MILF hits DILG chief over ‘innocence’ on Ilaga

MANILA, Philippines - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) accused Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno Wednesday of playing blind, deaf and dumb to the existence of the Ilaga "vigilante" group. MILF deputy spokesman Khaled Musa said the resurrection of Ilaga is real, and the government is 'tolerating if not funding or arming it." "North Cotabato Vice Governor (Emmanuel Piñol) is the main pillar of this group. Senator (Manuel II) Roxas, a presidential aspirant in 2010, actively support(s) the group; and defeated gubernatorial candidate and former mayor of Carmen, North Cotabato Roger Talino and Congressman Lala Talino-Mendoza are excluded from the Reform Ilaga Movement," Musa said in a statement on the MILF website. Musa claimed this came from a "declassified" A-1 intelligence information linking several government officials to the Ilaga. Musa, who originally lived in Tulunan town in North Cotabato and still has lands there, is himself a victim of the Ilaga depredations in the 1970s. Puno earlier said there was still no evidence to prove the existenceof the Ilaga, which claimed to arm its members to defend villages from the MILF. In his "declassified intelligence report," Musa said the man who claimed to be the spokesman of the Reformed Ilaga Movement (RIM) and in mask was a former town mayor of North Cotabato. He said the former mayor uses three assumed names: Kumander Toothpick, Commander Ka Willy, and Commander Mike Santiago. Musa also said two prominent personalities were online from Manila during the interview who assured the vigilante group of their support. "The names of both personalities cannot be disclosed for strategic reasons. One is working with the government right now and the other, a former elected official of North Cotabato," he said. Also, he said the owner of the biggest ricemill in North Cotabato arranged the interview with Commander Willy at his residence in the first district of North Cotabato. He also said each member of the RIM is tasked to recruit 10 people. Only the 10 in each cell know each other. Each of the 10 in the cell should again recruit ten, who will be known among themselves. The Ilaga movement has a hit squad to kill members who will leave the group and squeal on its secrets, and kill MILF fighters, the rebel website said. - GMANews.TV