CHR CHIEF: A TERRORIST ACT / SENATORS CONDEMN ATTACK
MANILA, AUGUST 20, 2008 (STAR) By Katherine Adraneda - The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) yesterday slammed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for its “terrorist acts” in attacking the villages in Lanao del Norte and nearby provinces that left at least 30 people dead and thousands of civilians injured and forced from their homes.CHR chairperson Leila de Lima said the MILF could be held responsible for the attacks and the killing of innocent people, pointing out the magnitude of the destruction and violence committed by the rebels.
De Lima said the violent attacks of the MILF rebels on unarmed and innocent civilians constitute “terrorist acts.”
“It is a terrorist act when you sow fear in communities and the MILF’s attacks are actually sowing fear in many villages and nearby cities,” De Lima said.
“That is the situation there now, people are afraid that violence would erupt once again or might spread to other nearby areas,” she said.
De Lima said the cities of Marawi, Ozamis, and Cagayan de Oro are under high alert on possible attacks by the MILF.
De Lima urged the MILF to turn over two of its leaders and their men who took part in the attacks.
“The MILF central committee must surrender their men to the government to show good faith and sincerity to the peace process,” De Lima said.
De Lima said the MILF leaders should “go beyond disowning” the acts of violence committed by their men.
She said the MILF, just like any organization, has a chain of command, which should be responsible for the acts of their subordinates.
“Command responsibility applies to both the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and MILF,” De Lima said.
“There maybe still some gray areas when it comes to exacting accountability to non-state forces for their atrocities and criminal acts… but it doesn’t mean that they are excluded from respecting human rights,” she said.
De Lima called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to gather evidence and file the criminal charges against MILF commanders Umbra Kato and Bravo.
Kato led the attacks in North Cotabato while Bravo and his men initiated the mayhem Monday in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Sarangani.
Monday’s attack was the bloodiest since a territorial deal with the MILF stalled earlier this month, just days after government troops drove out the rebels from North Cotabato.
De Lima said they are looking into the possibility of filing a report on the atrocities committed by the MILF before the United Nations and “other appropriate international bodies” that might include the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).
Presidential Peace Process Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, on the other hand, said the attacks should not deter the ongoing peace process in Mindanao.
Esperon though admitted the incident set back the peace process, describing last Monday’s attacks by the MILF as “treacherous.”
“It’s very treacherous. It does not bespeak of a group that wants peace… we have to be very firm in enforcing the law,” Esperon added.
He echoed the statement of Armed Forces chief Gen. Alexander Yano that the attack was a virtual declaration of war.
Terrorists, not rebels
Lawmakers also slammed the MILF for the attacks, saying the rebel group committed acts of terrorism.
The senators, for their part, wanted the government to re-classify the MILF as a terrorist group for the attacks.
“The prime duty of the government is to restore law and order in war torn provinces in Mindanao… the minority bloc condemn undeniably the violence inflicted on the civilian population in North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, and other places in Mindanao,” their statement read.
The United Opposition also issued a statement condemning the MILF for last Monday’s attacks.
UNO spokesman Adel Tamano, a devout Muslim, said “the attacks on civilians by MILF groups are immoral, un-Islamic and un-Christian.”
Enrile, for his part, predicts that the MILF will continue its attack and wage war in the coming weeks.
“At this point, I’m telling you, based on my experience, this is just the beginning, this will escalate,” said Enrile, who served as defense chief during the Marcos regime.
Muslim congressmen led by Rep. Mujiv Hataman of the party-list group Anak Mindanao said the MILF violated the rules of war allowed under Islam.
Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong said the attacks made by the MILF “are no longer in pursuit of rebellion, not a political crime but an ordinary crime.”
“With these highly condemnable acts, they should face the full force of the law,” Datumanong said.
Support for the military
After last Monday’s attack, Senate President Villar said the Senate is considering providing the military a supplemental budget to augment its operations against the MILF.
Pangasinan Rep. Arthur Celeste, chairman of the House defense committee, also assured the Armed Forces of full support in going after the MILF attackers.
“With the full budget backing of Congress (our troops) will go after the perpetrators of these dastardly acts headstrong and punitive actions will be undertaken,” Celeste said.
Other congressmen supported President Arroyo’s order for the AFP to defend the country and its people against what they described as the “barbaric and treacherous” attacks of the MILF.
“Congress deplores in the highest sense these atrocities committed by the MILF, the attacks are systematic, organized, well planned and well-orchestrated, definitely not the works of renegades as the MILF leaders claim,” Celeste said.
Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III said the military should stop at nothing until they have caught the MILF guerrillas involved in the attacks.
Rep. Rodolfo Valencia of Mindoro Oriental said the MILF might not be interested in peace.
“What the MILF rebels did – assaulting villages, hacking civilians to death and burning houses – are not the actuations of a group that is for peace,” he said.
Malabon-Navotas Rep. Alvin Sandoval said the government should determine whether the MILF did not really sanction the attacks as they claimed.
Lanao del Norte Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo, for his part, said the MILF’s denial of their involvement in the killing of innocent civilians “prove that they, too, are ashamed of their terrorism, or are weak as an organization for not being able to control their men, or both.”
Speaker Prospero Nograles agreed with observations that the MILF has lost control of its forces in Mindanao.
Before resuming peace talks, Nograles said government negotiators should know whom they are talking to, “whether the people they are negotiating with are in full control of the forces they allegedly represent.”
“The way it appears, some MILF factions do not follow the cue and just go on a rampage on their own. So we may be talking peace, but they may have other agenda,” Nograles said.
Give it a try
Senators Gregorio Honasan and Edgardo Angara, on the other hand, called on cooler heads to prevail and resume the peace negotiations with the MILF.
“A respite from the fighting, although temporary relief, is what the people need at this time to allow the leaders and their followers from both sides to gather their wits and join hands for long lasting peace,” Honasan said.
Angara, for his part, said the attacks should not mean the government would abandon the peace process.
He said the government has already invested billions in waging war against the rebels just to attain peace.
Pimentel and Lacson, on the other hand, said the government should consider suspending the ceasefire agreement with the MILF.
Lacson noted the various violations by the MILF. He added that the government’s hands are tied in restoring peace and order if it will abide by the ceasefire while the MILF continues its atrocities.
Arroyo said the government should just go after the MILF without the need to tag them as terrorists.
Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen said last Monday’s attack was “unfortunate” but hopes the peace talks will continue.
Dilangalen agreed the MILF should be made accountable for the acts of its men. “It’s important that we continue with the peace process but it should be with accountability,” he said.
Dilangalen warned it would be dangerous for the government to withdraw from the peace process with the MILF.
“If we stop with the peace process, it will only aggravate the situation. Whoever is responsible for the atrocities they should be held accountable and whoever is in the way of the peace process must be held accountable,” he said. –With Christina Mendez, Jess Diaz, Delon Porcalla, Rudy Santos, Jose Rodel Clapano
SENATORS CONDEMN ATTACKS, CALLED ON GOVT TO LAUNCH PUNITIVE ACTION
By Christina Mendez - Senators yesterday condemned the attacks by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mindanao as they called on the government to launch punitive action against the Moro rebels.“The Armed Forces of the Philippines should undertake punitive action against the MILF forces involved and uphold the rule of law. We cannot afford renewed armed hostilities because this will only set back efforts to bring economic and social progress to Muslim Mindanao,” Senate President Manuel Villar said in a statement.
Villar also urged President Arroyo to immediately release funds from the Emergency Fund for the purpose of providing relief assistance.
“With another war in their midst, many of our brothers and sisters in Mindanao, particularly in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, fear for the safety of their loved ones. Immediate resolution and a return to normalcy is urged the soonest time possible,” Villar said.
Villar said the spate of attacks in Mindanao will surely be another black eye on the government’s efforts to sustain peace and good business environment in the country.
“Let’s keep in mind that peace and prosperity in Mindanao will eventually result in the welfare, stability and security of the entire Philippines,” he added.
Villar is joined by Senators Manuel Roxas II, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Francis Pangilinan, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Panfilo Lacson and Alan Peter Cayetano in condemning the attacks.
“We denounce the attack in Mindanao reported to be perpetrated by the MILF, which resulted in the death of innocent civilians,” Villar said.
Zubiri and Pangilinan urged the government to negotiate from a position of strength.
“I ask the government to defend her people and once again negotiate from a position of strength and never from weakness,” Zubiri added.
Lacson called for an all-out war in Mindanao just like what former President Joseph Estrada did back in 2000 when government troops conquered an MILF camp.
“Do an Erap, show our people that there is rule of law in this country. Show the AFP she cares for them and their morale. Show the MILF there is only one government, one armed forces and one brand of justice,” Lacson said.
The Senate president said the government must assert its authority over the separatist group.
Noting that there is an existing ceasefire between the government and the MILF, Villar said the recent MILF attack on government forces is a clear violation of this ceasefire agreement.
“We also appeal to government agencies to ensure the safety of residents fleeing the outbreak of skirmishes. Evacuation procedures should be carried out in orderly fashion. Innocent civilians should not be caught in the crossfire between the military and forces of the MILF,” he said.
The Senate president also called on concerned government agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), to conduct massive relief assistance to affected communities.
Villar called on the DSWD, Department of Health and the Commission on Human Rights, in partnership with non-government organizations and the local governments, to be at the forefront of the relief efforts to distribute food, medicine and to provide counsel to our affected countrymen.
Roxas, for his part, is also saddened by the latest developments in Mindanao, saying it only showed that the agreement between the government and the MILF is a useless agreement.
“This happened amid the MILF’s warning that it will cause trouble to get the government to agree to their demands,” he said in Filipino.
Roxas shares the opinion that the two parties should be blamed for the failure of the peace talks.
Roxas, however, is against an all-out war, saying a similar scenario before resulted in the death of innocent civilians.
Zubiri said the recent attacks by the MILF in several provinces show their insincerity about peace.
He said the President should call the attention of the Organization of Islamic Conference and the international community and report the atrocities made by the MILF in Southern Philippines.
“They also should protest these violations and acts of terrorism to the OIC and the international community so sympathy will be with the Philippine government and its citizens,” Zubiri said.
“We in Mindanao want peace but not under these conditions, not under threat or fear by these armed groups. We can only talk peace without the barrel of the gun and peace can only be achieved through a cessation of violent activities,” Zubiri added.
To attain peace in Mindanao, Zubiri said the political solution should be achieved but within the boundaries of our present Constitution.
“As a Mindanaoan, I am extremely saddened by the violence that has once again gripped the island; however, I am also angered by the tactics used by the MILF to try to achieve their goals,” Zubiri said.
Cayetano, meanwhile, wants to know if these fights are part of a political plan and/or if the military underestimated the strength of the MILF.
He noted that the AFP had long pronounced that it significantly reduced the number of separatist rebels in Mindanao during past budget hearings and other Senate hearings.
“The military should start explaining why the strength of the MILF increased or if they grossly underestimated it,” Cayetano said.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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