War in Mindanao affects all Filipinos – MILF

From the Manila Bulletin (Feb 2): War in Mindanao affects all Filipinos – MILF

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) emphasized yesterday that the war in Mindanao is affecting people all around the country, and called for cooperation in neutralizing any damage from the deadly clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao that claimed the lives of 44 Philippine National Police-Special Action Forces (PNP-SAF) commandos.

MILF vice chairman for Political Affairs Ghazali Jaafar said the “war in Mindanao affects us all, citizens in Luzon, citizens in the Visayas and citizens in Mindanao.”

“We are all affected, so it is only right that we help each other to end this (violence),” he said in an interview over radio DZBB.

Jaafar, a member of the MILF Central Committee (CC), gave as example the tragic incident in Mamasapano, saying those who died were not only from Central Mindanao, but also from Western Mindanao, South Cotabato, Luzon, and the Visayas.

Jaafar also gave an assurance that on the part of the MILF, they have among others, a Shari’ah Court and a military disciplinary court that would dispense justice on its own officials and members who may be found to have been involved in the massacre that happened seven days.

WARNING AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Meanwhile,  as the Suara Bangsamoro, a Muslim human rights and party list group, cautioned the government against filing cases against members of the MILF and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) involved in the fighting.

Amirah Ali Lidasan of the Suara Bangsamoro expressed fears that the filing of cases would result in massive manhunt that could lead to human rights violations.

She said “previous anti-terror manhunts (launched by the government) had innocent Moro men falsely identified, tortured and forced to admit involvement (in crimes they did not commit).”

‘WE HAVE STOPPED WATCHING TV’

Jaafar also said the MILF, itself, is affected by the bashing it has been getting from media and other leaders.

Jaafar added that some MILF leaders have even stopped watching television and listening to the radio because of this.

“Minumura kami (Invectives are being hurled at us),” he said, as he lamented that some journalists have become too emotional over the Mamasapano issue. “That is a violation of media ethics.”

“Emotions should not prevail,” the MILF leader said. He added the media’s function is very important as the government and his group tries to end the problem in Mindanao.

Why has it come to this? That is not fair, that is violation of ethics in media,” Jaafar said, stressing he knows from where he is speaking of being a former broadcaster, himself, who trained internationally.

“Why is this being allowed by the networks,” he lamented.

Jaafar said media should give accurate information, educate the people, and help disseminate issues of national concern.

“There is a very big task placed on our shoulders, in our hands in ending the war in Mindanao. Let us strive for this and negotiate (for a) political settlement,” the MILF leader said.

PEACE PROCESS SHOULD GO ON

This developed as Muslim lawmakers sitting in the 75-man adhoc panel on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) appealed to their colleagues and concerned stakeholders not to give up on the peace measure and on peace process following the House leadership’s admission that the support for the BBL has been “eroded” by the Maguindanao massacre of police commandos.

Basilan Rep. Jim Hataman-Salliman, vice chairman of the adhoc panel, and his sister-in-law, AMIN partylist Rep. Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman, strongly urged Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. not to give in to calls to suspend the House discussions on the BBL, with hopes that Bangsamoro juridical entity would be created under the leadership of President Aquino.

“With the incidents, I think the more that we should push the BBL because I believe the only alternative is to go through peace process. If that is the case, are we saying that we are going for the next administration, for another process? Because we only have more than a year left,” Hataman-Salliman said in an interview.

Turabin-Hataman, wife of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Mujiv Hataman, expressed optimism that Congress would be able to pass the BBL by first quarter of 2015 for lasting peace and progress in the strife-torn region.

Independent commission

Another lawmaker, Bayan Muna Rep. Nery Colmenares, said an independent commission proposed by Senator Teofisto Guingona III should take the lead in probing the incident, instead of the PNP Board of Inquiry.

Colmenares said the independent body will guarantee no whitewash even as it will also be tasked to determine US involvement in the operations to capture notorious Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin HIr alias Marwan.

“The PNP Board of Inquiry, composed of PNP generals, is not expected to objectively investigate the killing of the 44 SAF personnel considering that they will investigate not just the involvement of US forces but also Pres. Benigno Aquino III and PNP Chief Alan Purisima who are their superiors,” warned Colmenares.

Together with Rep. Carlos Zarate, Colmenares also took notice of reports linking US operatives to the bloody police operation to arrest Marwan. “Reports from witnesses in Maguindanao said that an American soldier died during the fighting,” said Rep. Carlos Zarate. The US government has denied that it is involved in the operation. (See separate story on Page 1)

SURRENDER THOSE INVOLVED

MAGDALO party-list Rep. Ashley Acedillo said the recent signing of the protocol on the implementation of the decommissioning of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) arms and forces in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia cannot be considered as MILF’s expression of sincerity to forge peace with the government.

He insisted that the MILF leadership should surrender to the government its members who were involved in the massacre of 44 police commandos.

“Napakadali na committed sila sa pagpirma lang ng papel. But the harder thing to do for them that they must do is to surrender or return all the firearms, equipment, uniforms and personal things ng mga namatay nating SAF troopers. Pangalawa, i-surrender nila and submit to justice iyung MILF members who were responsible doon sa Mamasapano massacre,” Acedillo said in a radio interview.

“These are the real commitments on the part of the MILF that they should do to show that they are continually committed to the peace process. Hindi iyung pagpirma- pirma ng kung anong dokumento.

Napakadaling gawin niyan at magbigkas ng kung anong salita,” he said.

Last Thursday, government peace panel head Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and MILF panel chair Mohagher Iqbal signed the protocol agreement, which tasks the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) to oversee the decommissioning of the MILF weapons and forces

http://www.mb.com.ph/war-in-mindanao-affects-all-filipinos-milf/