House ‘Saturday Group’ hits MILF role in ‘misencounter’
MANILA, Philippines–While Congress deliberates on the passage of the Bangsamoro basic bill, a group of former military and police officers hit the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for its role in the attack that killed 44 elite cops in Maguindanao.
Speaking on the plenary, Magdalo Representative Francisco Ashley Acedillo said the attack that killed their fellow uniformed men was far from a “misencounter,” which is how the government calls the carnage.
“The number of dead and the length of time (of the attack) all point to one conclusion–this is clearly not a misencounter. There was an intent to kill our troopers. The Special Action Force was never considered by the MILF as a friendly force,” Acedillo said in a speech.
“They were treated as an enemy force and were disposed of accordingly,” he added.
Representative Gary Alejano, member of the Bangsamoro ad hoc committee, agreed with his fellow party-list solon, saying an 11-hour firefight between government and MILF is not a misencounter.
“Bakit inabot ng 11 hours ang encounter? They were killed, brutally killed… Masakit isipin na hindi pa natin nararating ang pagpasa ng batas, may nangyari nang violation sa trust confidence,” Alejano said.
Acedillo and Alejano then questioned the trust Congress put on the Moro group in the middle of the deliberations over the Bangsamoro bill that seeks to implement the peace deal between the MILF and government.
“What does this say of this group? While we in this Congress are contemplating on handing over the reins of autonomy, what does it say of their tendencies? Hindi po ba pinag-uusapan natin dito, kapayapaan?” Acedillo said.
“Is that what you call your peace partners? Ang peace partners, tayo ang pinapatay?” Alejano said.
In an earlier press conference, Acedillo questioned the “viability” of the bill because of the incident involving MILF.
“Let us solve the problem of the viability of this peace talks and the Bangsamoro bill. Because if you are turning over the reigns of autonomous government to a group that has a propensity for violence, what do you think will happen in Mindanao once they have control of the government there? Once they have their own police force? You think it would be better? It will be worse!” he added.
Alejano and Acedillo were part of the failed 2003 Oakwood mutiny which sought to oust then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Alejano was also a former member of the military who had battled the MILF before the peace deal.
For his part, ACT-CIS Representative Samuel Pagdilao, a former police director and founding member of the SAF, said the attack spoiled the trust on the MILF
“The confidence that was built up along all this time, was destroyed, whether we like it or not,” Pagdilao said.
The solons, who called themselves part of the “Saturday Group,” warned against railroading the bill and asked for a temporary suspension on the Congress deliberations of the bill.
The incident happened Sunday in Mamapasano, Maguindanao, as the elite cops were in an MILF area to serve arrest warrants on a wanted Jemaah Islamiyah member and a bomb expert.
But the SAF commandos were fired at by members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and armed elements of the MILF 105th Base Command.
Authorities had called the attack by the MILF a misencounter and a result of the lack of coordination. MILF lead peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal meanwhile said the attack by MILF was only an act of self-defense as the police commandos were in an MILF territory.
RELATED STORIES
Retired military, police officials call for review of Bangsamoro bill
State honors, promotions to be accorded fallen SAF men
