Basilan cops call off service of arrest warrants vs MILF, Abu

(Update: 4:37 p.m.) The police called off on Tuesday the service of arrest warrant against Moro rebels suspected of killing and mutilating 14 Marines last July 10 in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan. The decision was reportedly requested by the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities, so it could complete its fact-finding mission by midnight Wednesday. Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao, police commander in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said the order to stop serving arrest warrants came from Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, after the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) made the request. "It was called off at 10 a.m., although our forces were already in Al-Barka… It was requested by the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities to finish their fact-finding mission until midnight of tomorrow," Goltiao said in a phone interview. Some 300 police personnel went to Al-Barka town at 6 p.m., Tuesday to serve the warrants against more than 100 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group. "They are already in the area in Al-Barka but they did not find any of the subjects… They were instructed to go to Tipo-tipo to gather information because that is reportedly the route of withdrawal of the subjects," Goltiao said of the troops. Goltiao said the CCCH of the MILF and the government have asked for until midnight of Wednesday to complete the investigation in Basilan. The six-man mission began its probe last Friday. He said the serving of arrest warrants is expected to resume on Thursday. The decision to delay the service of arrest warrants was confirmed by acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, during a press conference in Zambonga City on Tuesday. “I think it’s wise to wait for the report, but the police are here, they are ready (to serve the warrant)," said Gonzales. QTV 11's Balitanghali quoted Gonzales as saying that with the wrapping up of the investigation on the incident, they expect to pursue a smaller number of suspects in the ambush of government troops in Basilan. He said the report of the CCCH, which is expected to be released on Tuesday, will be reviewed by the GRP-MILF panel and then forwarded to the Department of Justice. He said the report would be the basis of the warrants of arrest. Gonzales, however, said that while authorities don't want a war to erupt in Basilan, they cannot prevent massive troop movement in the area as the military has to be in defensive posture for any eventuality. Brig. Gen. Edgar Gurrea, in a separate television interview on Tuesday, said the CCCH has to finalize its list, which will be submitted to “proper authorities" "Pag na-submit namin sa panel ‘yong finding namin sa fact finding committee, it will be the panel and the proper agencies concerned that will work on the legality of those warrants of arrest that were issued earlier and that of our recommendation to pull appropriate police action against the perpetrators, said Gurrea, chief of the government's CCCH. Armed Forces vice-chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Antonio Romero, meanwhile, dismissed claims that authorities are dilly-dallying on their move against the suspects. “We are giving the chance for the investigators to do their job and we are also hoping that from these investigations — which are (conducted by) neutral bodies — is (that) they will react, they will respond," he told reporters on Tuesday. - with reports from Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV