We killed Usman, says MILF

Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Tuesday said Filipino bomb expert Basit Usman was killed in a firefight that erupted while he was being escorted by an MILF command to the group’s central command in Maguindanao.

MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said the plan was to arrest Usman and bring him to our main camp.

But Usman and his men fought back while they were being escorted to the camp by the MILF’s 118th base command on Sunday in Guindulungan, Maguindanao. Usman was subsequently killed, Iqbal said.

Iqbal said Usman was the subject of “a long-standing order from chairman Murad” and MILF forces were told to get him, preferably alive. He said the MILF regarded Usman as among the personalities causing trouble for the peace process.

The military earlier said government forces had killed Usman.

In Cotabato City, Ghadzali Jaafar, vice chair for political affairs of the MILF, gave the same version of Usman’s end.

He said Usman and his men were being brought by members of the 118th base command to Guindulungan town purportedly to meet members of the group’s central committee.

“But while they were walking, Usman sensed what the real plan was and he tried to fight his way out. A firefight started and Usman was killed,” Jaafar said.

Jaafar said Usman’s remaining men scampered taking with them his body and that of the other fatalities.

Immediate burial

“We were not able to get Usman’s body because his men took it with them. From what we heard, he was immediately buried following Muslim tradition. Unfortunately, we do not know where he was buried,” Jaafar said.

The picture of the slain Usman released by the military was apparently shot before he was taken away for burial.

Asked if the MILF would get the reward the US government offered for Usman, Iqbal said the rebel group did not care about that.

No to reward

He said the MILF was not after a reward as it only wanted to sustain the gains of the peace process by taking on armed groups that were against it, including Usman’s.

Jaafar did not explain how Usman ended up in the custody of the MILF.

“Iyon ang hindi ko alam. Palagay ko hindi nahuli. Siguro kinumbinsi si Basit Usman na dalhin siya sa central committee (That I don’t know. I suspect he was not captured. It’s possible the men were convincing (him) to come with them to see the central committee),” he said.

Jaafar also said he did not know how many MILF members were involved and how many were killed on Usman’s side.

“Hindi na iyon importante. Ang importante nalaman natin na patay na (That’s not important. What’s important is that we know he’s dead),” he said.

On why Usman was to be taken to the central committee, Jaafar said the instructions to all MILF units was to surrender any criminal to the central committee since common crimes such as rape, murder and kidnap for ransom are not covered by the ceasefire agreement with the military.

“So I think they chanced upon Basit Usman and he was convinced to go to the Central Committee. Payag naman pero on the way nagduda siya (He agreed. But on the way he suspected something),” he added.

The military earlier claimed that Usman was killed by one of his bodyguards who was an “asset” of government forces.–Reports from Allan Nawal, Karlos Manlupig and Jeoffrey Maitem, Inquirer Mindanao