MILF protests arrest of senior official

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (milf) protested the arrest of one of its senior officials at the Davao International Airport late September. After a special session Monday, the MILF central committee passed a resolution to protest the arrest of Engr. Eduard Guerra (a.k.a. Abraham Yap Alonto) on September 22. Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) men arrested Guerra at the Davao International Airport. "Engr. Eduard, a member of the MILF Central Committee, was en route to Geneva, Switzerland to attend the United Nations Human Rights Council Meeting on September 27, 2010 upon the invitation of an international non-government organization (INGO)," the MILF said on its website. The MILF resolution also said the MILF Central Committee considers this arrest as a direct blow to the resumption of the peace negotiations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It urged the Philippine government to drop the charges and release Guerra without delay. The MILF resolution described the arrest as a blatant violation of the government-MILF ceasefire agreement and the spirit of the current peace talks. It said the peace talks provided a "safety and security guarantee" to MILF members who are directly and principally involved in the peace process. "As member of the MILF Central Committee, the principal of the MILF peace panel, Eduard is covered by this guarantee," the MILF said. On September 27, MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim sent a letter to the Malaysian Country Facilitator, Datuk Othman bin Abdulrazak, raising the issue of the arrest and its implications on the peace talks. Murad was informed that the letter was forwarded to both government peace panel chairman Marvic Leonen, and presidential peace process adviser Teresita Deles. "Leonen promised to bring up the matter to his 'Principal,' but Deles has been reportedly mum on the matter," the MILF said. The MILF Coordinating Committee on Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) also filed a complaint with its counterpart in the government and asked that the charges against Guerra be dropped, immediately leading to his early release from detention. Meanwhile, the MILF cited a source close to Guerra's family saying investigators have already applied torture techniques, including electrocution. "Eduard’s family and lawyers have also had problems getting access to him, as he is placed under a 'maximum security' detention facility, thereby limiting his right to counsel. A complaint on this matter has been filed by his lawyers with the concerned officials," the MILF said. It also claimed the source added that during investigation he is not only blindfolded but also punched repeatedly on several parts of his body. "Eduard had undergone heart bypass operation in 2007, in addition to suffering diabetes and advancing hypertension. Recently, he suffered from minor stroke," it said. The resolution was signed by Muhammad Ameen, chairman of the MILF Central Committee. Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice-chairman for political affairs, attested to it. –VVP, GMANews.TV