The military has filed a formal complaint against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) before a joint ceasefire monitoring body for the abduction and killing of a government representative to the ceasefire committee.

Brig. Gen. Rey Sealana, chairman of the government’s Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), said that, aside from the complaint, criminal charges will also be filed against MILF rebels before a court for the murder of Army Sgt. Roger Emben. 

“We condemn this treacherous act by this group. In fact, we already filed strong protest against the MILF regarding this treacherous act of Commander Talio and Commander Umbra Kato, and we are also filing a case against Commanders Rambo and Talio so that a warrant of arrest will be issued by the court against this people,” Sealana said in an ANC Interview Tuesday. 

Sealana said the military is holding a witness, a survivor in the killing, who has positively identified Emben's abductors as members of the MILF.

“He was in civilian clothes. In fact, he was wearing the uniform of the ceasefire committee. At that time, he had with him some identification cards, and according to the survivor, Ting Talusan, they even identified themselves as part of the ceasefire committee. But according to the group of Commander Talio and Commander Bravo, as long as he's a soldier, then he's the enemy,” he said.

Emben’s body was dug up weeks after he and his rebel counterparts were abducted from their outpost in Datu Piang on August 18.  Emben was killed while the other victims managed to escape.  

Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief peace negotiator, meanwhile, condemned the killing of Emben.

“But as to who killed him, our initial investigation pointed to the fact that it was Commander Talio who was disowned by the MILF as early as 2003 during the time of Gen. [Rodolfo] Garcia as head of Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities,” he said.

He said the name of Rambo never cropped up during the MILF investigation. 

Iqbal also reiterated that the conflict in Mindanao sparked anew because of the non-signing of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD).

He also accused the military of violating the ceasefire agreement between the government and the MILF.

“They are very selective in applying the ceasefire agreement. Gaya noong nangyari, nag-file sila ng kaso dahil pinatay ang sarhento, which we condemn, pero hindi sila nag-file ng kaso against Kato and Bravo,” he said. 

Kato and Bravo led the attacks in North Cotabato and Lanao del Sur provinces last month after the Supreme Court stopped the signing of the MOA-AD.