Hunt for Basilan rebels, Abu starts; MILF appeals for time

Soldiers and policemen are ready to start serving arrest warrants for 130 Moro rebels suspected of killing 14 Marines in Basilan, raising the prospect of renewed fighting in the southern Philippines despite a ceasefire. Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels, who admitted they clashed with Marines on July 10, asked for more time for a joint investigation into the ambush that left 14 Marines dead - including 10 who were beheaded. The MILF admitted it cannot prevent authorities from serving arrest warrants for MILF members suspected of involvement in the ambush, but warned that its forces will not cooperate with authorities. "Ewan ko kung paano nila ise-serve ‘yan without the (consent) of the MILF, but hindi natin 'yan pwedeng pigilan (I don’t know how (the military) can serve it without the consent of the MILF, but we cannot stop it)," said Eid Kabalu, civil-military relations chief of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces “Hindi tayo pwedeng magbigay ng suporta (We cannot give our support)," he added. He said the issuance of the warrants was based on “unilateral findings" of the government. “It will not bind the MILF," Kabalu said, adding that it did not pass through the process agreed upon by MILF and government peace negotiators. Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon on Monday said soldiers and policemen are ready to start serving arrest warrants for at least 130 MILF members suspected of killing the 14 Marines. The MILF earlier for more time beyond a Monday deadline for a joint investigation into the ambush that left 14 Marines dead - including 10 who were beheaded. Esperon, however, said the investigation, which was given three days on Friday to come up with findings, would ''look into the circumstances of the incident, not necessarily to clear the MILF.'' He said police, backed by military forces, will start serving the arrest warrants on Tuesday unless the country's leadership decides to give investigators more time. ''The punitive action comes in the form of arrest and serving of warrants,'' he said. ''It's a go. The D-day is still tomorrow.'' ''If there is resistance, there will be fighting,'' added Maj. Gen. Nelson Allaga, the Marine commandant. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has warned the rebels to hand over guerrillas suspected in the attack, or let troops pursue them if they are members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group. A military investigation blamed the rebels and Abu Sayyaf militants for the killings. The rebels said their own investigation showed the ambush was a ''legitimate encounter'' because the marines entered rebel territory without coordinating with them. Rebels also denied being behind the beheadings, but did not say who was responsible. Rebel negotiator Von Al Haq said the joint investigation was not able to complete its work and asked for several more days. A fragile 2003 cease-fire has prevailed in the south while the rebels and the government moved closer to a peace deal in negotiations brokered by Malaysia. The rebels have warned that if they are attacked on Basilan, fighting would spread elsewhere in the south and threaten the peace process. “Tama nga meron ngang batas…but there is an issue na may kinalaman sa cease-fire violations. Sa mga isyung ganito, merong sumasaklaw na arrangement bilaterally agreed upon (It’s true that there is a law… but there is an issue related to cease-fire violations, and when it comes to issues like this, there is a bilateral arrangement agreed upon by the two parties), " MILF’s Kabalu said. He said the MILF supports government efforts to know the real story behind the Tipo-Tipo incident even as he reiterated that the MILF had nothing to do with the mutilation of dead soldiers. "I believe na malalaman din ito sapagkat talagang desidido tayo na makita ito...(dahil) nabubunton sa atin yung krimen na hindi naman natin ginawa…Wala pong history ang MILF forces na namumugot ng ulo (I believe that we will know the truth because we want to and because we have been accused of a crime that we have not done. The MILF has no history of beheadings," Kabalu said. He said the MILF is still waiting for the result of the investigation done by the Joint Independent Fact-Finding Committee. A report is expected Tuesday or any time this week, Kabalu said. “Whatever the outcome of that investigation is binding because it is in accordance with the process approved by both parties," he said. KAbalu said the investigation should not only focus on the beheading of the soldiers but also on the encounter that happened. Abu Majid, who claimed to be an MILF information officer in Basilan, earlier admitted that MILF fighters figured in the July 10 clash with members of the Philippine Marines. - GMANews.TV, with a report from the Associated Press