MILF to DOJ: Summary is all you’ll get

INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

COTABATO CITY, Philippines—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Saturday was adamant it could provide the Department of Justice (DOJ) with only an executive summary of the results of its investigation into the Mamasapano incident.

In a statement, MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal stood pat on the group’s stance, after Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had said she wanted to get hold of the full MILF report rather than just a summary.

“As of now, how I wish, I would prefer the very report itself because it contains all the details [of the incident],” De Lima had told reporters on Friday.

But Iqbal said that for the MILF, the full report was “for internal use” only.

“It’s the decision of the central committee that only the summary report will be given to all. The substance and quality of the summary is good,” he said.

Iqbal said that aside from the DOJ, the government peace panel and the Malaysian government would be given the same summary report.

“I hope they will understand us,” he said of the MILF’s decision not to release the full report.

The MILF formed an investigating team to look into the Mamasapano clash, which resulted in the deaths of 18 MILF guerrillas, 44 police commandos and five civilians.

The MILF investigation followed an uproar over the incident, particularly after videos of the encounter were uploaded on the Internet.

De Lima said the MILF report would be useful as the DOJ was looking into all sides of the incident.

Last week, a DOJ team tried to visit the clash site but had to turn back due to the presence of hostile forces nearby. Jeoffrey Maitem and Judy Quiros, Inquirer Mindanao