ZAMBOANGA CITY, 30 April 2006 — At least 50 fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) surrendered to the government ahead of scheduled peace talks next month, the Philippine Army said yesterday.
The rebels led by Daud Sarif, known by his nom de guerre Commander Falcon, handed over more than 50 assorted weapons, including machine guns and M16 automatic rifles, to the military on Friday, said Lt. Col. Francisco Simbajon, spokesman for the army’s 4th Infantry Division.
Simbajon said Sarif is the leader of the MILF’s 206th Bade Command in Lanao del Sur province, one of the strongholds of the separatist group.
The surrender followed a series of negotiations between Sarif’s group and officers of the army’s 9th and 26th Infantry Battalions led by Ist Lt. Moracaya Macaalin, the spokesman said.
“There will be some more, many MILF rebels are expected to surrender to avail of the government amnesty and start a new life,” Simbajon said.
The military earlier said 2 members of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces operating in eastern Mindanao voluntarily surrendered to the 60th Infantry Battalion in Compostela Valley province.
Last month, the military said at least 50 MILF fighters led by Pendi Ampatuan and Ismael Pagiloyen also surrendered in Maguindanao province, the rebel group’s main base in the southern region of Mindanao.
‘Not Our Fighters’
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu disputed the military’s claim, saying those who surrendered were former fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) of Nur Misuari, which signed a peace agreement with Manila in September 1996.
The MILF, which broke away with the MNLF in 1978 over various differences, has refused to be covered by the 1996 peace pact, opting to negotiate for a separate accord.
Peace talks between Manila and the MILF are expected to resume next month in Malaysia, which is brokering the negotiations. The MILF, which the Philippine military says has 11,000 members with more than 8,000 firearms, has been fighting for self-rule in the southern Mindanao region for more than two decades. A 2003 cease-fire is in place while Malaysian-hosted negotiations are underway.
Key Hurdle
A report by the Associated Press on Friday from Kuala Lumpur said Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo has expressed confidence that a key hurdle to a peace accord will be cleared soon.
“The most important thing is to overcome these (territorial claims), which is really the major issue,” Romulo told reporters after a meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, Syed Hamid Albar.
The two ministers met to discuss bilateral issues, including Malaysia’s role in helping resolve the decades-long conflict in Mindanao.
“We are optimistic that this important part of the peace process ... will finally be concluded here,” Romulo said.
Such a breakthrough could enable a comprehensive peace deal to be reached by September, Romulo said, noting that both sides have “come to an agreement basically” on various details.
Officials have previously said the issue includes the scope of Muslim claims to ancestral territory in the southern Philippines and their right to develop land.
Also eyed for inclusion are areas in Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces where there are large communities of Muslims and indigenous tribes.
“There is no problem whatsoever, but there has been a need for consultation with the stakeholders,” Romulo said. “We need to go to the provinces, we need to go to the villages.”
Albar said his country hopes to help Philippine authorities plan measures to spur economic development in Mindanao, a volatile, impoverished region regarded as the Filipino Muslim homeland.
“Being close neighbors, Malaysia would like to see peace and prosperity prevail in the Philippines,” Syed Hamid said, noting that Malaysia has both facilitated the peace talks and sent troops to monitor the cease-fire.
Malaysian officials said earlier this week both countries might cooperate in implementing socio-economic projects and to improve Islamic schools in the southern Philippines.
The United States has also vowed financial support for the area if a peace deal is signed, though some US officials suspect that certain MILF members may be collaborating with Al-Qaeda-linked Indonesian militants to plot attacks and hold terror training.
