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October 11, 2000, ABS-CBN, Estrada drops case against top three leaders of MILF,

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October 11, 2000, ABS-CBN, Estrada drops case against top three leaders of MILF,


MALACAÑANG (ABS-CBN) -- President Estrada ordered on Tuesday the withdrawal of the criminal charges filed against the top three leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in connection to the bombing incidents in General Santos City.

The withdrawal of charges against MILF Chairman Hashim Salamat, Vice Chairman for Military Affairs Al Haj Murad and Spokesperson Eid Kabalu, was more on the purpose of re-investigation.

Other MILF members involved in the General Santos City bombing will remain answerable to the crime.

The President's order which was carried in a memorandum dated October 9, was relayed to the Department of Justice (DoJ) by Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora.

National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre in a statement said, the move to withdraw the criminal charges against the three MILF officials aims to spend up the resumption of the peace talks.

"This is in line with the government's Four-Point Policy Framework to address the Mindanao conflict, which the President underscored in his State of the Nation Address last July," Aguirre said.

Prior to the withdrawal of the charges against the three MILF leaders, the government has also offered an amnesty to all members of the MILF who have committed offenses in pursuit of their political objective.

The move was also intended to convince the MILF leadership to return to the negotiating table with the government.

Weeks before that, the President has also ordered the recall of the bounty for Salamat, Murad and Kabalu for them to reconsider their earlier position of abandoning the peace negotiations.

Also part of the government's confidence-building measures is the issuance of safe conduct passes for MILF negotiators participating in the peace process.

Aguirre said the government has also continued with its backdoor channeling in its effort to find a peaceful resolution to the long-standing problem in the Muslim region.

"For the resumption of the formal peacetalks with the MILF, the ball is now in the MILF's court as government has already given all the leeway and has undertaken all measures to remove the barriers to the continuance of the stalled peace process," Aguirre added.

This latest move on the part of the government is being anticipated to receive a positive response from the MILF, by going back to the negotiating table and finally put an end on the Mindanao conflict.

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