COTABATO CITY, 20 February 2003 — The chief spokesman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday said reports of an attempt by soldiers to corner their leader would only hamper the peace process.
But the spokesman, Eid Kabalu, challenged the military to go ahead with their plan, taunting them that they will never succeed.
“Catch him if you can,” said Kabalu, who added that they knew all along about the plan by the military to capture MILF Chairman Salamat Hashim,“ Kabalu told reporters.
When asked whether the MILF forces that clashed with government soldiers had Salamat’s directive, Kabalu said the guerrillas were just defending themselves.
“Our chairman is no longer in his safe house in Barangay Buliok when the military started building its forces around the Liguasan marsh,” he said.
Maj. Gen. Generoso Senga, chief of the army’s 6th Infantry Division, admitted that the MILF chief was not in his “headquarters” when elements of the 7th Marine Battalion Landing Team captured the two-story, highly fortified house of the rebel leader on Saturday.
“They (military) could not get him,” said Kabalu, who would not disclose Salamat’s exact location.
“He is just there, very near to his supporters and he can be reached by our communication facilities,” he said, adding: “He is just a phone away.”
But Maj. Julieto Ando, spokesman of the 6th ID, said the objective of the Pikit offensive was not to arrest Salamat.
“We ran after kidnappers and lawless groups, the MILF was there so they got involved,” Ando said.
In Manila, authorities said they are verifying reports that MILF and communist guerrillas have forged an alliance and may have recently trained in explosives and sniper fire, according to a confidential government report.
Officials are concerned over the security implications of such an alliance between MILF and the communists, who are waging a nationwide Marxist rebellion.
The report, obtained by the Associated Press, said that the two guerrilla groups could possibly carry out joint retaliatory attacks in the Philippines if the United States attacks Iraq.
It said an unspecified number of communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and MILF guerrillas jointly trained in explosives and sniping from November to January in an undisclosed area. Sniper scopes for the guerrillas’ M16 and M14 rifles were purchased for the training, the report said.
MILF chairman Salamat was planning to meet members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to discuss joint training exercises and the establishment of an MILF revolutionary committee on the main northern island of Luzon, where the communists maintain strongholds, the report said.
Both groups have said in the past that they have forged a “tactical alliance,” without elaborating on the nature and extent of their cooperation.
Communist rebels have condemned a weeklong military offensive against a major MILF stronghold last week, and warned they will intensify attacks against the military in the south in sympathy with the Muslim militants.
But MILF’s Kabalu criticized the government report as propaganda.
“First, they declared the New People’s Army as terrorist, then they’ll try to link us closely with them to support the conclusion that we’re terrorists,” Kabalu said.
“They’re constantly spicing up their story,” he said.
Kabalu said his group has long forged an alliance with the communists but it was mainly aimed at preventing accidental clashes when they were operating in the same area.
It would be difficult to wage attacks with the communists because of differences in combat strategies and political objectives, he said.
“The only common thing between us is that we have a common enemy,” he added.
