MILF report blames govt for Mamasapano clash

From the Manila Times (Mar 8): MILF report blames govt for Mamasapano clash

The result of the investigation by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the Mamasapano tragedy will conclude that the government was at fault over the clash that resulted in the death of 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF).

“This [executive summary] contains the substance of the MILF probe and I want to reiterate that what happened in Mamasapano on that fateful January 25 was a violation of the ceasefire agreement by the Philippine government because there was no prior coordination with the MILF as far as the SAF [Special Action Force] operation was concerned,” said Mohagher Iqbal, a senior MILF leader and the group’s chief peace negotiator.

The Philippines is also unlikely to get the full report of the investigation by the MILF on the deadly clash between rebel and police forces on January 25 in Maguindanao province in the restive southern Muslim region of Mindanao.

The MILF launched its own probe into the January 25 clashes after lawmakers accused the separatist group of breaking the truce it signed with the Aquino government when its forces killed members of the elite Special Action Force in the remote village of Tukanalipao in Mamasapano town.

The commandos had killed Malaysian bomber Zulkifli bin Hir in a top secret operation deep inside the MILF territory, but were ambushed by rebels that sparked daylong clashes that even President Benigno Aquino 3rd – who authorized the anti-terror mission – failed to stop. The fierce clashes also killed 18 MILF and 5 Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

Iqbal said they have completed the report and would submit an executive summary to the Malaysia-led International (Ceasefire) Monitoring Team. The IMT is also composed of representatives from Japan, Indonesia and Brunei, and supported by the United States and European Union.

The IMT will also forward the summary to Kuala Lumpur being the facilitator of the peace talks between the MILF and the Philippines, and also to the Aquino government through its government peace negotiator Miriam Ferrer, according to Iqbal.

He said the full report of the MILF on the Mamasapano clash will not be made public. “Internal ang full report ng MILF sa Mamasapano clash at ang tanging maibibigay namin ang executive summary. Sariling imbestigasyon ng MILF ito at hindi namin maaaring ilabas ito sa publiko [The MILF report on the Mamasapano clash is for internal use, and what we can provide is the executive summary. This is the probe of the MILF and we have no intention to make it public],” Iqbal told The Manila Times, adding they would release the summary report soon.

Many groups are demanding President Aquino’s resignation over his failure to prevent the fighting. He called the daylong clashes between commandos and rebels a “misencounter” between friendly forces.

The MILF signed a peace accord last year, but the peace process is yet to be completed with passage of Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) now pending in Congress following the carnage. Lawmakers shelved the BBL until investigations into the deadly clashes between SAF and MILF are completed. The BBL is important in crafting a new Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao.

http://www.manilatimes.net/milf-report-blames-govt-for-mamasapano-clash/168060/