Alan Cayetano says he has more on MILF

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday said he has more evidence against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which he would bring out if the government does not alter its strategy and does not negotiate from a position of strength.

Cayetano also said the peace panel should answer whether his disclosures were true or not.

In a privilege speech, Cayetano alleged that the government had ignored information that an MILF commander was the protector of Malaysian bomb expert Zulkifli bin Hir alias “Marwan,” the target of a police operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, that ended in the death of 44 Special Action Force commandos, 18 MILF members and five civilians.

The bloodbath derailed legislative deliberations on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), a product of the peace deal between the government and the MILF.

Cayetano withdrew his coauthorship of the BBL after the incident and questioned the sincerity of the MILF as a peace partner.

Responding to Cayetano’s criticisms, members of the peace panel said the senator was not even present during their Senate briefings on the peace process that led to the crafting of the BBL, which is why they are mystified by his outbursts.

Cayetano’s disclosures about Marwan’s e-mail exchanges with his brother, which purportedly show that MILF commander Wahid Tundok was his protector, were for the National Security Agency to verify, said peace negotiator Senen Bacani.

Bacani said the panel could not have hidden such information because there would be other people who could tell the President about it.

In a radio interview on Friday, Cayetano said he was waiting to see how the government would proceed with regard to the peace talks with the MILF.

He said he would disclose more of what he knows about the MILF in another privilege speech if he sees that the government is at a disadvantage.

“I divided my speech. I will look at the reaction of the government. If they will change, they will start negotiating from a position of strength and open their minds, I will not proceed with my second speech,” he said over dzBB.

He said the information he had so far disclosed was just a small portion of what he has about the MILF and covered only areas in Sulu and Zamboanga Sibugay. But he said the MILF had activities in almost the whole of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and other areas in Mindanao.

Cayetano also called on the peace panel to debunk his statements if what he said were untrue.

“I think, rather than asking me where was I, the question for them is, is what I’m saying true?” he said in another interview over dzMM.

But he noted that all the peace panel members said that his assertions about the Marwan’s e-mails and his being protected by an MILF commander have to be verified by intelligence agencies.

He added that it was Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Deles who said in a Senate hearing that the panel was updated on intelligence information.

He said he got his information from sources in the police and military, both active and retired.

“Why did they ignore the intelligence?” he said.

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