COTABATO CITY -- What assassination plot?

This was the question raised by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Friday as it accused the Armed Forces Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon of warmongering for linking it to alleged plots to assassinate President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and conduct terrorist bombings in Metro Manila.

Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief peace negotiator, said they felt that Esperon's statements were really directed at the rebel group.

In a talk with reporters on Thursday, Esperon said Islamic militants such as the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiyah had plotted to kill the President. While he did not mention the MILF in the alleged assassination plot, he said rogue members of the MILF were planning to bomb establishments in Metro Manila.

"It's a virtual invitation for war," Iqbal said, adding that "charging a partner in the peace process of hatching bombing and assassination plot against another partner is a very serious pronouncement that violates the very spirit of the peace process."

Iqbal admitted there have been internal problems in the MILF "but there is no such thing as MILF breakaway group."

"The MILF Central Committee is in control," he said.

Iqbal appealed to his counterpart, government chief negotiator Rodolfo Garcia, to look into "these serious and provocative allegations" against them.

Muhammad Ameen, chief of the MILF's secretariat, said they will file a protest against Esperon for making sweeping statements against the MILF.

He said Esperon's statement was in "direct and utter disregard of the primacy of the peace process and the ceasefire."

"This is an insidious lie and a preposterous claim by no less than the highest military officer of the country against a partner in the peace process," Ameen said.

"This should not be left unanswered even in the form of a formal protest. This is the second time Esperon made an irresponsible and yet very risky statement against us," Ameen said.