MILF commander’s arrest confirmed—police

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group confirmed Monday that a Moro Islamic Liberation Front commander had indeed been arrested on arson charges and has been under military custody since Sunday.

The MILF strongly criticized Sunday’s arrest of Wahid Tundok, a Muslim cleric and commander of the MILF’s 108th Base Command, at a military and police checkpoint, saying it was a violation of the immunity guarantees granted to its leaders for the duration of peace talks with the government and related processes.

Superintendent Jovit Culaway, chief of the CIDG command in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said Tundok had long been sought by the authorities for several arson and other criminal criminal charges.

Culaway said the police had received information that Tundok was to pass by this city on his way home from a meeting with fellow MILF leaders in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao and an operation to catch him was immediately planned with the military.

He said each vehicle passing by the Matampay Bridge checkpoint here was flagged down until the authorities found the rebel leader.

“He was arrested along with his armed followers while onboard a pickup truck at the police-military checkpoint along Quezon Avenue,”  Culaway, who led the arresting team, told reporters.

He said Tundok’s arrest was carried out on the strength of warrants issued by various judges in Maguindanao.

Culaway said Tundok’s escorts were also apprehended as they were found to have high-powered firearms with them.

“We are just doing our job,” Culaway when asked why an MILF leader covered by immunity guarantees was arrested.

Culaway said Tundok was considered a high-value target and a security risk, which was why he was being kept at the headquarters of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division in the neighboring town of Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao.

The MILF criticized the authorities for the arrest of one of its trusted commanders but at the same time, the rebel group appealed for sobriety among Tundok’s followers.

“We are doing something to facilitate the release of our men through the joint government-MILF ceasefire mechanism, because we know that this (case) is covered by the immunity clause in the (ceasefire) agreement,” Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chair for political affairs, said in a radio statement.

“Let”s keep our heads cool and allow our ceasefire protocol mechanism to work,” Jaafar added.

He said Tundok’s arrest, while lamentable, should not affect the gains made in the peace talks.

“The MILF Central Committee is doing everything to resolve the problem. Let us continue to work for the attainment of peace and harmony in our native land,” he said.

Tundok counts among the MILF seasoned and battle-hardened  pioneers. He had been locked in a bitter rivalry and feud with former fellow MILF Commander Ameril Umra Kato.

In June 2009, Tundok was credited with downing an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with surveillance equipment in North Cotabato.

His group also figured in various attacks on the military in Shariff Aguak and was repeatedly rumored to have died in one of the clashes.

Originally posted: 1:10 am | Monday, February 24th, 2014