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MILF adamant: Surrender of fighters in Mamasapano has no basis 


The surrender of Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters who figured in the Mamasapano incident has no basis under its existing agreements with the government, the chair of the MILF negotiating panel said on Tuesday.
 
"Pipilitin ba na itu-turn over namin ang combatants namin na wala namang basehan," he said in an exclusive interview with GMA News TV's Quick Response Team. 
 
He explained that it was the government that first broke the coordination protocol by not informing the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group about the Philippine National Police's Oplan Exodus that was meant to capture high-value targets in what is believed to be MILF territory in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. 
 
"Walang prior coordination. Madaling araw. In full combat. Pumasok sila. Nagkaroon ng engkwentro. Ang resulta nun, nag-violate sila. Hindi kami ang may kasalanan," Iqbal said.
 
The MILF chief peace panel negotiator also emphasized justice for all the victims of the Mamasapano incident, not just the 44 fallen SAF commandos. 
 
"Ang problema talaga dito, ang ibang tao nagrerebelde kasi walang justice eh. Pinag-usapan ang justice para sa fallen 44. Paano ang namatay sa amin? Kami pa ang pinasok. Wala bang hustisya doon?" Iqbal said.

"Papaano ang sibilyan na namatay doon? Wala bang hustisya doon? Papaano ba 'yung apat na natutulog sa mosque na natutulog na pinagbabaril? Wala bang justice doon dahil kami ay mga rebelde, dahil kami ay mga Moro?" he added.
 
International monitoring
 
Iqbal said that the results of the separate investigations conducted by different bodies might not be fair and favorable to the MILF. He suggested that there should have been at least one neutral, international group that monitored the inquiries.
 
However, Iqbal's counterpart on the government side, Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said that there were international monitoring groups that conducting their own probe on the incident.
 
"Meron ding nakatukoy na bodies na nangangasiwa tulad nito 'yung international monitoring team, may sarili rin silang field verification na isinisagawa. At doon, meron din silang conclusions na ibibigay kaugnay nga 'yung ceasefire na nabali nga noong January 25," she said. 
 
Ferrer also said that the while laws of war were applicable to both parties, the parties had to determine whether the Mamasapano incident was a case of war.
 
"Ito ba ay isang giyera? 'Yung sinasabi nga natin na encounter o 'yung pag-breakdown ng ating ceasefire? O 'yan ba ay isang 'yung sinasabing massacre?" she said. 
 
The government's peace panel head said both the police commandos and MILF fighters should have followed the International Humanitarian Law.

Both sides have already claimed having victims of atrocities in the aftermath of what authorities called a misencounter. —Trisha Macas/NB, GMA News
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