MILF denies coddling wanted terrorists Marwan, Usman

Mohagher Iqbal FILE PHOTO

KUALA LUMPUR– Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal on Saturday said that his group has not been coddling international terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and Abdul Basit Usman.

Iqbal also neither confirmed nor denied that President Benigno Aquino III had asked the MILF to clear the way for government security forces to arrest Usman, who eluded arrest by the police commandos on Jan. 25 in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province.

“The truth will show that we have not been coddling Marwan. Marwan was in the company of the BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters),” Iqbal told reporters at a joint press conference with the government peace panel led by chairman Miriam Coronel-Ferrer.

Usman is also not with the MILF, he stressed.

“I don’t want to sound philosophical but you cannot turn over someone who is not with you,” Iqbal said when asked if the MILF would turn over Usman if he was in MILF territory.

Iqbal said that peace mechanisms are in place that help address the complication of having wanted terrorists venturing into MILF communities or in neighboring areas.

He said that that Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) has been tasked to “interdict or isolate” criminal elements in Mindanao.

“I think the issue of AHJAG has to be considered in the light of current situation meaning if there is a need to upgrade the mandate of AHJAG in relation to current situation the MILF for one is willing to consider it,” Iqbal said.

The MILF’s Von al Haq, who is a member of the International Decommissioning Body (IDB) said that through the AHJAG, the MILF forces could “block the exits” for criminals whom government security forces want to arrest.

“But to run after them is the sole world of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and the PNP (Philippine National Police). We can provide them information (on the terrorists),” al Haq said.

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