MILF leader declares war vs gov’t; Puno: Get Kato, Bravo alive

August 21, 2008

A Muslim rebel commander behind the deadly raids in the southern Philippines declared yesterday an “all-out war” against the government, saying his fighters were willing to die in battle.

In similar fashion, Department of Interior and Local Government Ronaldo Puno yesterday ordered the Philippine National Police to get two Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commanders, Bravo and Kato, but alive, to face criminal charges.

Puno late Tuesday offered P10 million for any information leading to the capture of the two.

Earlier, Puno had announced a bounty of P5 million each for the heads of the two rebel commanders.

Abdurahman Macapaar of the MILF, also known as Commander Bravo, taunted the military and said his mujahedeen, or holy warriors, were willing to engage the government troops in firefights anytime.

“We are prepared to trade fire with them until we are decimated. If they cannot finish us, we will finish them,” Bravo said over the Radio Mindanao Network. “We are prepared to kill, we are prepared to be killed.”

He said the attacks on several Christian towns in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Sarangani on Monday that left 38 dead were led by “mujahedeen” angered by an aborted land deal with the government.

“What the Muslims want is Islamic justice in Mindanao,” Bravo said, referring to the country’s main southern island where the MILF has been waging a separatist rebellion since 1978.

“In the eyes of Allah we are not terrorists,” he said, reacting to accusations by some government officials that he and his rebel unit no longer follow the MILF chain of command.

Bravo is a senior MILF leader who controls large rebel areas in the mountains of Lanao in Mindanao.

Bravo along with another MILF commander named Umbra Kato, is a separatist hardliner who has repeatedly staged attacks despite ongoing peace talks.

Kato’s men last week illegally occupied more than 20 villages in another Mindanao province, triggering intense gunbattles.

“The government has been deceiving the MILF for a long time,” Bravo said.

Hostilities meanwhile spread to other provinces Wednesday, with the army reporting it was engaged in gunbattles with MILF rebels in the town of Shariff Aguak that has left one soldier wounded so far.

Puno stressed that the peace talks between the government and the MILF negotiating panel will not continue until the investigation finished.

Bravo and Kato who led the conflict in North Cotabato and Lanao del Sur were responsible in the ambuscades and assaults on two towns in Lanao del Norte and Saranggani provinces early morning on Monday which resulted to the killings of more than 40 people, mostly civilians.

Puno clarified that the government will not issue an “all out war” order against the MILF but that the government will declare the war only those who initiated the conflict in the parts of Mindanao .

The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Director General Avelino Razon Jr., has issued the order to file at least 61 charges against the MILF renegade groups.

The joint Police Regional Office (PRO) 12 and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has filed 61 major criminal cases ranging from serious illegal detention to murder against the two MILF leaders and their groups.

The group of Bravo and Kato were responsible in the burning of houses, establishments, robberies, murders and serious illegal detention in the war torn North cotabato.

A report to the PNP chief noted that the group of Commander Umbra Kato , composed of Commanders Kasanadel Pigkawayan, Ampatuan, Nayang Timan, Datukalan, Montok Samad, Manampan and Tumalao Butuan with other John Does were charged before the City Prosecutor Al Calica in Kidapawan City last Aug,. 19.

The groups were charged of sixty complainants for 7 counts of murder, 9 counts of attempted murder, one count of frustrated murder, 24 counts of arson and 19 counts of robbery in band.

On August 15, Diocos led the filing of a serious illegal detention case against another 7 MILF commanders and other for the abduction of Alexander Jugos and Irglito Apostol last August 10.

Jugos and Apostol allegedly were kidnapped at Bgy., Cabpange, in Pigkawayan North Cotabato by Commanders Tanto, Gulmablang, Paradul, Ustadz, Tigue, Maestro, Dadsay and others who brought them to the mountains where they were held for several days.

Bartolome noted that another team of PNP investigators are documenting all statements, physical evidence and witness’ testimonies to build a strong case against Commander Bravo, Aleem Sulaiman Pangalian alias Commander Pangalian and several other MILF rebels responsible in the attacks on civilians in several towns in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur early morning of Monday that killed 40 persons and displaced thousands of residents.

The UN’s World Food Program on Wednesday said it will dispatch an additional 250 metric tons of rice to Mindanao, on top of the 400 metric tons it delivered last week. With Gina Peralta-Elorde and AFP

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