Two members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace negotiation panel shared their insights on the government’s offensives in Basilan and the prospects for peace talks. Their side of story is entirely different from what the public has seen and heard from the government and the media.
BY EMILY VITAL
Bulatlat
Vol. VII, No. 30, September 2-8, 2007
Two members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace negotiation panel shared their insights on the government’s offensives in Basilan and the prospects for peace talks. Their side of story is entirely different from what the public has seen and heard from the government and the media.
Atty. Musit Buat, Jr., a member of the MILF peace panel, found dubious the justification of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in launching offensives in Basilan. “Hostage-taking kuno kay Fr. Bossi ang puno’t dulo nito. Limang libong sundalo ang naghahanap, di makita (The root of all these is the so-called hostage-taking of Fr. Bossi. Five thousand troops are searching for him but they could not find the priest),” Buat said. “They have eyes but they could not see.”
Buat surmised that the kidnapping of Fr. Giancarlo Bossi, an Italian priest, is a handiwork of a well-placed government personality who served as acting secretary of the defense department. He added, “Sa araw ng SoNA, may palabas si Gloria.” (During the state of the nation address, Gloria Arroyo has something to boast of.) Bossi was released three days before Arroyo’s SoNA.
Buat also questioned the troop deployment in Basilan. He said it is far from where the priest was abducted. Bossi was abducted in Zamboanga. The MILF member said that Bossi did not even say the Abu Sayyaf was responsible for the kidnapping but the AFP kept on using Abu Sayyaf and terrorism for launching military operations.
MILF territory
There is a ceasefire agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the MILF. “They are blaming the MILF for violating the ceasefire but they knew that Guinanta is part of MILF territory yet they did not coordinate with the MILF,” he said. Buat was referring to the July 10 incident.
Buat insisted they are not responsible for the beheading of ten of the 14 soldiers killed in the encounter. “The MILF follows the Geneva Convention,” he said. We abide by the civilized rules of warfare. Ewan ko lang kung ang kalaban civilized din. (I just don’t know if the enemies are civilized, too).”
Al Camlian, chair of the technical working group of the MILF peace panel, added that it is haram (forbidden) in Islam to desecrate a body.
Sulu
Meanwhile, in Sulu, Buat said the AFP raided the house of a commander of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). “Again, they said they would go after the Abu Sayyaf but they killed an MNLF commander,” Buat said.
Buat said the MNLF troops inevitably avenged the death of their commander.
Conflicting signals
Buat said, “We are getting conflicting signals from Malacañang.”
Camlian related that Arroyo announced the resumption of peace talks on August 22 but the GRP cancelled it on the day itself. Buat said the government troops keep on launching offensives in MILF territories. “While they talk peace, they also resort to war,” Camlian said.
Camlian said that Sec. Rodolfo Garcia, chair of the GRP panel, told him that he is not prepared and that he had no clear mandate.
“It was the GRP who called up Malaysia and announced the meeting in public,” Camlian said. “Suddenly, they postponed it.”
Camlian said the government does not operate in small contingents and civilians become victims of their military offensives. He said that even if the GRP seems to be insincere, the talks have to move on.
Buat added that Islamic ideology teaches them to espouse peace. He quickly added, however, “But if the enemy offers war, we are also prepared to go to war.”
Buat said that if the government policy is just and humane, there would be no rebellion. “Kung mamamatay ka sa gutom, lumaban ka na lang. Kung ikaw ay pobre, mainam pang mamatay kang isang martir kaysa mamatay kang nagugutom” (If you will die of hunger, you better fight. If you are poor, it is better to die as a martyr than to die from hunger.), he said.
Buat added, “What is happening actually is people’s war.” He said the people are enraged by the atrocities of the AFP.
Asked about the involvement of U.S. troops in the offensives, Buat said, “We know they are deeply involved in combat operations.” (Bulatlat.com)
