2 MILF commanders, 80 others charged with murder and robbery

MANILA, Philippines — Police filed criminal charges on Friday against two field commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and more than 80 others for the killings of civilians and other lawless acts they allegedly committed last Monday in Central Mindanao. Charged before the Provincial Prosecutor's Office in Lanao del Norte Lanao with double murder, robbery-in-band and arson were leader Abdulrahman Macapaar, alias Commander Bravo, and Ameril Umbra Kato. Bravo is the commander of the MILF’s 102nd Base Command, while Kato is the commander of the MILF’s 105th Base Command, Police cited Bravo and his men for the deadly attacks in Kolambugan, Maigo and Kauswagan last Monday, where 36 people, mostly civilians, were killed. Kato’s men were blamed for the clashes that erupted when they occupied scores of villages in North Cotabato province last week, as well as for attacks last Monday. Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, in a press briefing at the national police headquarters in Camp Crame, called on the MILF leadership to help the police in apprehending and bringing to justice the renegade commanders and their co-conspirators. "The filing of cases against the suspects are already known to the MILF central committee. We are hoping that they will assist the government in bringing to justice these lawless elements," Puno said, adding, "If they are truly committed to peace and want the peace process to continue, then we expect them fully to cooperate with our system of justice." Puno said failure by the MILF Central Committee to help government pursue the “rogue elements" is “tantamount to a tacit approval of the brutal acts committed by them." "If the leaders in the MILF Central Committee cannot help the government, then this will just show that they do not have the right to speak for the MILF because they cannot even control their members. Perhaps we should not be talking to them," Puno noted. "Kapag hindi sila tumulong, nangangamba ako sa mga mangyayari sa susunod na mga araw (If they don’t don help, I’m afraid of what will happen in future)." Among those who were included as respondents in the criminal cases filed against Bravo and Kato were the 31 MILF members who surrendered recently to the government. Puno, however, said that if these 31 respondents are willing to turn state witnesses against their cohorts, then they may be accorded a different treatment by state prosecutors since they were merely acting on orders from their superiors and cannot be considered the most guilty. An initial 90 respondents, among them, Abu Sawaf, Abu Subair, Alin Pangalian and Lunday Dayaan alias Commander Topsider, were includedin the charges filed against the MILF renegades, which include one count of double murder, three counts of frustrated murder, one count of murder with frustrated murder, robbery in band, arson, and serious illegal detention, Puno said. Puno said he will proceed to various areas in Mindanao early next week to hold dialogues with local government executives, Ulamas and Catholic bishops on how to restore normalcy to the lives of the people in areas that were attacked by the MILF. Among the issues to be discussed during these dialogues, Puno said, are the deputization of members of civilian volunteer organizations (CVOs) as police auxiliaries who will assist the Philippine National Police (PNP) in securing villages prone to MILF attacks. PNP chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. made it clear that police auxiliaries to be deputized by the PNP will be limited to their respective barangays. These auxiliaries, he said, will undergo extensive background checks, training and "re-arming" before they can be deputized to assist the PNP in securing barangays. Puno called on the people in Mindanao to leave the task of fighting rogue MILF members to the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) instead of taking it upon themselves to carry out this responsibility. He said that the PNP "will see in the course of the next few days" how may police auxiliaries are needed to secure villages in certain parts of Mindanao. - GMANews.TV