Army, police say arrival of MILF’s Bravo in Munai no cause for concern

From MindaNews (Feb 4): Army, police say arrival of MILF’s Bravo in Munai no cause for concern

The Philippine Army is closely monitoring the movements of Abdurahman Macapaar aka Commander Bravo, a commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) who returned to his village in Munai town, Lanao del Norte with 100 of his followers over the weekend.

But Army chief Lt. Gen. Eduardo Ano said Bravo’s return to his hometown is not a major concern that could break the ceasefire forged by the government and the MILF. The two parties signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) on March 27, 2014.

Chief Supt. Lyndel Desquitado, Police Region 10 director, said Bravo arrived in Munai to condole with the family of a relative who passed away last week.

He said they later found that of the 100 followers, only 30 were bodyguards of the MILF commander while the rest were his relatives.

“We were concerned at first when they started to set up tents but it later turned out they were there to grieve,” Desquitado said.

Ano said ceasefire mechanisms like the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) and the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) are functioning despite Congress’ failure to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) before it adjourned on February 3.

“The presence of Bravo in Munai does not mean he intends to break the ceasefire. After all, Munai is his hometown,” he said.

He said AHJAG and the CCCH, composed jointly of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the MILF, are closely monitoring developments in Munai, Lanao del Norte.

The non-passage of the draft BBL in Congress has caused some concern of a possible outbreak of hostilities but both MILF and the government have said they will respect the ceasefire agreement and the peace process.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2016/02/04/army-police-say-arrival-of-milfs-bravo-in-munai-no-cause-for-concern/