March 13, 2003, Inquirer Mindanao, Salamat would rather die than be arrested, by Eldie Aguirre, Basir Alipolo and Herbie Gomez,

DAVAO City––Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Hashim Salamat would rather die than be arrested for a crime that he strongly disowns.

Macapanton Abbas, lawyer of Salamat and other MILF leaders, said this after his clients were accused of being responsible for the March 4 bombing at the Davao City International Airport that killed 21 people, including an American preacher, and wounded over a hundred others.

During a Mindanao-wide summit of Muslim leaders here, Abbas criticized the government for ruling ‘‘by justice and not by mere laws’’.

Charges of multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder were filed against Salamat and company a regional court. The MILF leaders are facing arrest warrants in connection with the Davao killer blast.

Abbas said the government has yet to show strong evidence that the MILF was responsible for the Davao bombing and other terror attacks in Mindanao.

The MILF has strongly denied any hand in the Davao terror attack and even said it suspected it was the handiwork of some people in the military.

On Tuesday night, authorities detonated a bomb left in a public vehicle at the corner of Quirino Avenue and Magallanes Street here.

City police director Condrado Laza quoted Timoteo Hidanio, driver of a public utility mutlicab, as saying that a man jumped off leaving behind the bomb while the vehicle was approaching a police checkpoint.

Laza said officers quickly called bomb experts after a bomb-sniffing dog became restless when it went over the unidentified man’s belongings.

Bomb experts also rushed to Bangkerohan when an unattended package caused people to panic. But authorities said it was a false alarm.

In Cagayan de Oro, informal peace negotiations between the government and the MILF started yesterday via a local AM station.

DxIF-Bombo Radyo initiated the informal talks, and made government and military officials talk with Abdulrahman Macapaar alias Commander Bravo of the MILF in Lanao.

Using a cellular phone, Macapaar demanded that the government drop the criminal charges against Salamat and company.

‘‘Do away with the arrest warrants and don’t blame us on the Davao airport bombing and the toppling of pylons across Mindanao if the government really wants to resume the peace negotiations,’’ said Macapaar, the highest ranking MILF field commander operating in the twin Lanao provinces. ‘‘We cannot talk about peace if there are warrants of arrest against our leaders.’

During the Davao summit, Lanao del Sur Rep. Faysah Dumarpa pushed for the dropping of criminal charges against Salamat and his associates unless the government can show evidence that the rebel leaders were responsible for the Davao bombing.

Macapaar also accused the military of carrying out human rights violations against innocent Muslim civilians in its fresh campaign to crush the MILF.

‘‘These violations must end and then we can talk,’’ said Macapaar who alternately spoke in Bisaya and Maranao.

Local army spokesperson Lt. Col. Johnny Macanas who spoke with Macapaar through the phone, said he would bring all of the MILF’s concerns to his superiors.

‘‘It’s very clear that everyone wants to resume the peace negotiations. Everyone wants to have peace,’’ said Macanas. ‘‘We (military) are not after of war, we also want peace.’’

In Cotabato City, MILF central information committee chairperson Mohaqher Iqbal said he doubted if the resumption of the peace negotiations could push through unless the military withdrew its troops from the Buliok Complex and the ongoing Armed Forces offensive in Pikit, North Cotabato.

Iqbal said this as he confirmed that the MILF was responsible for holding a public bus on a highway in Barangay Dalingaoen in Pikit early this week. He said the MILF did that to prevent the bus passengers from being caught in the crossfires.

A soldier was killed in what the military said was a brief hostage-taking.

But Iqbal said fightings that killed at least one militiaman were ongoing in Pikit at that time and a MILF group flagged down the bus to protect innocent civilians.

Col. Carduzo Luna, commander of the army’s 602nd Brigade, said the MILF attacked military detachments in the area the same time the bus was held. He confirmed thaty fierce clashes were ongoing in the area at that time.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said fightings between government and rebel forces are also ongoing at presstime near the Buliok Complex.

Kabalu said the MILF was bent on reclaiming the complex, which the rebel group considers an Islamic center.

On Tuesday night, MILF rebels attacked soldiers in Barangay Barongis in Pikit town but there was no casualty report at presstime, said Capt. Unting Alon, brigade spokesman.

Rebels also ambushed soldiers from the 37th Infantry Battalion wounding two in Barangay Macasampen, Talayan in Maguindanao. There were separate reports though that four soldiers were hurt in that ambush.

Meanwhile, Filipino Muslim leaders have called for the immediate resumption of the peace negotiations between the government and the MILF. They also want a truce between the two protagonists.

For one, Sultan Kudarat Gov. Datu Pax Mangungudato offered to initiate talks with MILF’s Salamat if he is given the go-ahead by President Arroyo.

The Muslim leaders also called for the withdrawal of troops from areas considered by the MILF as its territories.

Mangungudato said the troops should withdraw in order to allow government emissaries to meet with Salamat and other MILF leaders.

“We are also afraid of being caught in the crossfires. There has to be a ceasefire,” said Mangungudato.

The Muslim leaders said they would even go on a hunger strike to pressure Malacañang to heed their calls.

Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, chairperson of Mindanao’s crisis management council, is advocating for more military offensives to finish off the MILF.

But during the summit, Duterte said exactly how the government would deal with the MILF would depend of Ms. Arroyo.