MILF official’s brother killed in firefight with cops in Maguindanao

Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao (Google)

COTABATO CITY – The brother of a ranking Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) official was killed during a police operation in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, the police said.

Mohaimen Abo, also known as “Boy Bangsamoro,” younger brother of Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chair for political affairs, was killed during police operations in Barangay Linangcob, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, on Tuesday afternoon.

Senior Inspector Macille Manzano, speaking for the police in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said a police unit from regional and national headquarters was to serve a warrant of arrest against Abo for charges of murder, robbery, frustrated murder, kidnapping for ransom and kidnapping with homicide.

“Abo resisted by firing at the law enforcers, triggering a brief firefight,” Manzano said.

Two other persons who went to help Abo were arrested. Seized from the slain suspect was a .45-pistol.

But Jaafar was dismayed over the bloody operation.

Jaafar, also the chairperson of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), an entity tasked to draft the enabling law for the new Bangsamoro political entity, condemned the operation, stressing his brother was a bonafide member of the MILF’s military wing – Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF)

As of Wednesday, the MILF central committee has not issued a statement on the killing.

Jaafar said the police should have followed a mechanism in law enforcement against MILF members as stated in the ceasefire agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF.

Jaafar was referring to the Government of the Philippines (GPH)-MILF Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (ADHJAG) of the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities.

The police did not coordinate with the CCCH and ADJAG, Jaafar said.  SFM