Senate, House leaders call for ‘full force of law’ vs MILF

Senate, House leaders call for ‘full force of law’ vs MILF
Source : INQUIRER.net
Monday, 18 August 2008 16:08





MANILA, Philippines -- The leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives on Monday urged the government to come down hard on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for attacking five towns in Lanao del Norte province.

But other lawmakers urged caution, calling on the government and Moro rebels to immediately call a truce and resume peace talks.

The attacks came a day after the rebels ambushed an Army convoy in Mulondo town, Lanao del Sur province, leaving seven soldiers killed and 12 others wounded, and a week after military offensives dislodged hundreds of rebels from North Cotabato province.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines should undertake punitive action against the MILF forces involved and uphold the rule of law. We cannot afford renewed armed hostilities because this will only set back efforts to bring economic and social progress to Muslim Mindanao," Senate President Manuel Villar said in a statement.

He denounced the MILF for launching the attacks despite an existing ceasefire.

At the House, Speaker Prospero Nograles, in a separate statement, called the attacks on the Lanao del Norte communities acts of “terrorism” that should be condemned by everyone, including the MILF leadership.

“These acts of criminality and terrorism by rebel Muslim groups should be dealt with quickly and met frontally with the full force of the law,” he said.

“The government and our armed forces cannot afford now to deal with kid's gloves [with] this kind of situation,” Nograles said. “We want peace but when terrorism is the result of peace negotiations, the terrorists must be stopped and subdued at all cost.”

“The rampage being done by the MILF group clearly shows criminal terrorism by any definition. It’s time to throw the statute books and enforce our laws on terrorism. There is no other way to deal with this situation,” he said in a text message.

But Anak-Mindanao Representative Mujiv Hataman called for “the immediate cessation of hostilities in Lanao.”

“We condemn the death, injury, [hostage taking] and displacement of innocent civilians. The safety and security of their lives and property must not be risked at any cost. We, therefore, call for ceasefire and resumption of peace talks,” Hataman said.

Bayan Muna (People First) Representative Satur Ocampo also said he did not believe an all-out offensive against the MILF is necessary and urged government to calibrate its responses against the Moro rebels.

“If it upholds the primacy of the peace process, the government must calibrate its responses to MILF-initiated attacks. Otherwise, it would violate the ceasefire agreement,” Ocampo said.

Villar also urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to immediately release money from the government’s Emergency Fund so relief assistance, like food, medicine, and counsel, be provided the affected people.

"With another war in their midst, many of our brothers and sisters in Mindanao, particularly in Lanao Del Sur and Lanao Del Norte, fear for the safety of their loved ones. Immediate resolution and a return to normalcy is urged the soonest time possible," he said.

"Let's keep in mind that peace and prosperity in Mindanao will eventually result in the welfare, stability and security of the entire Philippines," he added.

At the same time, Villar appealed to government agencies, particularly the Departments of Social Work and Development and of Health, the Commission on Human Rights, and local government officials, as well as non-government organizations, to ensure the safety of residents fleeing the areas of firefight.

"Evacuation procedures should be carried out in orderly fashion. Innocent civilians should not be caught in the crossfire between the military and forces of the MILF…Massive relief must be done now," he said.

Nograles said government cannot pursue peace with the MILF if the rebel leadership could not control their own ranks on the ground.

“We really have to know first from the MILF leaders if they are still in control. Those who are out of line should be relieved from their posts and should be punished by the MILF leadership for breaking the chain-of-command,” the Speaker said.