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July 14, 2003, The Philippine Star, Philippine Moro rebels urged to prove innocence over market bombing,

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MILF bombing

July 14, 2003, The Philippine Star, Philippine Moro rebels urged to prove innocence over market bombing,

Zamboanga City: Defence Secretary Angelo Reyes confirmed yesterday the bomb used in the Koronadal market explosion last Thursday [10 July] was similar to the explosives used in the Davao City bombings last March and April. Reyes told reporters here that based on the bomb residue gathered at the Koronadal explosion site, they were similar with that used in the Davao explosions in March and April that left 38 people dead and over a hundred others wounded.

The Davao City bombings were blamed on the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), whose leaders were charged with multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder. Reyes, however, clarified the latest bombing in Koronadal that killed three people and wounded 31 others could not be directly linked to the MILF yet. "We can not make conclusive report as to the possible (involvement) of the MILF pending the thorough investigation on the ground," Reyes said.

Reyes' disclosure bolstered suspicions that the MILF was behind the bombing with authorities saying the latest Koronadal bomb blast had "the same pattern, the same operation, the same targets" as previous bomb attacks blamed on the MILF. [passages omitted]

"So we ask them to give us proof that they (MILF) are not the ones behind the Koronadal incident and, if in fact they were not, help us to bring to justice the perpetrators of this bombing attack," said presidential adviser on the peace process Eduardo Ermita. "Conditionally, we will look at the results of the thorough investigations ordered by the president on this incident and certainly, its results would affect our decision on the peace talks," he said.

Ermita said the peace efforts on both sides have been running "progressively" until after last Thursday's bombing. "If investigations show that they (MILF) are involved in this Koronadal bombing incident, then it would show that they are still engaged in terrorist activities which they have supposedly renounced already," Ermita said.

Meanwhile, Reyes claimed the government has established the links between the Indonesian-based terror group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and the MILF. "The link of the JI and this (Koronadal) bombing, we can not establish yet, but the JI links with the MILF has been established already," Reyes said. [passage omitted]

Reyes, however, clarified the discovery will not affect the government's peace efforts with the rebels. He said the government has remained open for the peace talks with the separatist guerrilla group.

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