Palace asks lawmakers to "let slide" Iqbal's use of an alias

Malacanang on Monday said it trusts that both Houses of Congress will let slide the issue of Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal’s use of an alias. 

"I think all parties, including the senators, agree that the nom de guerre of Mr. Iqbal should not affect the peace process, and as Sen. Marcos mentioned, [it is] a tangential issue,” Presidential
Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a text message.

Several senators had taken issue with Iqbal’s use of pseudonyms in negotiating a peace deal with the government, with Senate committee on local government chair Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos saying it destroys confidence in the peace process.

Iqbal, however, explained that he has to use a pseudonym to protect his family because the situation in Mindanao remains volatile. He has vowed to reveal his real name after Congress passes the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
 

“We hope at some point the issue of Mr. Iqbal's true name will be resolved," Lacierda said. 

In an earlier statement, another Palace spokesperson said the administration is aware of Iqbal’s real name.

“At least on the side of the executive, allow me to say that the real names of the MILF negotiators are of course known to the Philippine government and, in fact, they possess Philippine passports as issued by the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs),” Valte said at a press briefing.

“The real names are known to government—of the entire MILF negotiators—so there was no deception on their part. That’s quite clear," she said. 

 

Iqbal has repeatedly defended his use of an alias, saying such is a common practice within a revolutionary organization. He remained mum on what his real name is.

Previously, Iqbal admitted that Salah Jubair is one of his several aliases. He published two books about Mindanao and the peace process under that name. 

He said Mohagher Iqbal, the name he uses as a leader of the MILF, is of Arabic origin. 

"Mohagher means 'immigrant,' while Iqbal means 'lofty,'' he said.
 

Iqbal said based on a legal opinion he received, one cannot invoke the Anti-Alias Law in the peace process since it is a political, and not a legal transaction. - JJ, GMA News