COTABATO CITY, Philippines, 19 Sept. – Tired of repeated accusations linking its fighters to foreign extremists, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday challenged the government to investigate and show proof if it finds any.
"Go ahead, initiate a formal investigation and find out the truth," said MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu, showing disgust at what he called "recycled cheap propaganda."
Early this year, President Gloria Arroyo cleared the MILF of engaging in terrorist activities after the separatist group condemned the kidnapping activities of Abu Sayyaf bandits based in Basilan and Sulu.
The MILF is observing a cease-fire agreement it signed with the government last year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Although clashes between government and MILF forces have sometimes occurred, the pact has held.
The MILF, however, has said it was suspending its participation in the peace talks after some police officials were reported by the local media as saying the separatist group had continued to let foreign Muslim extremists train in its camps in Mindanao.
"We are not training any terrorist in our camps Kabalu told radio RMN.
According to a CNN report Tuesday, Omar Al-Faruq, an Al-Qaeda operative arrested last June 5 in Indonesia, disclosed that he joined the MILF and trained in Camp Abubakar in Central Mindanao.
The MILF also denied reports that it has been receiving funding from the Al-Qaeda, which has reportedly eyed Southeast Asia as the next Afghanistan because of the many militant Islamic groups in the region. The funds were allegedly meant to revive the guerilla fronts of the MILF.
"They can check that. Authorities would know the money coming in the country through the anti-money laundering law," Kabalu said.
All the training camps of the MILF have been overrun by the military after the all-out initiative of ousted president Joseph Estrada in 2000, he said. Kabalu, however, admitted that the MILF continues to train its "highly mobile" forces. He described the training as "routinary physical activities."
