From the Philippine Star (Nov 4): 'Agaw armas' suspected motive in murder of barangay councilor, companion
The newly-elected barangay councilor and a volunteer village watchman killed in Friday’s ambush at Barangay Malinan here lost two assault rifles and two handguns to their attackers, police said.
Supt. Leo Ajero, chief of the Kidapawan City police, said investigators are now certain it was the victims’ M1 caliber 30 Garand, an M-14 rifle, a .38 revolver, and a Colt .45 pistol that the suspects were interested in.
The victims, Barangay Malinan councilman Ronaldo Macrohon and his companion, Edward Quinio, were on their way to the barangay proper riding a motorcycle together when unidentified gunmen flagged them down and opened fire.
Macrohon was killed on the spot while the badly wounded Quinio, who was rushed to a hospital by responding barangay officials, died while undergoing medication.
“The ambushers collected their firearms before they escaped and left the victims sprawled on the road,” Ajero said.
Macrohon was a long-time member of Barangay Malinan’s volunteer community defense group. He was elected barangay councilor during the October 28 polls.
“It seems the ambush has nothing to do with his having been elected as barangay councilor,” Ajero said.
Ajero said they now have a clue on the identities of the ambushers, but declined to reveal names pending completion of investigation.
“We’re pretty sure now that this ambush incident was an `agaw armas’ case because all of their firearms were carted away by the suspects,” Ajero said.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/11/04/1252937/agaw-armas-suspected-motive-murder-barangay-councilor-companion
The MILF is a movement which has ideology and programs of action that it pursues through to the end. If however in the beginning it pursues its aims through armed struggle, but the moment the Government and the MILF finally sign the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, it will become a social movement that continues to pursue its aims through democratic means. And one way to promote and realize this is through the organization of a principled political party that would engage in elections.
This clarification comes in the heel of the tendency of some media practitioners to distort, deliberately or innocently, statements of people or in this instance, leaders of the MILF. A case in point is an article appearing in the October 20 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, bylined by Charlie Señase, after he interviewed Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the MILF peace panel and Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), in Cotabato City last month.
“Bangsamoro will mean death knell for the MILF”, the title of the story, is a complete misquotation. “I could not imagine that such attribution can be made when the correct ideological and political lines on issues like this are in our fingertips,” Iqbal told Luwaran by phone.
The article continued its claim: “…the establishment of the entity would render the MILF insignificant, which was why the rebel group would be dissolved. The MILF is only good until 2016 because by the time the new Muslim Mindanao is installed, there should only be one group that would represent the Bangsamoro.”
Never in the wildest dream of real leaders can that such irresponsible statement come into their inner thoughts. Unimaginable! Similarly, we cannot believe that such a gross misquotation can be made at all especially by a veteran and respected journalist like Charlie Señase, who is a good friend of most of the senior leaders of the MILF.
For the sake of truth, good journalism, and friendship, we urge him to make the necessary correction. Soon not later, please!
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/editorial/item/633-milf-will-continue-to-exist
