ZAMBOANGA CITY, 16 Oct 2003 — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday accused the military of violating a cease-fire agreement when army troops attacked its forces in the southern province of Zamboanga del Norte on Tuesday, killing five fighters.

“Philippine soldiers attacked MILF position in Zamboanga despite a cease-fire accord. The attack is a violation of the truce and we have brought this matter to the attention of the government peace panel,” MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu told reporters yesterday.

Kabalu said the MILF is investigating the attack. He said the Coordinating Commitee on the Cessation of Hostilities is also conducting its own investigation into the fighting.

The MILF, which is fighting for a self-rule in the southern Philippines, is currently talking peace with the Arroyo government.

Lt. Col. Renoir Pascua, a military spokesman in the southern Philippines, confirmed yesterday that troops killed five gunmen in a clash yesterday in the village of Nala in Sibuco town.

But, he said, it was the unidentified group that attacked patrolling soldiers in the village and triggering a gunbattle. He said soldiers recovered the bodies and an M60 machine gun, a B40 anti-tank rocket launcher and three M16 automatic rifles left behind by other gunmen who retreated to the hills.

Government peace negotiators are expected to resume formal talks this month in Kuala Lumpur after the ongoing summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Putra Jaya.

Kabalu also confirmed that the MILF would name a new head of its peace panel to take the place of Murad Ebrahim, who is now the separatist group’s overall chairman. Kabalu said Murad’s role as chief negotiator may be taken over either by Abdulasiz Mimbantas, the Front’s deputy chairman for military and internal affairs, or Mohaquer Iqbal, the group’s information chief.

“Brother Murad has to maintain his status as our overall leader and that’s why the MILF will appoint soon new rebel peace negotiator to continue the talks,” Kabalu said.

The MILF Central Committee named Murad as the new chairman after the death of their founder, Hashim Salamat, in July.

Also yesterday, the MILF welcomed the appointment of Secretary Silvestre Afable, head of the Presidential Management Staff, as the government’s new chief negotiator.

Mohagher Iqbal said it did not matter who sat as the government panel chairman as long as the government remained committed to a political solution to the decades-old problem in Mindanao.

Kabalu said the government peace panel had officially informed the MILF chairman of Afable’s appointment.

Afable replaces retired general Eduardo Ermita, who was appointed defense secretary last month.

Communist Rebels

Improved peace prospects with Muslim separatist guerrillas will allow the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to redeploy more troops against communist insurgents, the country’s military chief said on Tuesday.

Gen. Narciso Abaya said that one brigade had been pulled out of the Buliok territory — a former MILF base captured in February — as part of the cease-fire accord signed by both parties.

“The plan is to have phased redeployment depending on the situation,” Abaya said, adding that reduced threat from the MILF in parts of southern island of Mindanao would mean more forces can be sent to battle the communist New People’s Army (NPA) elsewhere.

“If the peace process... will work out, we will continue to redeploy our forces out of Central Mindanao so that we will dedicate more of our forces in fighting the communist terrorists,” he said.

“We would like to have a bigger (military) to NPA ratio,” Abaya said.

The NPA, which has waged a Maoist rebellion for over three decades, is estimated to have about 9,000 fighters scattered in rural areas all over the country.

The bulk of the military has been deployed in Mindanao to battle the MILF and other Muslim armed groups but in recent months, both the government and the MILF leadership have sealed a ceasefire and shown signs of reviving formal peace talks.

The government considers the NPA a threat to national security. The United States has also placed the group on its list of foreign terrorist organizations.