group is tied to al-Qaeda terror network.
MNLF forces retaliated the slaying of its members days later and ambushed an army convoy, killing ten soldiers. Six rebels had been arrested, but local government officials with links to the MNLF, interceded for their release and freed them.
Police and military later said it had no evidence to link the six rebels to the ambush.
Malik said Dureza’s group paid blood money to the families of the slain rebels and returned their weapons seized by troops as part of a deal before the MNLF freed the hostages. “They paid us blood money and returned our weapons,” Malik said.
Dureza confirmed that blood money was paid, but did not say how much. Other reports said as much as P450,000 had been paid to the MNLF.
Malik said the tripartite meeting should be held inside the MNLF base in Jolo island instead of Saudi Arabia and invite representatives from the OIC and the Philippine government and for Manila to free Misuari to allow him to attend the conference.
Egyptian Sayed El-Masry, who is adviser to OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, visited Jolo island in May last year. Masry said the Philippines and MNLF leaders must sit together and discuss the problems affecting the implementation of the peace accord.
The OIC also wanted Misuari freed from jail to head the MNLF delegation to Saudi Arabia for the tripartite meeting. He said the tripartite meeting is important to finally settle the problems.
Malik said only Misuari can represent the MNLF. “He is our leader and must be freed so he can lead the MNLF in the tripartite conference in the MNLF camp in Bitan-ag,” he said.
He said only if Manila is sincere in implementing the 11-year old peace accord with the MNLF the problems of insurgency and terrorism in Jolo island would be finally resolved.
After the peace agreement was signed, Nur Misuari, chieftain of the MNLF, became the governor of the Muslim autonomous region. But despite the agreement, there was a widespread disillusionment with the weak autonomy they were granted.Under the peace agreement, Manila would provide a mini-Marshal Plan to spur economic development in Muslim areas in the south and livelihood and housing assistance to tens of thousands of former rebels to uplift their poor living standards.
Many former guerrillas were disgruntled with the peace deal, saying, the Arroyo government failed to comply with some of its provisions and uplift their standards of living. They accused Manila of failing to develop the war-torn areas in the south.
And in November 2001, on the eve of the elections in the Muslim autonomous region, Misuari accused the government of reneging on the peace agreement, and launched a new rebellion in Jolo island and Zamboanga City, where more than 100 people were killed. Misuari then escaped by boat to Malaysia, but had been arrested and deported to the Philippines.
Dureza said the good relationship between the Philippine government and the MNLF was affected by the incident. He said the government would take precaution in dealing with the rebels in the future.
"This (hostage-taking) is a setback to their jobs in ensuring that what were agreed upon in the 1996 peace agreement were carried out accordingly,” Dureza said. "It was realistically eroded, not shattered. It would take a lot of work to bring back (that trust and confidence between us and the MNLF) to where it was."
Santos said he was willing to go back to the island and continue the government’s peace efforts with the rebels. “I am willing to return to Jolo, so we can continue what we have started,” he said. "In fact, we will use the opportunity to upgrade our work in Sulu. We will not be deterred; this will not lessen our determination. In fact, we will use this as an impetus to work more, to do a better job." (Mindanao Examiner)
“The MNLF rebels should stay inside their camps. If we see armed men outside these camps, then we will engage them,” said Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade on Jolo island.
A faction of MNLF rebels under Habier Malik and Khaid Ajibun held Friday a government peace mission composed of Maj. Gen. Mohamad Dolorfino, of the Philippine Marines; Colonels Davy Ramon and Cipriano Bayan (earlier identified as Sibayan), of the Philippine Army; Defense Under Secretary Ramon Santos and 21 soldiers and staff of Presidential peace adviser, Jesus Dureza.
The rebels signed a peace agreement with Manila in September 1996, but the government allowed them to keep their huge inventory of high-power weapons, mostly automatic rifles, anti-tank rockets and machine guns. They later accused the Arroyo government of failing to comply with the accord.
Dolorfino’s group was seized after reports of a scheduled tripartite meeting between the MNLF, the Organization of Islamic Conference and the Philippines on Feb. 6-8 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia had been shelved off by the Arroyo government.
The hostages were freed on Sunday after Manila has agreed to proceed with the conference next month. The OIC, which brokered the peace talks, organized the tripartite meeting to discuss the full implementation of the agreement.
The gunmen earlier demanded Manila to free detained rebel chieftain Nur Misuari, who is facing rebellion charges in Manila, so he can lead the MNLF to the tripartite conference.
Dureza said relations between Manila and the MNLF had been damaged following the detention by rebels of senior military and defense officials in Jolo. Dureza said Malik’s group may face charges for seizing the peace mission.
Malik insisted that Dolorfino’s group was not only invited to stay longer inside the rebel base in Bitan-ag village in Panamao town to further negotiate the holding of the tripartite conference.
“We merely invited General Dolorfino’s group to stay longer until we agreed on the resumption of the tripartite meeting. And if Dureza wants to file charges against us, then that’s fine with me. No problems with us even if he files 100 charges.”
“We did nothing wrong, so why blame us. If there is somebody to blame, then it should be the military because they intruded inside our areas and massacred innocent Muslims,” Malik told a Manila-based radio network dzRH on Tuesday.
He said marine soldiers killed 10 MNLF members, including a boy, on Jolo island during a firefight last month with Abu Sayyaf militants. Three soldiers were also killed in the clash.
Sabban said those killed were Abu Sayyaf militants, whose group is tied to al-Qaeda terror network.
MNLF forces retaliated the slaying of its members days later and ambushed an army convoy, killing ten soldiers. Six rebels had been arrested, but local government officials with links to the MNLF, interceded for their release and freed them.
Police and military later said it had no evidence to link the six rebels to the ambush.
Malik said Dureza’s group paid blood money to the families of the slain rebels and returned their weapons seized by troops as part of a deal before the MNLF freed the hostages. “They paid us blood money and returned our weapons,” Malik said.
Dureza confirmed that blood money was paid, but did not say how much. Other reports said as much as P450,000 had been paid to the MNLF.
Malik said the tripartite meeting should be held inside the MNLF base in Jolo island instead of Saudi Arabia and invite representatives from the OIC and the Philippine government and for Manila to free Misuari to allow him to attend the conference.
Egyptian Sayed El-Masry, who is adviser to OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, visited Jolo island in May last year. Masry said the Philippines and MNLF leaders must sit together and discuss the problems affecting the implementation of the peace accord.
The OIC also wanted Misuari freed from jail to head the MNLF delegation to Saudi Arabia for the tripartite meeting. He said the tripartite meeting is important to finally settle the problems.
Malik said only Misuari can represent the MNLF. “He is our leader and must be freed so he can lead the MNLF in the tripartite conference in the MNLF camp in Bitan-ag,” he said.
He said only if Manila is sincere in implementing the 11-year old peace accord with the MNLF the problems of insurgency and terrorism in Jolo island would be finally resolved.
After the peace agreement was signed, Nur Misuari, chieftain of the MNLF, became the governor of the Muslim autonomous region. But despite the agreement, there was a widespread disillusionment with the weak autonomy they were granted.Under the peace agreement, Manila would provide a mini-Marshal Plan to spur economic development in Muslim areas in the south and livelihood and housing assistance to tens of thousands of former rebels to uplift their poor living standards.
Many former guerrillas were disgruntled with the peace deal, saying, the Arroyo government failed to comply with some of its provisions and uplift their standards of living. They accused Manila of failing to develop the war-torn areas in the south.
And in November 2001, on the eve of the elections in the Muslim autonomous region, Misuari accused the government of reneging on the peace agreement, and launched a new rebellion in Jolo island and Zamboanga City, where more than 100 people were killed. Misuari then escaped by boat to Malaysia, but had been arrested and deported to the Philippines.
Dureza said the good relationship between the Philippine government and the MNLF was affected by the incident. He said the government would take precaution in dealing with the rebels in the future.
"This (hostage-taking) is a setback to their jobs in ensuring that what were agreed upon in the 1996 peace agreement were carried out accordingly,” Dureza said. "It was realistically eroded, not shattered. It would take a lot of work to bring back (that trust and confidence between us and the MNLF) to where it was."
Santos said he was willing to go back to the island and continue the government’s peace efforts with the rebels. “I am willing to return to Jolo, so we can continue what we have started,” he said. "In fact, we will use the opportunity to upgrade our work in Sulu. We will not be deterred; this will not lessen our determination. In fact, we will use this as an impetus to work more, to do a better job." (Mindanao Examiner)
Monday, February 05, 2007
Jolo Hostage Crisis Adds Crack On Already Damaged GRP-MNLF Peace Deal
MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 05 Feb) – A senior adviser of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo on Monday admitted relations between Manila and the Moro National Liberation (MNLF) had been damaged following 3 days of detention of senior military and defense officials by rebels in Jolo island.
A faction of MNLF rebels under Habier Malik and Khaid Ajibun held Friday Major General Mohamad Dolorfino, of the Philippine Marines; Colonels Davy Ramon and Cipriano Bayan (earlier identified as Sibayan), of the Philippine Army; Defense Under Secretary Ramon Santos and 21 soldiers and staff of Presidential peace adviser, Jesus Dureza.
The rebels, who signed a peace agreement with Manila in September 1996, have previously accused the Arroyo government of failing to comply with the accord.
Dolorfino’s group was seized after reports of a scheduled tripartite meeting between the MNLF, the Organization of Islamic Conference and the Philippines on Feb. 6-8 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia had been shelved off by the Arroyo government.
The hostages were freed on Sunday after Manila has agreed to proceed with the OIC-led conference next month. The OIC, which brokered the peace talks, organized the tripartite meeting to discuss the full implementation of the agreement.
The gunmen earlier demanded Manila to free detained rebel chieftain Nur Misuari, who is facing rebellion charges in Manila, so he can lead the MNLF to the tripartite conference.
“How can the tripartite meeting proceed without our leader, Nur Misuari? Our leader must be present during the meeting,” Malik said.
But it was unknown if Manila would allow Misuari to Saudi Arabia to lead the MNLF in the meeting. Government officials fear that Misuari may escape while in Saudi or never return and seek political asylum with Arab countries sympathetic to his cause of putting up a strict Islamic state in Mindanao.
MNLF secretary general Muslimin Sema, also mayor of Cotabato City, said the incident in Jolo was not sanctioned by the group’s central committee. “It was a unilateral decision on the part of Malik. We were not even informed about his plan,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.
"This (hostage-taking) is a setback to their jobs in ensuring that what were agreed upon in the 1996 peace agreement were carried out accordingly," Dureza said in a televised news conference in Manila.
“Asked them if they are willing to go back. To be honest, do you think we will send them back tomorrow? Even if we want to, their parents loved ones, family members would not allow them to do that. The level of confidence has been eroded,” he said.
Dureza said the good relationship between the Philippine government and the MNLF was affected by the incident. He said the government would take precaution in dealing with the rebels in the future.
"It was realistically eroded, not shattered. It would take a lot of work to bring back (that trust and confidence between us and the MNLF) to where it was," he said.
Santos said he was willing to go back to the island and continue the government’s peace efforts with the rebels. “I am willing to return to Jolo, so we can continue what we have started,” he said.
"In fact, we will use the opportunity to upgrade our work in Sulu. We will not be deterred; this will not lessen our determination. In fact, we will use this as an impetus to work more, to do a better job," he said.
After the peace agreement was signed, Nur Misuari, chieftain of the MNLF, became the governor of the Muslim autonomous region. Despite the accord, there was a widespread disillusionment with the weak autonomy they were granted.
Under the peace agreement, Manila would provide a mini-Marshal Plan to spur economic development in Muslim areas in the south and livelihood and housing assistance to tens of thousands of former rebels to uplift their poor living standards.
Many former guerrillas were disgruntled with the peace deal, saying, the Arroyo government failed to comply with some of its provisions and uplift their standards of living.
They accused Manila of failing to develop the war-torn areas in the south.
Many former guerrillas were disgruntled with the peace deal, saying, the Arroyo government failed to comply with some of its provisions and uplift their standards of living.
They accused Manila of failing to develop the war-torn areas in the south.
And in November 2001, on the eve of the elections in the Muslim autonomous region, Misuari accused the government of reneging on the peace agreement, and launched a new rebellion in Jolo island and Zamboanga City, where more than 100 people were killed. Misuari then escaped by boat to Malaysia, but had been arrested and deported to the Philippines.
The OIC also wanted Misuari freed from jail to head the MNLF delegation to Saudi Arabia for the tripartite meeting. Egyptian Sayed El-Masry, who is adviser to OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, visited Jolo island in May last year.
Masry said the Philippines and MNLF leaders must sit together and discuss the problems affecting the implementation of the peace accord. He said the tripartite meeting is important to finally settle the problems. (Mindanao Examiner)
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