MILF attacks continue despite ‘improvement in interfaith dialog’

10/05/2008

As attacks by rogue elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) against civilians and the military continued in Saranggani, General Santos City and Surigao del Norte, a United States State Department report has lauded the improvement in government’s promotion of interfaith dialog in the Philippines.

The US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor report entitled “International Religious Freedom Report 2008” cited President Arroyo’s creation of the Council on Interfaith Initiatives in March this year, the highest policy-making body for government’s interfaith initiatives.

The report said, “Government generally respected religious freedom in practice. There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the government during the period covered by this report.”

The report’s Section 2, discussing the Legal/Policy Framework of Religious Freedom, noted, “The law at all levels protects this right in full against abuse, either by governmental or private actors. There is no state religion, and the Constitution provides for the separation of church and state.”

It added, “The law requires organized religions to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission and with the Bureau of Internal Revenue to establish tax-exempt status. There is no penalty for failing to register, and some groups do not. There were no reports of discrimination in the registration system during the period covered by this report,” it added.

It continued: “The Government’s National Ecumenical Consultative Committee (NECCOM) fosters interfaith dialog among major religious groups, including the Roman Catholic Church, Muslim groups, Iglesia ni Cristo, Aglipayan and Protestant denominations.

“Smaller Protestant denominations are represented in the NECCOM through the National Council of Churches of the Philippines and the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, two large networks of Protestant churches and mission groups. NECCOM members meet periodically with the President (Arroyo) to discuss social and political issues.”

The Philippines is scheduled to host in May 2009 the Special Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting on InterFaith Dialog and Cooperation for Peace and Development (MMIFDC-PD). Some 118 heads of state and government have already acceded to the Philippines’ offer to host the said international interfaith dialog.

The President, in her recent visit to the UN General Assembly held in New York, had meetings with various foreign leaders, including the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), Edmeleddin Ihsanoglu, whom she regaled with the Philippines’ promotion of interfaith dialog.

As this developed, at least 20 MILF rebels attacked a plantation in Saranggani province hurting two workers, Col. Ricardo Cruz, 1002nd Infantry Brigade commander, said. A security guard and a female worker were wounded when the rogue MILF rebels, allegedly led by Ameril Umbra Kato, strafed the Kling plantation of rubber, coconut, prawn and livestock in Barangay Gasi in Kiamba town at around 9:45 p.m. Friday.

Cruz said the MILF attack was repulsed by guard forces which had already prepared and occupied their defensive positions based on information the military gathered.

Cruz has alerted all detachments and tightened up its security operations as elements of the 25th Infantry Battalion proceeded to the area for clearing operations on the site.

The same group reportedly burned Gasi Barangay Hall, Gasi Day Care Center, business establishment Tindahan sa Kalinaw and a waiting shed in the same area a few hours later.

Cruz said the police and the military have cleared and secured the incident sites with the help of local officials.

The military has launched offensive operations to neutralize the group of Kato, commander of the MILF 105th Base Command, which looted, burned and illegally occupied several civilian and private properties in North Cotabato in mid-July.

The military is also conducting a manhunt against Abdurahman Macapaar alias Commander Bravo, who led the 102nd Base Command that have been assaulting several Lanao towns since August.

The command leader of the MILF’s 103rd Base Command, Aleem “Pangalian” Sulaiman is also the subject of a manhunt by the military for helping Kato and Bravo during the assaults.

The government has offered a P25-million bounty for any individual who will give vital information leading to the arrest of the three MILF commanders.

Meanwhile, a group of communist rebels and suspected rogue members of the MILF allegedly conducted separate retaliatory attacks in Mindanao that injured eleven people.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) spokesman Maj. Armand Rico said an unidentified suspect hurled a grenade at a crowd in Barangay Urbiztondo in Claver town, Surigao del Norte, a known bailiwick of the communist New People’s Army (NPA). Nine people, including five teenagers, were hurt.

The military are determining whether NPA rebels were the ones responsible.

Rico said security forces also raided a house in General Santos City and arrested its occupant, Rolando Suplaag, after soldiers and policemen recovered an M18A1 claymore mine, a firing device and five meters of electrical wire.

“Suplaag is being investigated,” he said.

The M18A1 claymore mine is a lens-shaped, ground-emplaced anti-personnel explosive used primarily in ambushes and as an anti-infiltration device against enemy infantry.

The military has continued its offensive operations against the renegade MILF leaders and members identified as Ameril Umbra Kato, Commander Bravo and Pangalian after they assaulted several Christian towns in North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Saranggani and Maguindanao province early last August.

Reporters Without Borders is concerned about the safety of Agence France Press photographer Mark Navales, Philippine Daily Inquirer correspondent Jeoffrey Maitem and GMA News television stringer Ferdinand Cabrera on the southern island of Mindanao, where there has been sporadic fighting between government forces and members of the separatist MILF. The three newsmen came under fire on Oct. 1 in a village recently destroyed by rebels.

Both the army the MILF have denied shooting the mediamen or even being in the area when the incident took place. The army is currently hunting for an MILF leader accused of killing civilians during attacks carried out in the region in August. Riza Recio, Gina Peralta-Elorde

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