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Halt attacks - MILF chief

September 2, 2008

But won’t yield 2 rebel leaders.
SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) called on the government to halt its military offensive which it said may lead to the collapse of a years-long peace process and an escalation of violence in Mindanao.

MILF chairman Al-Haj Murad told a news conference at Camp Darapanan alhajmurad.jpghere that the government should continue to pursue the peace negotiations with the rebel group, warning of the possible collapse of talks if it insists on a review of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain
(MOA-AD).

But Malacanang responded the MOA should be reviewed in view of widespread opposition to the expansion of a Moro homeland. And the department of defense said the government is not waging an all-out war, only pursuing the MILF commanders that launched attacks in Lanao del Sur and Cotabato.
Murad stressed the peace talks should resume, but rejected the government demand to turn over MILF commanders Ameril Umbra Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar alias Commander Bravo to face criminal prosecution.

Murad defiantly said: “We cannot subject our members to the laws of the government,. e are a revolutionary force.”
The two rebel leaders led the rampage in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte that left scores of people shot or hacked to death, looting and burning homes and sending over 200,000 people fleeing.
The military has launched ground and air attacks on rebel positions in the hunt for Kato and Macapaar.
Murad suggested the two erring rebel commanders should face a panel of the joint ceasefire committee and the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team (IMT) that has been keeping tabs on the ceasefire agreement.

Murad said he asked Malaysia two days ago to revive stalled peace talks with the Philippine government to end weeks of brutal fighting. Malaysia, which has been hosting peace negotiations between the Philippines and the MILF, has yet to respond to Murad’s call.

Murad, however, said the MILF still reserved the right to resume its large-scale rebellion if the peace process collapses. Malacañang warned the MILF of dire consequences for waging war against
the government instead of pursuing the road to peace.

Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said the MILF would end up in a worse situation if it would drop the peace option and defy the government’s initiative for a settlement of the problem.
Golez said Kato and Macapaar do not represent the MILF and the aspirations of the Muslims in Mindanao for peace.

xmilf.jpgHe said the two rebel leaders and their men must face the consequences of their actions under the country’s legal justice system. Even as the military offensive is being waged against the two MILF
renegade leaders, Golez said the government is still exerting all efforts to pursue a final peace agreement with MILF.

Golez said there must be a thorough review of the agreement in order to eliminate all the legal issues.
The MILF, on the other hand, insisted the MOA-AD is already a done deal, pointing out the signing of the agreement is a mere formality.

Lawmakers urged President Arroyo to be tough against the MILF. “The government should not allow itself to be bullied into submission by any armed group, much less the MILF. If an all-out war is the only
option offered by the MILF for not signing the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain, the government must give it to them,” Sen. Panfilo Lacson said.

“After defeating them or at least degrade their military capability, (the government can) proceed to negotiate from a position of strength,” he added.

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