All-out war is what terrorists want, says lawmaker

Fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. JEOFFREY MAITEM/INQUIRER MINDANAO FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Another “all-out war” against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is not the answer, a lawmaker said on Saturday.

Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Treñas has cautioned against calls to declare war against the MILF in the midst of simmering public outrage over the deaths of 44 police commandos in a clash with the Moro guerrillas last week.

Treñas said that while the nation was hurting with the treacherous massacre of 44 operatives of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force, an all-out war against the MILF was exactly what Islamic extremist groups like the al-Qaida, Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf would want to happen.

“This is falling into the trap of these Islamic terrorists,” he said in a statement.

“Our rage and our yearning for vengeance should not cloud our sense of reason. Waging an all-out war against the MILF will only aggravate the situation in Mindanao,” he said.

He said such calls or suggestions could be just an attempt to incite more violence in Mindanao at a time when government had already forged a peace deal with the rebels, and while Congress was working on the Bangsamoro Basic Law to concretize it.

Treñas said those calling for an all-out war against the MILF were only providing the Islamic extremists an excuse to convince the MILF to withdraw from the negotiating table and take part in their terror campaign.

On the other hand, Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles warned government security forces about possible retaliatory attacks by Islamic extremists in Mindanao, following reports that Malaysian terrorist and bomb-making expert Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, had been killed in the botched operation.

He said the al-Qaida-affiliated Abu Sayyaf could take advantage of the volatile situation in Mindanao and possibly launch attacks to further incite violence in the region.

“With the announcement by the MILF that Marwan is dead and the pronouncement by the President of an all-out campaign to get Basit Usman, I hope our security forces are doing everything possible to protect the Filipino public against retaliation by terrorist groups,” Nograles said.

“With all Filipinos mourning for the 44 fallen SAF troops and due to the low morale being suffered by our police personnel, there is well-founded fear that terrorists might take advantage of the situation to sow destruction across the nation,” he said.

“Our law enforcement agencies must rise above emotions and all the more keep tight watch of the situation, and all citizens must remain vigilant and watchful,” Nograles said.