One of the photos received by Senator Poe's office, showing the alleged new MILF camp in Sulu and suspected leaders of the Abu Sayyaf, an extremist group engaged in kidnap for ransom and terrorist activities.
Members of the Senate Committee on Public Order investigating the Mamasapano incident on Tuesday grilled representatives from the government peace and rebel group panels over an alleged new Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) training camp in Panglima Estino town in Sulu.
Before the questioning, Senator Grace Poe, the panel chair, disclosed a letter from Sulu Vice Governor Abdusakur Tan showing photos of leaders and members of the MILF and Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) gathering at Camp Akbar Demo Farm in Barangay Punay, Municipality of Panglima Estino, Sulu.
The photos were apparently taken starting Jan. 1, 2015.
In his letter, Tan told the committee that the opening of the MILF camp was reportedly facilitated by former Mayor Hadji Munib Estino and his son, incumbent Mayor Benshar Estino, where they announced the move was intended for the basic training of the Bangsamoro National Guard as a prerequisite to becoming bona-fide members of the MILF.
"These recent developments have raised fears among ordinary citizens in the province, instead of hope, after the signing of the comprehensive agreement on the Bangsamoro.
"More so when the pictures show high-powered firearms being handled by the above-named former and incumbent local officials and their supporters," Tan said in his letter, which was read by Poe during the resumption of the Senate probe into the Mamasapano incident.
"These activities are provocative actions which, to our minds, are inimical to the security of our constituencies and violate the implementing operational guidelines on the cessation of hostilities between the GPH and the MILF," Tan pointed out.
Earlier, Mohagher Iqbal, chairman of the MILF peace panel, denied in a previous hearing that they are conducting recruitment activities, but only organizing volunteers from different provinces as the MILF begins preparing to organize a political party.
"However, if such is true, why are there firearms involved? Are they preparing for war instead?" Tan asked.
When Senate President Franklin Drilon asked Iqbal about the veracity of the photos, the MILF official said he already saw the pictures at the hearing held at the House of Representatives, and also said that the MILF leadership will look into reports that those in the pictures are MILF members.
"But, that area, that municipality, is embroiled in political problems. There is an ongoing misunderstanding among the politicians in the area. It has something to do with that," Iqbal said.
When asked by Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, Iqbal confirmed the MILF has a camp in Sulu, but "not the one showed in the photos."
But when Drilon turned to ask Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Deles about the photos, she said that her office has referred the photos to the secretariat of the MILF.
"We relayed the matter to the MILF Secretariat that this is something we have to respond to because we received it on an official basis," Deles said.
She said the government peace panel has also asked the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the coordinating committee on the cessation of hostilities (CCCH) to verify the pictures.
However, Drilon did not buy her answer: "Should the government have not done its own investigation? Isn't this revealing? We are government. On issues such as this, you are asking the MILF to comment? And of course, the MILF, it would be expected of them to deny anything, everything," he told Deles.
Sec. Deles affirmed, however, that the government has done its part and investigated the matter by referring it first to the West Mindanao Command (WestMinCom).
Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, the government peace panel chair, said they asked the ceasefire mechanism of the government to conduct a parallel investigation.
"They have given us a report of what they found out about this and we can provide the Senate with a copy of their response," Ferrer said, requesting in the same vein that this be done in executive session since there are national security issues involved.
Asked if they have provided the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP) with copies of the report, Ferrer acknowledged that the matter was not elevated to Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas II and National Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin due to the sensitive nature of the report.
But Drilon pointed out that he finds nothing irregular with revealing the details of the report on the pictures.
"I am asking this because, in the past five hearings, it was obvious that many of these things happened because of lack of coordination, lack of information, lack of proper reporting," Drilon explained.
"This issue," Ferrer articulated, "has to do with Sulu's local politics and, therefore, that is part of the context of executive privilege. This is also in compliance with what the Sulu officials have asked of us. We have done our own investigation."
Ferrer said the CCCH is already composed of members of the AFP and the PNP and the source of the validation was the Westmincom.
"There are some identified personalities there, and there are some private armed groups there, in terms of the weaponry, and so on, but it's very sensitive because of the nature of the politics in the area," Ferrer explained.
"What is so sensitive about the politics in the area? [Political] parties are never sensitive," Drilon retorted.
"Political alliances are emerging in time for the 2016 elections," Ferrer responded.
"What is so sensitive about political alliances for 2016? Why is that confidential? Why can't it be revealed in public? Because what is at issue here, as our chair has stated, is that, apparently, there is a continuous build up of arms notwithstanding the comprehensive agreement on the Bangsamoro that we have signed," Drilon pointed out.
Deles, however, clarified that the government's first response was to conduct its own investigation on the photos through its own mechanism, before asking the MILF to verify the photos.
When pressed by Drilon to bare the contents of the report, Ferrer insisted the matter constitutes intelligence information and should be "treated confidentially."
Drilon gave up in the face of Ferrer's insistence. "Madam, chair. I submit," Drilon told Poe.
Deles defended Ferrer, pointing out that the matter may complicate the ongoing peace process with the MILF.
But Poe countered Deles' assertion, saying they cannot just invoke executive privilege over matters that can hamper criminal or military investigations.
"For the record, I think that it should be clear also that when you invoke certain security concerns, it is because you do not want to jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation or military operation," Poe said.
"Technically, we cannot allow you to invoke that, unless there is a clear and present danger to the lives also of the constituents within the area... we request you to submit those documents, please," she reiterated.
Ferrer agreed, saying her office will provide the committee with a copy of the report.
"Yes your honor, maybe just to clarify that it is not purely political but it is political with the possibility of violence between conflicting political parties," Ferrer stated.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/105699/senators-grill-peace-panel-iqbal-over-new-milf-training-camp-in-sulu
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