MANILA, Philippines — Pressure is now on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leadership to show it can discipline its ranks after clashes erupted among its commanders for the third time in 2011, according to the military adviser to the government negotiating panel.
Brigadier General Restituto Aguilar, senior military adviser to the government panel, said the MILF’s failure to prevent its ranks from using force in settling differences would adversely the MILF’s position in the talks.
“We still have to find out (how it will affect the talks) but it will be adverse. Of course we do not see this as a healthy sign. This is the third rido (clan war) already for the year,” Aguilar said in an interview with reporters in Camp Aguinaldo on Monday.
He said the in-fighting among the MILF forces would significantly affect the flow of negotiations.
“People following the negotiations would wonder how they can trust the ongoing peace talks (in terms of) the quality that will be delivered by the MILF commanders, their discipline, their control of their own people. That’s a problem,” Aguilar said.
He said given the continuing hostilities among MILF forces in Maguindanao, the government panel would invoke an earlier agreement with the MILF that both sides would discipline their respective ranks.
“Many lives have been disrupted because of rido between one family and the other using their organization. Unfortunately they use arms to settle their difference,” Aguilar said.
He said government troops have been careful not to take sides in the hostilities and have been keeping to their role of securing 3,000 displaced villagers who have sought refuge in makeshift evacuation centers.
Aguilar said fighting broke out earlier in 2011 in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao between the 108th and the 109th Base Commands of the MILF.
In June, fighting broke out between the 104th and the 105th Base Command in Palembang, Sultan Kudarat.
The latest hostilities broke out on July 20 in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, between the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) forces of breakaway MILF commander Ameril Umbra Kato and the 106th Base Command.
The hostilities spread to Talayan and Guinduliungan also in Maguindanao as it escalated on August 7.
Aguilar said the MILF Central Command’s order to the 106th Base Command to cease “aggressive” operations and take on a defensive posture appeared to be holding.
He, however, said BIFF forces might continue their aggression.
Aguilar said the infighting gave the impression that the MILF could not control its ground forces. “That’s why the peace negotiating panel wants them to solve their problems within their turf,” he said.
Asked if Kato’s forces, which have been pressing for secession, could mar the peace talks, Aguilar replied: “We believe that Kato is the problem of the MILF, not ours.”