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'Bravo' surfaces, blames govt for Mindanao violence

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/20/2008 6:18 PM

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Renegade Moro leader Abdullah Macapaar alias Commander Bravo on Monday blamed the Arroyo administration for the continuing violence in Mindanao after the government failed to approve a territorial land deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN Correspondent Jorge Cariño, Bravo said the government's decision to scrap the proposed Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) showed that President Arroyo was not serious about pursuing peace in Mindanao.

He also warned that his troops will resort to aggression until the government cedes control of Mindanao to the Bangsamoro people.

"We want to have peace in Mindanao. It is good that the MOA-AD was not signed because now we want the independence of the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao. We are willing to risk our lives until we achieve peace and Islamic justice in Mindanao," he said in Tagalog.

Bravo, who has a P10 million bounty on his head, admitted that his forces under the MILF 102nd Base Command wreaked havoc in Kauswagan and Kolambugan towns in Lanao del Norte province last August after the government reneged on its promise to sign the land deal. 

"We did not kill civilians because that is forbidden under the religion of Islam. However, there were stray bullets in the crossfire. Some of the civilians were members of the Ilaga who tried to fight us," he said.

He also accused the forces of his former subcommander, Alvin Cuntu, of going on a killing spree during the attack and then blaming the 31 murders on Bravo. "They were the ones who burned the houses in the area of Lapayan, Kauswagan. We were pursuing them because the MILF wanted to court-martial them but they escaped and surrendered to the Philippine government," he said.

He said he was surprised that Cuntu and 30 of his men were feted by the government after they surrendered. He said Cuntu and his men were used by the government to destroy the legitimate struggle of the Bangsamoro people.

Bravo said he is aware that the Philippine government is resorting to back-channel efforts to restart peace negotiations with the MILF. He said he expects the revived peace talks to fail unless the United Nations steps in.

Commander Bravo is one of three wanted MILF commanders currently pursued by the military for deadly attacks in Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato provinces last August. The other two are Umbra Kato and Salim Pangalian.

The government has warned it will stall negotiations with the MILF unless the Moro rebel group turns over the three MILF commanders.

Bravo said that under the precepts of Islam, it was forbidden for him to surrender to the enemy or risk being "thrown in the fire."

"As long as I have breath, I will continue to fight especially now that the MOA-AD has been scrapped. How can we give up our arms when Allah told us not to?"

He also denied that he is working independently and is no longer following orders of the MILF Central Committee. He said he remains on the defensive after the government ordered the military to pursue him and the two other MILF commanders.

Bravo warned that he is willing to "fight up to the last man" until the MILF achieves its goal of independence for the Bangsamoro people.

“President Madam Arroyo and your right hand men including the generals...if you want war, then war it will be. You think the MoA-AD is insignificant. You didn’t push for it. We, as Muslims, own Mindanao. You have no right to Mindanao. Mag-giyera tayo kung kailangang magkaubusan ng lahi.  All for the Islamic justice of the Bangsamoro people of Mindanao,” he said.