ZAMBOANGA CITY, 29 May — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday said it is open to possible cooperation with the government in resolving the Palawan hostage crisis.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu, in an interview with radio DZMM that a possible collaboration would only come upon official request by the government “through proper channel.”
Kabalu noted that it made a similar offer to help resolve the Sulu hostages crisis last year but the administration of then ousted President Joseph Estrada “turned it down on the ground that all mechanism for the launching of the operations were already in place...”
In Davao del Sur, the Moro National Liberation Front decried the alleged hamletting by the military of several shoreline villages, including those inside Bilal, a major MNLF stronghold.
Randolph Parcasio, an MNLF spokesman, said that the military until yesterday was preventing men and women from moving in and out of the villages for still unknown reasons.
“It was very similar to that of the Kempetai Army during the Japanese occupation,” Parcasio said quoting a report from Ustadz Muksin, a local MNLF commander in Sitio Talucanga, Barangay Mana.
On Sunday night, the military summoned three of the four residents who were used as guides by the raiders of the Barcelo Pearl Farm Beach Resort in the Island Garden City of Samal on May 22.
The military brought Alim and Eden Labani and Hamid Muda to Sitios Talucanga and Balas in Barangay Mana where they were made to identify members of the armed men from among the local men who were made to line up.
Parcasio said Sitios Talucanga and Balas are in its Camp Bilal. He said the military failed to coordinate with the local MNLF command.
“Under the peace agreement, the military could not just enter any MNLF camp without coordination,” Parcasio said.
Col. Pedrito Magsino, commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 601st Brigade, declined to face reporters who were seeking his comment on the MNLF complaint.
