An official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday disowned the 50 rebels who surrendered on Wednesday to government troops in the southern province of North Cotabato. MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said the rebels, led by Pendi Ampatuan and Ismael Pagiloyen, belonged to the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) of Nur Misuari, which signed a peace agreement with Manila in Sepember 1996.“They were former members of the Moro National Liberation Front, and not the MILF. There is no reason for MILF members to surrender because the MILF is a revolutionary organization fighting for self-determination,” Kabalu said in an interview. The surrender of the group of Ampatuan and Pagiloyen, held at a Philippine Army camp in Carmen town, North Cotabato, coincided with the MILF’s announcement that it will resume peace talks with government negotiators next week.
Maj. Gamal Hayudini, a spokesman for the military’s Southern Command, said the rebels voluntarily surrendered. “The rebels have finally returned to the folds of the law after long years of being with the MILF. They have pledged their allegiance to the government and we will help them start a new life and transform them into productive and responsible citizens,” Hayudini told Arab News.