Government law enforcement agencies need no prior
coordination with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in hunting down
"high priority targets," the former top government peace negotiator
said Wednesday.
Former Press Secretary Jesus Dureza, who also served as
chairperson of the government peace panel talking peace with the MILF, said he
and MILF current chair Al Haj Murad, then chair of the MILF military, signed in
2002 a document stating that government law enforcers need no coordination in
effecting arrest against high value targets.
The document also created the Ad-Hoc Joint Action Group
(AHJAG) composed of representatives from the government and the MILF to help
the police and military authorities interdict criminals and terrorists in areas
covered by the 1997 agreement on the general cessation of hostilities.
This agreement was signed in Cagayan de Oro City by MILF
vice chair for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar and then Executive Sec. Ruben
Torres during the time of President Fidel Ramos.
Dureza said the documents stated clearly that “except” for
police or military operations against "high priority targets,” government
law enforcement activities need to be properly coordinated with the MILF
through the AHJAG and government peace panel 24 hours before the actual
operation.
Dureza told reporters that there was the word
"except" in the document both signed by the GPH and MILF.
The January 25 operation against Malaysian terrorist
Zulkifli Bin Hir alias "Marwan" and his Filipino cohort Abdul Basit
Usman, known bombing primary suspects, was an exception.
Both Marwan and Usman were "high priority law
enforcement targets," said Dureza, who served as presidential adviser on
the peace process during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's term.
Dureza said the contents of the document he and Murad signed
was reaffirmed in a revised joint AFP-PNP operations guidelines signed by now
retired AFP chief Emmanuel Bautista and suspended PNP chief Allan Purisima on
July 23, 2013.
Forty-four SAF members, 18 MILF and five civilians perished
during the the carnage in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&sid=&nid=0&rid=732455
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