KORONADAL, Philippines, 3 October — A local front of the communist New People's Army (NPA) has assured the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that their tactical alliance is alive and that no amount of propaganda by the military would destroy it.
Front 73's commander, known only by his nom de guerre Ka Bobby, issued the statement amid reports of a conflict between his command and that of a unit under the MILF's 106th Base Command led by Commander Sameer Hashim.
The Front covers of the southern province of South Cotabato, where there is a large presence of MILF separatist guerrillas.
There were reports that elements of Front 73 guided troops of the Philippine Army's 601st Brigade during an attack against MILF units in the tri-boundary of Koronadal-Tupi-Banga in South Cotabato on Sept. 7-8.
Ka Bobby said the accusation is serious, considering that there is an existing agreement between the MILF and the CPP-NPA to help each other in their fight against the government.
The communist commander expressed suspicion that the military's "psy-ops" (psychological operation) units were behind the circulation of the report to put a wedge between the two rebel forces.
"There is no reason for us to sow hatred and jealousy since we are both revolutionary organizations facing a common enemy," he said.
The MILF had announced that it was looking into a report that the CPP-NPA has accelerated recruitment of new members in preparation for war against MILF fighters in the area.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said there were suggestions to review and eventually renegotiate their agreement with the CPP-NPA "to be able to attune the same to the current realities on the ground."
