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Home/ stevenwarran's Library/ Notes/ May 2, 2000, The Philippine Star, Gov't blames MILF for failure of peace negotiations, by Paolo Romero,

May 2, 2000, The Philippine Star, Gov't blames MILF for failure of peace negotiations, by Paolo Romero,

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MILF

May 2, 2000, The Philippine Star, Gov't blames MILF for failure of peace negotiations, by Paolo Romero,

The government blamed yesterday the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for the collapse of peace negotiations. Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said the peace talks were bound to fail since MILF guerrillas started extorting money from motorists using the Narciso Ramos highway in Maguindanao. 

"In response to all these, the government had to clear the area (Narciso Ramos Highway) of the rebels," he said. "The government cannot allow any portion to be occupied by the rebels. Maguindanao is part of the Republic of the Philippines." 

The Narciso Ramos Highway, which is seven kilometers from Camp Abubakar, was built by Army engineers in 1995 to link the cities of Cotabato and Marawi. Mercado said the MILF took advantage of the peace talks to continue its arms buildup, recruitment, and extortion activities, and that the the rebel group's continued violation of the ceasefire agreement has made the June deadline for the peace talks unimportant. 

"The deadline looks marginalized now," he said. "The deadline was useful only when the talks were ongoing but now it has become superfluous. But let us not lose hope. We are hoping that they would change their minds." At Malacañang, National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre said the Estrada administration remains committed to peace talks with the MILF. 

"So while it is true the MILF has unilaterally declared an indefinite suspension of peace talks, we are hopeful they would return to the conference table," he said. 

"The peace negotiations, as far as we are concerned, are still open because we would like to settle the problem peacefully. But of course, in the meantime, continuously upholding government authority through law and order operation."


In Congress, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., chairman of the Senate committee on local governments, said the administration should exhaust all means to reopen peace negotiations with the MILF. 

"This is a very disturbing development," he told The STAR in a telephone interview yesterday. Pimentel said the President was ill-advised by Aguirre on national security matters, especially in Mindanao, and that the MILF problem should be viewed in a bigger perspective. 

"The national security policy being implemented by the government does not jibe with the realities in Mindanao," he said. Chief government negotiator Edgardo Batenga said yesterday he will try to convince the 15,000-strong MILF to return to the negotiating table. 

Last Sunday, the MILF "indefinitely suspended" peace talks after government troops attacked Camp Abubakar, the guerrillas' main training base in Maguindanao. "That is the only way we will be able to resolve the problem in Mindanao," he said. 

However, Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Diomedio Villanueva said government troops will not attack Camp Abubakar, the MILF's largest base. "Our objective is very limited, only (to secure) the (Narciso Ramos) highway which we believe is for everyone to pass by and not to be controlled by anyone," he said. 

"We only wanted to clear the road connecting the towns of Matanog and Balabagan in Maguindanao which has already been controlled by the MILF rebels." MILF guerrillas were reported to have set up checkpoints on the highway linking Matanog and Balabagan towns, which are in the periphery of Camp Abubakar. 

At least 10 people were killed and several others wounded in the latest skirmishes in which Army troops removed the checkpoints while MILF guerrillas tried to keep them in place. Maj. Gen. Gregorio Camiling, commander of the Army's 5th Infantry Division, said the military's mission was to drive out MILF guerrillas from the highway and not to capture the headquarters of MILF Chairman Salamat Hashim. 

"We really need to clear the highway because aside from the preying on civilian commuters at MILF posts, even government forces could not pass by the area," he said. He said troops attacked MILF checkpoints following complaints from motorists that armed men were collecting toll fees. 

Fighting raged for the fifth day yesterday as Army troops continued to flush out MILF guerrillas from the highway's perimeter. Troops from the Army's 402nd Brigade have been deployed to dismantle checkpoints that were set up by MILF guerrillas. 

The STAR learned that the MILF had set up blockades in Butig and Ditsaan-Ramalin towns to prevent the Army from taking over their outposts. However, Camiling said the Army will continue dismantling the MILF checkpoints along the highway and restore government control in secluded districts that the thoroughfare traverses. 

He said eight soldiers were killed and 31 others were wounded in clashes between government troops and MILF guerrillas along the highway since Friday. Local leaders and evacuees said the MILF suffered 56 fatalities and 14 wounded, who were confined in makeshift clinics under the care of MILF nurses. 

Col. Samuel Bagasin, 402nd Brigade commander, did not say if the Army will take Camp Busra in Butig town, the second largest MILF base in Maguindanao. Government forces and MILF fighters are also reported to be engaged in battle in the towns of Buldon and Matanog, also in Maguindanao province. 

Maj. Julieto Ando, 6th Infantry Division military affairs chief, told The STAR that more howitzers and helicopter gunships have arrived for mopping-up operations. Brig. Gen. Roy Cimatu, 4th Infantry Division commander, said troops from the 402nd Brigade and militiamen from the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAFGU) have been deployed in some towns in Lanao del Norte province. 

The military said troops have been deployed to guard exit and entry points to the MILF's Camp Bad'r at the boundaries of Talayan, Datu Piang, and Datu Odin towns, and in Camp Daraspanan in Simsuay, Sultan Kudarat to prevent the sending of reinforcements. 

Three Marines were killed and 28 other soldiers were wounded in separate clashes with MILF fighters in Maguindanao last Sunday, according to reports received in Camp Crame. The reports identified the fatalities as Sgt. Garnilla, Cpl. Macallsang, and Pfc. Castillo. 

In the first clash, 15 Marines were wounded. They were identified as Sgt. Roberto Radan, Pfc. Michael Zapanta, Pfc. Samuel Briones, 1Lt Pedrito Dalanas Jr., Cpl. Walter Manalansang, Sgt. Luis Marmol, Pfc. Florante Rosete, Cpl. Angel Borromeo. Cpl. Dionisio Lizardo, Sgt. Eugenio Basilan, Pfc. Edrio Fuble, Cpl. Augusto Quadra, Sgt. Ricardo Jimenez, Cpl. Eldi Montecillo, and Cpl. Tenedero Balbuena. 

During the second encounter, 13 Army troops were wounded. They are: Sgt. Roque Bustamante, Pfc. Dino Lambayon, Pfc. Evaristo Ecional, Pfc. Rey Llado, T/Sgt. Jonathan Onga, Sgt. Nilo Penaflor, Pfc. Danny Peralta, Pfc. Rexy Marquez, Pfc. Jerry Jayo, Pfc. Raylin Barta, Pfc. Dennis dela Rosa, Cpl. Joel Pansoguiron, and Cp. Reynaldo Lazon. 

The wounded Marines and Army troops were airlifted to the Sultan Kudarat- Pendatun Medical Hospital for immediate treatment. The reports said an undetermined number of MILF guerrillas were also wounded in the firefight. -- With reports from Allen Estabillo, Edith Regalado, Mike Frialde, Lino dela Cruz, Roel Pareño, John Unson, Marichu Villanueva, Perseus Echeminada, AFP

 

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