MILF warning on IS just a bluff, says Gringo

Sen. Gregorio Honasan INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

CLARKFIELD, Pampanga—Sen. Gregorio Honasan on Tuesday dismissed warnings by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of the presence of the terrorist Islamic State (IS) in Mindanao as “just psy-war.”

Honasan, who is running for Vice President under the United Nationalist Alliance, said MILF chief Murad Ebrahim “had to make such a warning because the MILF has been pushing for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL),” which Congress failed to pass.

“You don’t expect them to be happy because the BBL was (not passed),” he said.

Honasan, a former military officer, said the MILF had a political objective in making the statement that IS was setting up base in Mindanao.

“They have to up the ante and rattle their sabers a little,” he said, adding that the MILF has to “play that game otherwise they lose their leverage,” the senator said.

Don’t engage until validated

The MILF was engaging in a psy-war with the government and “unfortunately to my mind… is we are playing their game,” according to Honasan.

He said the armed forces and law enforcement agencies should not engage the MILF on this “until we can analyze, confirm, validate and say the MILF was right and we are ready for it.”

He said IS was “an idea” that was in the country now and if there would be any recruitment, there may be a few who will be enticed to join if the government was unable to deliver basic services in the South.

It has been the stand of the government and military forces to deny or refuse to confirm persistent reports of the presence in Mindanao of the jihadist IS, an extremely violent Islamist group, a development that could complicate peace efforts in Mindanao.

“We maintain that there is no IS [presence here], and we await the pronouncement of the Anti-Terrorism Council regarding that matter,” PNP Director General Ricardo Marquez had said earlier.

Brig. Gen. Allan Arrojado, commander of the Mindanao-based 501st Infantry Brigade, when asked about the IS presence had said: “I don’t see one and I will not confirm any because it will only enhance their propaganda.”