CONGRESS, which is now deliberating on the controversial Bangsamoro Basic Law, should look into allegations that Moro Islamic Liberation Front chairman Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim and MILF peace panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal are Malaysian citizens, lawmaker said on Saturday.
Nograles made the appeal as the head of the Association of Generals and Flag Officers scored the MILF for its “arrogance” in not giving a copy of its probe into the Mamasapano incident to the government, but submitting it instead to the Malaysian government.
“According to former Secretary Rafael Alunan III, both Chairman Murad and Chairman Iqbal travel with Malaysian passports, and are in fact Malaysians. This is a very serious allegation and must be investigated immediately, even before we continue deliberations on the BBL,” Nograles said.
“I raise this concern because if it is true that we are writing the BBL Law for Malaysians then we in Congress will be criminally liable for acts of treason,” he added.
“We are all for peace but we should achieve peace in Mindanao without sacrificing our sovereignty as one nation and one people,” Nograles said.
“I call on our Ad Hoc Committee chairman Rep. Rufus Rodriguez to immediately call the officials of the Bureau of Immigration and subpoena all travel documents of Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and Mohaguer Iqbal to shed light on this matter and confirm whether or not these allegations are true,” he said.
Nograles made the appeal as retired general Ediberto Adan Jr., AGFO chairman and president, slammed the arrogance of the MILF in not giving a copy of its report to government but giving one to the Malaysian government.
“That is to me is not really a good move in connection with the peace process,” Adan said at the sidelines of the pre-graduation rites of the Philippine Military Academy at the Fort Del Pillar in Baguio City.
“While there is a third-party facilitator, the Malaysian government, to show good faith, to show that they recognize the authority of the Philippine government, they should submit their report to our government,” he added.
“There are certain protocols as the MILF claims that’s why they are submitting this to Malaysia but for purposes of building trust and if they are sincere in building that trust, then that should have coursed through the Philippine government,” Adan insisted.
Earlier, leaders of the MILF such as Jaafar Ghadzali and Mohagher Iqbal said they will submit their investigation report to Kuala Lumpur through the International Monitoring Team because of supposed protocols and if the government wants a copy, they should ask for one from Malaysia.
Adan said the MILF’s behavior will aggravate public uproar against the proposed BBL, especially since many of the BBL’s provisions have been deemed unconstitutional.
“The Association of Generals and Flag Officers does not believe that these provisions augur well for peace because it violates the fundamental law of the land,” Adan said.
“[The BBL] grants certain powers that diminishes the role of the commander-in-chief. It gives them an opportunity to maintain an armed force which is a violation of the Constitution, because the Constitution only provides for one Armed Forces of the Philippines,” he added.
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/03/15/2-in-milf-panel-malaysian-citizens-probe-sought/
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