Zamboanga Sibugay governor accused of blocking probe by ceasefire monitors

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has accused Zamboanga Sibugay Governor Rommel Jalosjos of blocking an investigation by an international panel of a clash between government forces and MILF guerrillas in the municipality of Payao last October.

Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator, even made the failure of the International Monitoring Team to conduct the investigation due to Jalosjos’ alleged interference part of his opening statement during the recent talks in Kuala Lumpur.

“We are jolted by the failure of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) to proceed with the investigation of the fighting in the municipality of Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay,” he said.

“That is correct,” Jalosjos told the Inquirer by phone on Friday. “I didn’t allow them to go to Payao because they did not follow proper protocol.”

He said the IMT was rude because it did not coordinate with him during their previous visits.

When they finally did, it was already too late to prepare, Jalosjos said.

“What angered me most was the November 19-21 investigation schedule they made. They even sent me a last-minute itinerary last November 18 and there was supposedly a courtesy meeting with me but November 21 concluded and no one showed up for that courtesy meeting,” he said.

The IMT investigation, aimed at establishing the cause of the fighting, was agreed upon by the government and the MILF peace panels.

Said Shiek, head of the MILF contingent to the joint ceasefire committee, said the IMT mission to Zamboanga Sibugay did not push through as scheduled last December 5 to 8 because Jalosjos did not allow it.

“To be very frank with you, it is not the failure of the IMT to investigate which is disheartening, which can be temporary, for any day from now they can decide to go… but it is the decision of Governor Rommel Jalosjos of Zamboanga Sibugay to defy the decision of the government through its peace panel to conduct the investigation, in compliance with a standing commitment in the peace negotiation,” Iqbal said.

“If a local government executive can oppose decisions of government in such an important but still a relatively minor case, how much more if the stakes are already high, say a comprehensive compact between the GPH and MILF?” Iqbal added.

He said the MILF could not understand why Jalosjos would block the investigation when it was meant to ferret out the truth.

“Seriously, we cannot understand why Governor Jalosjos chose to stand in the way of the investigation: to hide the truth or to show that he can stand up against the President?” Iqbal asked.

Jalosjos said another reason for turning down the IMT’s visit to Payao was that some of its members were Caucasians.

“They are high-profile targets (for kidnapping). It’s my responsibility when it comes to their safety; they know what happened here,” he said, apparently referring to the Dec. 5 of an Australian national.

The IMT consists of representatives from Malaysia, Japan, the European Union (including British, French and Dutch), and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, among others.

“We find no reasonable ground for the IMT (mission)… not to be allowed… The wrong stance of the governor should be corrected by the government otherwise he becomes more supreme than the peace policy of the Aquino administration,” Shiek said.

With a report from Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao