MILF denies hand in Maguindanao massacre
MANILA - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Friday washed its hands off the recent bloodbath in Maguindanao province, which killed more than 50 people.
MILF Spokesperson Eid Kabalu slammed Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. for passing the blame on wanted MILF Commander Ameril Umbra Kato, saying that such as a "clear attempt to divert the issue (and) to condition the minds of the people."
In a statement caught on video by government-owned TV network RPN News, Ampatuan Jr. accused Kato as the mastermind of the election-related massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao. Ampatuan Jr. faces multiple murder raps after a judicial investigation was conducted on Thursday.
Kato and his men are wanted by authorities after they attacked villages in Lanao del Norte in August 2008. But contrary to Ampatuan Jr.'s allegations, Kabalu stressed that the MILF is willing to help authorities in pursuing leads regarding the massacre, provided that the government issues a formal request.
He warned that some may take advantage of the state of emergency currently imposed in the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and Cotabato City.
The massacre occured on Monday after Ampatuan's gunmen allegedly abducted a convoy of aides and relatives of Buluan Mayor Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu, Ampatuan's political rival in Maguindanao. The fatalities also included a group of journalists.
The victims were snatched as they were traveling in a 6-vehicle convoy to nominate Mangudadatu as the opposition candidate for provincial governor in next year's national elections.
They were shot a short time later and dumped or buried in shallow graves on a remote farming road close to a town bearing the Ampatuan mine.
Kabalu has said that residents knew of an impending atrocity days before the Maguindanao massacre took place.
"(May) mga augmentation of forces along the highways in Maguindanao. Nahahalata ng mga tao 'yon, that's public knowledge. (There has been an augmentation of forces along the highways in Maguindanao. People have noticed that. That's public knowledge)," he told ANC's "News@8."
He failed to specify, however, if the forces he was referring to were military troops, CAFGUs, or members of Civilian Volunteer Organizations.
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Now that they disarmed them, do you believe the government can?
With our problems with terrorists and guerrillas and American families trying to take markets and military think tanks thinking they can just take our country anytime they want, if you were a wealthy landowner with plenty of land and rich in coconuts and Metro Manila is as far away as it is, how would you protect your family and wealth? Since I was in kindergarten in 1966 or so, we were discussing the Japanese invading our islands again, Malaysia and Indonesia as well. The Americans wanted our islands to have military bases. And today there is talk of wealthy Australians wanting our Mindanao because they need it for their Coco-diesel Industry. Before the new prime minister in Thailand, the Thais supposedly wanted Mindanao also. As the HASCIENDA owner would you trust Metro Manila to come save you from terrorists and countries and private armies financed by Middle East sheiks? Those people are faced with that problem everyday. Our poverty invites crooked billionaires, like a thief in the night, to invade our islands, rape, kill, and commit terror with trained mercenaries and hired guns. Now that they disarmed them, do you believe the government can now protect them and their lands? Daniel Escurel Occeno in Gubat, Province of Sorsogon, Philippines www.gubatnet.blog.com
ARMLESS MINDANAO
WHAT EVER ED KABALU SAY OR MILF SAY THEY NEED TO BE DISARMED BY PHILIPPINE ARM FORCES, NO EXCEPTION. THEY NEED TO PROMOTE ARMLESS MINDANAO OR ANYBODY CAUGHT WITH FIREARM SHOULD BE CHARGED OF ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF FIREARM AND PENALIZED WITH DEATH. MABUTI NA ITO. MAGSUNTOKAN NA LANG SILA O MAG PALUAN NA LANG BAKYA.