COTABATO CITY, 16 March 2003 — The suggestion to label the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as a terrorist organization is nonsense, a spokesman of the separatist group said yesterday.

Spokesman Eid Kabalu issued the statement in reaction to threats by the government of President Gloria Arroyo to declare the MILF as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) if its fighters don’t stop carrying out alleged attacks civilian targets.

Kabalu said that while the MILF cannot prevent or stop the government from pursuing its own interests, the MILF should not be classified as an FTO for the following reasons:

• The MILF is a mass-based organization;

• Many of its members are professionals;

• It is pursuing a legitimate cause and using legitimate means to achieve this cause;

• It is talking peace and it is committed to resolve the Mindanao problem through a peaceful negotiated solution; and

• The MILF is a signatory to the international convention banning the use and storage of land mines and other explosives.

Manila had been able to get the United States and European Union to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military arm, the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) as a terrorist organization, following renewed attacks by communist guerrillas on civilian targets last year.

Kabalu reiterated that the MILF remains committed to a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Mindanao but its fighters also have to defend their territories from government forces.

His statement came as fighting continued on its 4th straight day in the so-called Buliok complex spanning Pikit town in North Cotabato province and Pagalungan in Maguindanao.

The military yesterday claimed to have repulsed an MILF counterattack and killed about 200 guerrillas in the recent fighting, while claiming to have suffered few losses.

On the other hand, the MILF claimed to have recaptured most of their lost territory and inflicted heavy casualties and damage to materiel on government forces even though there was no letup in aerial bombardment and shelling from the army and air force.

As of yesterday, Kabalu said, the military had suffered over a hundred casualties and two tanks damaged.

MILF fighters sustained four killed and 26 wounded since the start of the offensive four days ago, he told Arab News.

In Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian government proposed the immediate convening of an international monitoring committee to look into alleged violations of a cease-fire agreement between the government and the MILF, a local newspaper reported Saturday.

The Utusan Malaysia newspaper said the Philippines was “open to the proposal” which Kuala Lumpur had broached during a briefing last Thursday by Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople before ambassadors of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Manila.

The monitoring committee, to be composed of representatives from the OIC, would be in accordance with the provisions of the 2001 Tripoli Accord signed by the government and the MILF, Malaysia’s Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi was quoted as saying in the paper’s online edition.

MILF military chief Murad Ebrahim said the MILF welcomed the proposal as it would “confirm our position that the MILF did not fire the first shot that resulted in the resumption of the fighting.”

Utusan also reported that Malaysia has reiterated its commitment to the peace process to Malacañang’s special envoy Roberto Romulo, who is in Kuala Lumpur to seek Malaysian help in reviving the peace talks.

Kabalu yesterday suggested that the warrants of arrest issued against top MILF leaders in the wake of the March 4 bombing of the Davao City airport had complicated the situation. “How can we talk if the police and the military are going after us?” he asked.

In the absence of negotiations, the MILF would continue with its offensive against the military, he added.