COTABATO CITY, Philippines, 30 October — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday said it has nothing to do with a campaign by disgruntled groups for the ouster of President Gloria Arroyo.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu made the denial in a radio interview amid claims by organizers of the campaign that the country’s largest separatist group was part of the “growing” movement.
Kabalu said the supposed MILF commanders who have declared their support for the campaign are misrepresenting the revolutionary group.
He said whoever these “fake” commanders are, “they have have no authority to represent the MILF and that this authority is solely vested to the MILF Central Committee.”
The campaign is being spearheaded by the Philippine Consultative Assembly (PCA), one of the group which helped kick out President Joseph Estrada in January 2000 and installing Arroyo to power.
PCA leader Linda Montayre is claiming that their group have coalesced with about 70 organizations, including soldiers and separatists. PCA and its allies are blaming President Arroyo for gross mismanagement, citing the continuing increase in the country’s budget deficit — now more than 167 billion pesos (over $3 billion).
Montayre’s group has planned to stage series of protest rallies in Metro Manila and other key cities throughout the country to press for Arroyo’s ouster in the first week of November.
MILF leaders have hrepeatedly said they have nothing to do with the internal politics of the country as they do not recognize the sovereignty of the Philippine government over the Bangsamoro people.
Also yesterday, Kabalu disowned a certain Jerry Minalang who claims to be a battalion commander of the MILF and who claimed responsibility for last week’s bomb attack on a passenger bus in Quezon City. Two people were killed and more 20 others were injured in the blast.
Kabalu said Minalang could be part of a campaign by some people within the government circle to derail the peace process.
The MILF has signed a cease-fire agreement with Manila in a bid to find a political solution to the decades-old conflict in Mindanao.
Attempts by some military and police officials to link the MILF to extremist groups such as the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist groups are desperate attempts to discredit a legitimate organization, Kabalu added.
