July 9, 2000, The Philippine Star, Talks with MILF continue despite push for Abubakar, by Marichu Villanueva, Jaime Laude,

July 9, 2000, The Philippine Star, Talks with MILF continue despite push for Abubakar, by Marichu Villanueva, Jaime Laude, John Unson, Jess Diaz,

Informal talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) continued yesterday even as government troops made a final push to capture the rebels' Camp Abubakar in Maguindanao, National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre said.

Elements of the 1st and 2nd Marine Brigades, backed by Army Scout Rangers, captured the strategic Mt. Bitan inside the MILF's main stronghold yesterday, leaving at least 29 rebels and two soldiers dead.

In a forum, Aguirre said the informal talks had been going on since June 30 when the government-imposed deadline for the MILF to accept the peace offer lapsed. "The peace talks are still open even with the lapse of the June 30 deadline," Aguirre said. "They (government and rebel negotiators) can go on talking by telephone, fax or by letters."

He expressed optimism that the informal negotiations may result in the signing of a peace agreement on July 29.

While the two peace panels have been exchanging notes, the military traded heavy gunfire with the rebels to capture Camp Abubakar.

Armed Forces Southern Command (Southcom) chief Lt. Gen. Diomedio Villanueva said five days of fierce fighting resulted in the capture of Mt. Bitan and the death of 29 rebels and two soldiers, including Maj. Adel Jandayan of the 2nd Marine Battalion Landing Team.

He said soldiers have started to recover the bodies of the slain rebels from at least 16 positions. Government troops then marched on to another hill, where hundreds of MILF rebels were guarding their training camp.

Villanueva said the military has started to pound these enemy positions with artillery fire and bombs from attack planes.

The Southcom chief said they have no time frame as to when they would completely overrun the 10,000-hectare camp.

The MILF believes that their main camp will fall soon, but MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said the fall "does not mean we will just give up our fight for an independent Islamic state." He warned of a "deadlier" guerrilla warfare.

Kabalu also appealed to the Organization of Islamic Conference to immediately send a probe body to Mindanao to see for themselves what they are fighting for.

In other developments yesterday, Speaker Manuel Villar Jr. said the House of Representatives recently passed a measure that would ban the media from describing a crime suspect as either a Muslim or Christian. 

"Singling out a crime suspect based one one's religion helps spark divisiveness which we do not need at this point," he said.

"This is a discriminatory practice against our Muslim brothers and sisters which we should put an end to," he added.

Villar said the bill must be seriously considered in the light of the Mindanao conflict, which has been erroneously depicted as a war between Christians and Muslims.

Rep. Simeon Datumanong (Lakas, Maguindanao), principal author of the bill, said the words Muslim and Christian refer to a person's religious beliefs and do not in any way refer to a person's place of origin.

Thus, he said associating these words with criminals is inconsistent. Villar said the bill is not intended to gag media but to curb a practice that has been unfair to Muslims. Meanwhile, President Estrada was warned that he would be courting more trouble in Mindanao if he suspends the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in the island.

"CARP suspension can only be interpreted as a declaration of war against the peasantry," said opposition Rep. Hernani Braganza (Lakas, Pangasinan).

He was commenting on reports that one of the special powers that the President is seeking from Congress is the power to suspend the implementation of CARP in Mindanao.

"It appears that the President is not content with one enemy. He wants to open a new but bigger theater of war. After taking on a separatist group, he now wants to tangle with a class," he said.

He said the administration will incite peasants to revolt if it suspends the program that distributes land to the landless and helps farmers make productive use of their land.

He added that whoever proposed the suspension of CARP "is not a friend but an enemy of the President."

In a related development, Speaker Manuel Villar Jr. said the House has done its part in helping the government develop the South by passing 139 Mindanao-related bills.

He said most of these measures call for the establishment of schools, construction of roads, appropriation of funds for other infrastructure projects, and the conversion of progressive towns into cities.

"We have done our role in pushing the development of Mindanao," he added.

As for the proposal to give the President a special power to ban the issuance of temporary restraining orders (TROs) by the courts against government projects, Villar said the House has passed a bill imposing such a prohibition.

He said the measure is now with the Senate, which can speed up its passage to avert the need for an emergency presidential power to ban TROs.

"We can just expedite the enactment of this bill," he added.