MILF exec: AFP error may have caused MILF deaths in Basilan clash

The Armed Forces of the Philippines may have committed a mistake in its recent operation against the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan, which left several members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front dead, a ranking MILF official said Tuesday.

In a phone interview with reporters, MILF vice-chairman for political affairs Ghazali Jaafar said the military engaged in a firefight with members of the MILF provincial committee in Basilan who were “directly” affected by the AFP's raid against the Abu Sayyaf last Friday.

The clash left at least four MILF members killed, Jaafar added.

“Our surprise is why tinamaan sila [MILF members] samantalang malayo 'yung target ng raid. We think dapat malaman ang dahilan ... Dapat hindi maulit ito at this point in because there is a honeymoon [period] between the Philippines and the MILF after the signing of the agreement,” Jaafar said.

The MILF official said the incident has already been brought to the attention of the international monitoring team which watches over the ceasefire between government troops and the MILF.

“The MILF must know and the GPH [government of the Philippines] must know because if this mistake was due to a mistake of someone in the AFP, then this must be remedied,” Jaafar said.

The MILF official further said the AFP should have conducted a surveillance first before launching the attack.

'Personal capacity'

Last Friday, the AFP launched an operation in Tipo-Tipo and Al Barka towns in Basilan to capture two top Abu Sayyaf leaders. The raid reportedly left seven Abu Sayyaf fighters, two soldiers and three MILF members killed.

In a separate interview on Tuesday, AFP chief General Emmanuel Bautista, however, said those killed in the Basilan encounter were “not MILF per se.”

“We are in touch with the MILF. Merong individuals [involved] in their personal capacity dahil relatives,” Bautista told reporters.

He added that the MILF “should deal with” their members who were involved in the clash.

On Monday, AFP spokesman Major General Domingo Tutaan Jr. said those involved in last Friday's encounter “can be former MILF members who left or former MILF members who broke away from MILF itself and engaged in criminal activities.” 

“It's not correct to say it's MILF per se. It's probably individuals on their own accord who are part of these activities,” Tutaan said during Monday's press briefing.

Last March 27, the Philippine government and the MILF signed a comprehensive peace deal which aims to end the decades-long armed conflict in Mindanao. — with Andreo Calonzo/RSJ, GMA News