South Cotabato gov asks MILF to move camps out of province

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The South Cotabato government has asked the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to dismantle what the province’s governor said were two newly established satellite camps in Banga and T’boli towns.

Gov. Arthur Pingoy said the province’s peace and order council recently passed a resolution asking the Moro rebel group to move the satellite camps out of the towns.

“The setting up of the camps would create tension and may disrupt socioeconomic activities,” the governor said in a radio interview.

But Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF political affairs chief, said the camps were not new and were being manned by former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members, who had joined the MILF.

He said the presence of the MILF in South Cotabato was not new, either.

“MILF forces are long present in the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani,” Jaafar said.

Pingoy said the provincial council resolution on the MILF camps would be submitted to the government peace panel.

Lt. Col. Alexis Bravo, head of the Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion, said the two MILF satellite camps were put up in Barangay Tudok in T’boli and Barangay Lampari in Banga.

He said at least 40 MILF fighters were monitored in Tudok while 11 Moro rebels were seen manning the Lampari camp.

Bravo said that based on pieces of information reaching the military, the rebels were all under Commander Hams Ottoh Mastura, alias Taruc, of the MILF’s 107th Base Command.

“This is a clear violation of the existing ceasefire agreement,” Bravo told the Inquirer by phone.

Jaafar said instead of ranting over an old issue, the South Cotabato government should have investigated the April 19 burning of a mosque and two houses owned by T’boli natives in Barangay Luhib in Lake Sebu town. Aquiles Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao