More MILF rebels accused in Irish priest's kidnap
Agence France-Presse | 11/06/2009 7:51 PM
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ZAMBOANGA - The Philippine government on Friday named five more Muslim separatist leaders from the country's restive south as suspects in the abduction of an Irish priest.
State prosecutors have now summoned six Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leaders on allegations they played a role in the October 11 abduction, national police chief Jesus Verzosa told a news conference here.
They include Salip Aloy Al Asree, a MILF brigade commander, who was accused earlier this week by Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno of being behind the kidnapping of Father Michael Sinnott, a Roman Catholic missionary.
The five MILF leaders named on Friday are Latip Jamad, Nasser Macabato, Imam Abubakar, Wanning Abdusalam and Saidamen Alik.
Sinnott, 79, who has a history of heart problems, was kidnapped by six armed men in the southern city of Pagadian on Mindanao island.
A video has been sent to authorities in the south, showing Sinnott speaking and demanding a two-million-dollar ransom for his release.
In Manila, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis told a news conference the government was preparing to resume peace talks.
"In the next couple of weeks we’ll have meetings with (the MILF) chair," said Seguis, adding that a preparatory meeting will be hosted by Malaysia.
"As far as the MILF is concerned, we'd like to push (forward) in the next eight months and sign a comprehensive peace compact," said Annabelle Abaya, President Gloria Arroyo's chief peace adviser.
Abaya said accusations of MILF involvement in Sinnott's kidnapping "may have hurt" the negotiations, but "we would like to give (the MILF)... the benefit of the doubt."
The MILF could not be reached for comment Friday, but it has previously denied involvement in the kidnapping and warned that the accusations could affect the progress of the peace talks.
Since 1978 the 12,000-strong MILF has been waging a rebellion for an independent Islamic state in the southern third of this mainly Catholic country. It signed a ceasefire with Manila in 2003, but the peace talks were suspended last year when MILF commanders launched deadly raids across Mindanao.
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