The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has denied that it had been harboring two terrorists that were the targets of a PNP Special Action Force operation that resulted in the death of more than 40 troopers over the weekend.
In a report on "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho" aired Thursday evening, Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chairman for political affairs, said, however, that Jemaah Islamiyah member Zulkifli Bin Hir (alias Marwan) and Abu Sayyaf member Abdul Bassit Usman may have gotten assistance from relatives in the MILF or the breakaway Bangamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
"Maaring ganun ang nangyayari minsan, nagtutulungan sapagkat blood is thicker than water," he said.
Investigation panel formed
Jaafar said the MILF deployed a ceasefire committee as soon as they found out about the clash but that it took time to calm things down.
"Merong bakbakan sa field. Mahirap ihinto agad sapagkat magkabilang panig ay nagpapaputok ng baril," he said.
Investigation panel formed
The MILF central committee, which met at the group's Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao for the first time since the firefight in Mamasapano town, has already formed a seven-man team to investigate the clash between MILF members and the PNP-SAF.
He said the MILF is committed to pursuing peace in Mindanao and that the firefight, which the government has dubbed a "misencounter", will affect the peace process.
"Sapagkat ngayon, iba't ibang pananaw, iba't ibang accusations, allegations," he said. He said it is too early to tell what the investigating team's findings will be.
On Wednesday evening, President Benigno Aquino III said in a televised address that the PNP-SAF operation to serve arrest warrants on Marwan and Usman was done with little coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the MILF.
The deaths of the SAF troopers will be marked with a national day of mourning on Friday even as panels on both sides have been created to investigate the clash that led to the biggest number of casualties suffered by Philippine security forces in a single day.
On Wednesday evening, President Benigno Aquino III said in a televised address that the PNP-SAF operation to serve arrest warrants on Marwan and Usman was done with little coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the MILF.
The deaths of the SAF troopers will be marked with a national day of mourning on Friday even as panels on both sides have been created to investigate the clash that led to the biggest number of casualties suffered by Philippine security forces in a single day.
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