De Lima: MILF must take responsibility for bloodshed

MANILA, Philippines–The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) must also take responsibility for the “unnecessary” bloodshed during operations to arrest terror suspects in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao, two weeks ago, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Saturday.

De Lima made this statement as she noted how President Aquino put emphasis on accountability when he delivered a message about the incident Friday evening.

In his speech, the President called on the MILF—the government’s partner in the peace process now feared to suffer setbacks because of the Jan. 25 incident—to cooperate with authorities in the pursuit of terror suspect Basit Usman.

“The President has laid down clear conditions and expectations from the MILF as part also of exacting accountability from their part on the tragic loss of our forces, as well as the loss of MILF members. The declaration was clear-cut and unequivocal,” De Lima said in a

statement.

“In the same way that the government is owning responsibility for this national tragedy, so must its peace partner share in the reckoning of its own role in the unnecessary violence that followed after the initial skirmish between the two forces,” she said.

She cited how the President had himself “set aside his emotional response”—letting go of his long-time friend, former PNP Chief Director General Alan Purisima—“to determine the accountability of all parties involved.”

De Lima said the coming days will see a national healing process and it is a road laden with challenges that could only be hurdled through cooperation between the government and the MILF.

“It won’t be easy, as the terms laid down by the President are exacting terms. Only both sides’ commitment to peace and justice will fortify each other’s resolve to rebuild the trust that was lost. And these are the President’s terms for rebuilding that trust,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it will stop commenting on the bloody Mamasapano encounter to give way to the different bodies conducting independent investigations.

Col. Restituto Padilla said the AFP headquarters had already made public its official version of what transpired during the operation and had proven that it was not remiss in its duty to help the beleaguered PNP-SAF in Mamasapano.

The AFP spokesman said the military and police generals, all graduates of the Philippine Military Academy, were not feuding.