US spy plane recovered by MILF in Maguindanao

MANILA, Philippines - Some members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are now in possession of a US spy plane which crashed in Guindulungan town in Maguindanao early this month, a rebel official said Friday. In a phone interview, Mohagher Iqbal, who chairs the MILF negotiating panel, said the drone crashed on Nov. 1 and subsequently recovered by MILF troops the following day. “It was not shot down (by the MILF) but it crashed…The body is intact," the official said, adding that MILF rebels are currently “playing with it because its small." Iqbal was uncertain when asked if they are going to return the drone. “What’s important is we found it. If it's a diamond, the ones who found it, keep it…To us, it has no value, but to the high-tech owners, it may be important. To us, its just like a kite,"he said. On whether this indicates that the US is helping the military in the ongoing offensive against rogue rebels, Iqbal said: “I cannot say that." Sought for a comment, Eastern Mindanao Command spokesman Maj. Randolph Cabangbang said it was impossible that a US spy drone would crash in the area, adding the Americans are not using such aircraft in the area. Last month, a survey plane of the US crashed in Pikit, North Cotabato. The survey plane was supposedly gathering information for Americans involved in "civic action programs" in the province. On the possibility that a survey plane of the US crashed in Maguindanao, Cabangbangbang said: “We have no information on that." - GMANews.TV