Iqbal denies that he and MILF chairman Murad own Malaysian passports

From GMA News (Mar 15): Iqbal denies that he and MILF chairman Murad own Malaysian passports

Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal has disputed the allegation that he and MILF chairman Al Haj Ebrahim Murad own Malaysian passports.

Iqbal dismissed as “baseless” the information received by former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan that he and Murad are not Filipino citizens.

“I own a Philippine passport. Walang batayan ‘yang sinasabi nilang may Malaysian passport ako. Hindi ko alam kung saan galing ‘yan,” Iqbal told GMA News Online in a phone interview Sunday.

The MILF executive, who also chairs the Bangsamoro Transition Committee, said he is certain Murad owns a Philippine passport.

“Alam na alam ko na Philippine passport ang gamit ni Chairman Murad. Kaya nga walang katotohanan ‘yung mga nagsasabing may Malaysian passport kami,” he said.

In a status message posted on his Facebook page last Friday, Alunan said the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Department of Foreign Affairs and Bureau of Immigration might already be aware that Murad and Iqbal are carrying Malaysian passports.

“Ano pa ba kailangang gawin ng MILF para matauhan ang taumbayan na ang ating gobyerno ay nasa pigang kamay ng Malaysia? Tanga ba sila o traydor?” he asked.

Alunan added the following, encased in quotation marks: "’Sir si Milf Chairman Murad at Iqbal, ay walang Philippine Passport. Tuwing lumalabas sila gamit nila Malaysia passport. So sa madaling salita lahat na nangyayari ang author is Malaysia.’”

Acting on Alunan’s information, Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles has asked the ad hoc panel discussing the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to verify Murad and Iqbal’s citizenship before continuing deliberations on the measure next month.

"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," the lawmaker said.

But on Sunday, Alunan clarified in another Facebook post that he received the claims about Murad and Iqbal through a private message on the social networking site.

The former Cabinet official called on Nograles to amend his statement since he only posted allegations made by another person.

“Cong. Nograles needs to amend his statement that he attributes to me which was actually a private message that I posted on my wall about this matter. The amendment should be ‘According to a private message sent to former Secretary Alunan,’” he said.

Nevertheless, Alunan urged the government to investigate Murad and Iqbal’s citizenship.

“I agree that government authorities need to look into this information to determine if we're dealing with foreigners and foreign invaders. From my end, I've been told by Mindanao sources that they have Malaysian travel documents. NICA, DFA, NBI and IMMIGRATION should validate this ASAP,” he said.

Nograles called on BBL panel chair Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez to call BOI officials and subpoena Murad and Iqbal’s travel documents to verify that they are indeed Filipinos.

"We are all for peace but we should achieve peace in Mindanao without sacrificing our sovereignty as one nation and one people," he said.

The House committee is set to resume deliberations on the Bangsamoro bill behind closed doors starting April 6 until April 16 after more than a month-long suspension following the Mamasapano clash.

The proposed BBL, otherwise known as House Bill 4994, seeks to formalize the creation of the Bangsamoro region which will replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The bill is a product of the peace agreement signed by the government and MILF last year.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/452897/news/nation/iqbal-denies-that-he-and-milf-chairman-murad-own-malaysian-passports