COTABATO/ZAMBOANGA, 28 June 2004 — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday said it will not be a party to any effort to destabilize the Arroyo government.

Eid Kabalu, spokesman of the separatist group based in the southern Philippines, gave the assurance after security officials warned that various groups opposed to the government, including sympathizers of defeated opposition candidates in the May 10 polls, were plotting against the government.

Kabalu lamented that the MILF’s name was again being dragged into the Arroyo government’s political battles with opposing political groups.

“Why is it that the MILF is always lumped together with such groups as the Abu Sayyaf, the Pentagon kidnap gang and even the JI (Jemaah Islamiyah) whenever a destabilization or security issue crops up?” the spokesman asked during an interview over Radio Mindanao Network.

He took issue with Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita’s recent claims that the MILF was harboring Abu Sayyaf leader Khadafy Janjalani in its camp at Kararao, located along the boundaries of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur provinces. “The MILF had long wanted to put this JI and Abu Sayyaf issue to rest by inviting representatives from the government and even the US and the international community to come to Kararaw and find out the truth,” Kabalu said.

Local leaders in North Cotabato were also surprised with Ermita’s pronouncements that Janjalani was also hiding in the province, which is adjacent to Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur.

He said they are beginning to suspect that the inclusion of North Cotabato as one of the ASG’s possible hideout was to justify the holding of the US-Philippine Balikatan war games in th province.

Gov. Emmanuel Pi?ol had earlier opposed the war games, saying they did not want to disrupt the prevailing peace that came about after the government and MILF signed a cease-fire agreement last year. Pi?ol endorsed instead a joint US-RP medical mission to be held in the town of Carmen to help the poor residents.

American Admiral

In Zamboanga City, the visiting chief of the US Pacific military command said the US is concerned about the presence of Jemaah Islamiya militants in the southern Philippines and that American troops will hold a new training exercise next month with local troops.

Admiral Thomas Fargo made the announcement after a meeting with local military officials led Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko, chief of the military’sSouthern Command.

Fargo is to meet today with Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Narciso Abaya and Defense Secretary Ermita in Manila.

“We are concerned about the JI presence in the southern Philippines and it is a principal point of discussion that I will have with General Abaya and the Southern Command, so I think we recognize it for what it is — it’s a group that threatens the peace and stability of the citizens here in the Philippines and Southeast Asia,” Fargo said.

Although Fargo expressed alarm over the JI presence in the south, he said the US-led war on terrorism had a significant progress. He cited the arrest of one of its leaders, Hambali, tagged as one of those who masterminded the deadly Bali bombings in 2002 that left more than 200 mostly Western holidaymakers dead.

“(And) here in the Philippines, recently they (authorities) have disrupted a number of different attacks that I think were particularly important to be able to conduct this (May 10 National and Local) elections peacefully,” Fargo said, referring to the capture of several alleged Abu Sayyaf members in Manila.

Dozens of US Special Forces soldiers are expected to arrive in Zamboanga City next week for the joint anti-terrorism training.