By ANGELO GUTIERREZ
abs-cbnNEWS.com
A Bangsamoro homeland to be governed by an allegedly splintered Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) may create bigger problems for the Philippine government, North Cotabato Vice-Governor Emmanuel Piñol said Saturday.
“Are we not creating a hammer to hit our own heads? This is the question of the people of Mindanao,” Piñol told dzMM Saturday, adding that some MILF members allegedly have links to international terrorist groups.
The vice-governor said the “foreboding truth” on the possible impact of the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) can be seen in the clashes that have taken place in North Cotabato since last month between the MILF and military and para-military forces.
He said he received fresh reports that Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO) members again clashed with MILF rebels in Barangay Kolambog, Pikit town around 7:30 p.m. Friday.
A dzMM report said sporadic gunfires were also heard from Barangay Balike, Midsayap town before dawn Saturday.
“Right now the government is having a hard time to remove a small rebel group. How much more if we allow them to establish their own internal security force?” Piñol said.
Last Thursday, the government gave the MILF forces in the occupied towns of North Cotabato 24 hours to leave, but later gave them an extension to pullout.
Piñol said the government peace panel is currently talking with only one faction of the MILF, which is headed by Al Haj Murad.
He said a fundamentalist faction of the MILF, led by Ustadz Hamir, has not been asked to participate in the negotitations.
Piñol said Hamir is the brother of MILF founder Hashim Salamat. He said the MILF commander who led the occupation of nine villages in five towns in North Cotabato allegedly reports and takes orders from Hamir.
“The MILF has a lot of factions. This group (Hamir’s) had declared that it cannot be controlled by Murad’s group,” he said.
The vice-governor said the Kirams in Sulu and the MILF group in Basilan led by Ustads Jullabi had also said that they will not recognize the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity because they have different ancestral domain claims.
In case the MOA-AD is signed and the BJE formed, Piñol said the different MILF factions may clash, or the left-out factions might continue their separatist struggle.
“We are committing so much to the MILF of Murad. What is the MILF’s commitment?” Piñol said.
Aside from the internal rift within the MILF leadership, Piñol said the government should also look into the alleged links of some Moro rebels with international terrorist groups like Jemaah Islamiyah and Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network.
That’s internal
Presidential Peace Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. told abs-cbnNEWS.com that the MILF would have to solve this problem internally.
“The MILF leadership should convince these groups. Let’s allow the MILF and the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) to solve this problem,” Esperon said.
He said the MILF should be able to convince the factions to unite and agree to the MOA-AD.
Esperon added that people against the MOA-AD should give the MILF a chance to prove themselves.
He said a peace agreement with the MILF would result to “de-escalation of violence” in Mindanao and possibly, long lasting peace in the region.
Internal security force
Piñol is also worried about a provision in the MOA-AD that allows the MILF to form its own police force.
With an independent police force and coupled by more revenue resources, the separatist group may be able to fulfill its dream of creating an “independent Islamic state.”
“Using oil and mining resources and other revenues that would be given to the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, they can fortify their own internal security force,” he said.
With a stronger armed force, Piñol said the MILF may become invincible and impossible to control.
He said he is not being “hysteric,” but realistic. He said his statements are borne out of the discussions he had with the people of Mindanao.
“What would happen if in the future the BJE is led by an MILF leader who has connections with the Jemaah Islamiyah and al-Qaeda?” he added.
Esperon, meanwhile, belittled the possibility of Mindanao being led by terrorist allies.
He said the MILF involved in the peace negotiations has been helping the government pursue foreign terrorists in Mindanao.
The peace adviser, however, admitted that some members of the MILF have joined forces with the Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf bandit group.
“The MILF is with us in eradicating the Abu Sayyaf group. They reject terrorism,” Esperon said.