Army, MILF verification teams start trek to Mt. Cararao to check JIs presence

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 27): Army, MILF verification teams start trek to Mt. Cararao to check JIs presence

Representatives of the government, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the International Monitoring commenced Tuesday a joint, on-site verification of the alleged presence of foreign terrorists in Mt. Cararao, in Butig, Lanao del Sur.

Government forces and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in full battle gears, started their trek to a three-day and two nights toward Mt. Cararao, a thickly forested area in the borders of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

They began the journey “kanduli,” (thanksgiving rite) and a traditional military "boodle fights" inside Camp Iranun in Barangay Tugaig, Barira, Maguindanao.

The camp now houses the 603rd Infantry Brigade of the Army's 6th Infantry Division. It used to be the main headquarters of the MILF and known as Camp Abubkre Assidique, which fell to government hands following then President Joseph Estrada's all our war in 2000.

Col. Noli Orense, 603rd brigade chief, said the team is composed of about 60 soldiers and policemen and 60 MILF guerillas, all belonging to the Adhoc Joint Action Group of the GPH-MILF peace process.

"Its heartening to see that soldiers and MILF rebels used to shot at each other, now they walk together to a common mission for peace," Orense said.

Army and MILF leaders joining the verification team hope to reach the peak of Mt. Cararao by Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.

The team will determine whether Jemaah Islamiya members set foot in the mountain and provided training to bombers in Mindanao.

“The mission will also provide Army and MILF officials what the area look like, and to clear the issue that has affected the people of Maguindanao after having been identified as hosts to JIs," Col. Dickson Hermoso, 6th ID spokesman.

"The area is difficult to reach, no water, no fruits, no food and we have to face with mosquitoes and other wild animals," Colonel Adjamudin Ali, a leader of the MILF team, told reporters.

"That is why each of us carry at least four to five gallons of water for our individual consumption," he added.

Mt. Cararao served as exit point for MILF from the then Camp Abubakre before it fell to government hands.

IN 2003, the issue of alleged presence of JI also led to an ocular inspection by Bantay Ceasefire, a civilian-led ceasefire monitoring team. The team found no foreign terrorists or any foreigner in the mountain.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=559106