Wednesday, April 8, 2015

MILF Iqbal admits using aliases, evasive to reveal his real identity

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 8): MILF Iqbal admits using aliases, evasive to reveal his real identity

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief negotiator and spokesman Mohagher Iqbal on Wednesday admitted of using aliases but evasive in revealing his real name.

Instead of directly answering the question of Ang Nars Party-list Rep. Leah Paquiz, Iqbal said it is a common practice within a revolutionary organization to use aliases.

“I have so many names and that is natural in revolutionary organizations,” he told members of the House committee on Public Order and Safety joint with the committee on Peace, Unification and Unity hearing on the Mamasapano incident.

Iqbal explained that even Filipino hero Marcelo del Pilar was known to have used nine aliases during his lifetime.

He even cited fake names Del Pilar used such as "Siling Labuyo", "Dolores" and "Plaridel".

Iqbal, however, maintained he is a Filipino citizen and a Bangsamoro “by entity.”

Negros Occidental Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer then asked the MILF chief peace negotiator if he could show his passport during the hearing but Iqbal immediately declined claiming certain “sensitivities.”

“Because of security reasons, my name on the passport is known only to the government. I travel a lot -- maybe hundred times. But I’m not hiding my name on my passport,” he said.

Instead, the MILF executive said he will ask the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to provide the Lower Chamber with information regarding the name indicated on his passport.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles, for her part, affirmed that Iqbal uses a Philippine passport issued by the DFA in leaving and entering the country.

Earlier, Professor Miriam Coronel Ferrer, chair of the government peace panel, admitted Iqbal is using an alias but she declined from divulging his real name.

Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles took issue with Iqbal’s use of pseudonyms, saying the use of pseudonyms in any public transaction or document is prohibited under Article 178 of the Revised Penal Code and the Anti-Alias Law under Commonwealth Act 142 as amended by Republic Act 6085.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=751379

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