The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is willing to share its report on the Jan. 25 Mamasapano clash with the Philippine government but only through the International Monitoring Team because of protocols in the peace talks.
In a telephone interview, MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar said its investigation panel is still finishing its executive summary of the report.
"Doon na lang kami magbigay sa IMT, International Monitoring Team, bahala na yung International Monitoring Team sapagkat ['yun] ang protocol ng peace process," he said.
The IMT is a multinational body headed by Malaysia, the facilitator of the peace talks, and is tasked with monitoring the implementation of agreements between the government and the MILF.
In a separate telephone interview, chief MILF negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said that submission of the report has to be to the IMT.
"Sa proseso kasi yan e, ibibigay namin sa International Monitoring Team and we can also share with all groups and individuals yun ano, ganun yun e," he said.
He said that the IMT can then transmit the document to the Philippine government.
He said that the IMT can then transmit the document to the Philippine government.
"In special cases, puwede rin kaming magbigay sa gobyerno yung ano, yung panel to panel, puwede kaming magbigay, special case," he added.
The MILF has maintained that the clash involving Special Action Force troopers and some of its men on Jan. 25 was a "misencounter" and that its men were acting in self-defense.
The SAF units had been in Mamasapano, Maguindanao to serve arrest warrants on Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir (alias Marwan) and Abu Sayyaf bomb maker Basit Usman. The MILF has said its men did not know that they were engaged in a firefight with government forces.
"Walang prior coordination, merong sinasabi diyan sa agreement on the cessation of hostilities, meron ding sinasabing prior coordination sa [Ad Hoc Joint Action Group], so violation talaga yun, sila nga ang pumasok eh," Iqbal said.
The MILF has said it will help look for Usman, who escaped during the operation, and is now believed being protected by a new group that has split from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, itself a breakaway group from the MILF.
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