8 MILF rebels nabbed with unlicensed guns in Marawi City

From GMA News (Jul 10): 8 MILF rebels nabbed with unlicensed guns in Marawi City

Eight members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front who identified themselves as operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation were arrested in Marawi City for possession of firearms without the necessary licenses and permits, the Philippine Army said Friday.

Lt. Col. Audie Mongao, public affairs officer of the Philippine Army's 1st Infantry Division, identified those nabbed as Jalud Ditucalan Macaraya, Alinor Binta Sarif, Salmer Mindalano, Mohammad Faisal Sanguila, Ibrahim A. Apil, Jannatey Bin Abi Ombra, Mahid Apil and Mohammad Jamil C. Antap.

All are residents of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte

Macaraya is allegedly the subject of a warrant of arrest for kidnapping.

Mongao said joint operatives of military and police were conducting a checkpoint at the vicinity Barangay Moncado, Kadingilan, Marawi City when they spotted a red Mitsubishi Adventure (RGX-862) carrying the eight.

The Army said the MILF members and the confiscated firearms were brought to the 65th Infantry Batallion for investigation and proper disposition "after documentation and verification."

A check on the vehicle yielded firearms without pertinent documents.

Among those confiscated were eight handguns all of which were loaded with live ammunition.

MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal confirmed the incident

“True but our ceasefire committee is working for their furlough,” he said in a text message to GMA News Online.

In June, the MILF turned over to an independent body at least 75 high-powered firearms as part of the group's decommissioning process under the peace process with the Philippine government.

No less than President Benigno Aquino III witnessed the ceremony.

The decommissioning is part of the normalization process specified in an annex of the peace agreement entered into by the MILF and the Philippine government in March last year.

Under the peace agreement, 30 percent of MILF firearms will be decommissioned once Bangsamoro Basic Law is ratified while another 35 percent will be turned over when the Bangsamoro government and its police force have been established.

The remaining final 35 percent will be decommissioned once the exit agreement signifying that all commitments have been fulfilled is signed.

The BBL is still pending in Congress with the Senate still waiting for the substitute version of the bill to be submitted by local government committee chairman Ferdinand Marcos Jr while the House of Representatives is already discussing its version in the plenary.

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