KORONADAL CITY, 4 March 2004 — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday promised to help “clean up” Central Mindanao of kidnap gangs before its scheduled resumption of formal peace talks with the government in April.

Separatist spokesman Eid Kabalu said the Front will “do everything possible to free all kidnap victims” in places where their fighters are present.

In an interview aired Tuesday night on radio RMN-DXKR in the southern city Koronadal, Kabalu said they want to show “concrete action” against the groups whose criminal activities have been giving the MILF a bad name.

Still being held by kidnap gangs in the tri-boundaries of Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces as of yesterday were Zoila Kansi, Norman Sia and an old man from Suralla town of South Cotabato.

Kansi was kidnapped on Feb.14, Sia in early December, and the unnamed Suralla resident in July last year.

In an interview earlier with the same radio station, Brig. Gen. Agustin Dema-ala, commander of the Philippine Army’s 301st Brigade, acknowledged the MILF plan and expressed appreciation even as his troops would be reduced to merely “monitoring” the progress of the case.

“What is paramount is the safety and early release of the victims,” he said.

The combined military and police forces have been unable to eliminate the resurgent kidnap gangs in Central Mindanao and Dema-ala cited among other reasons the difficult terrain that allows the gangs to elude their pursuers.

The military has accused some MILF fighters of giving sanctuary to the Pentagon and other lawless groups, enabling them to escape.

According to Kabalu, the target of the MILF’s “clean-up” campaign is the notorious Pentagon gang, which is said to be holding the three victims.

Police and military officials had identified the Pentagon gang leaders as Tahir Alonto, Mayangkang Saguili, a certain Nalds and Saydali, “alias” Vanguard.

Alonto, Saguili and Nalds were former members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), from which the MILF broke away in 1978 over ideological differences.

Saydali was suspected to have established links with some MILF commanders.

Kabalu refused to spell out details of how the MILF would deal with the kidnappers. “The matter will be left to the discretion of our commanders on the ground assigned to carry out the mission,” he said.