The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has accused 13 army soldiers of trying to disrupt an assembly of Muslims even in the presence of Malaysian cease-fire monitors. The complaint was lodged before the government-MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) by Ameril Umbra, commander of MILF's 109th Base Command. Umbra said the 13 soldiers of the Philippine Army's 37th and 38th Infantry Battalions attempted to "sabotage" a gathering at Tatapan village in Datu Piang town of Maguindanao on March 27 by entering the area with firearms and without prior coordination with MILF commanders in the area. The soldiers were sent to accompany the Malaysian, who were part of an advance team of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) which would include representatives from eight members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) as well as Japan.
| Huh? The troops were escorting the monitors? And MILF arrested them when they got there? |
Umbra also cited a number of infractions committed by the soldiers, "in gross violations to the existing cessation of hostilities signed between the MILF and the government." He asked the coordinating committee to take proper action to safeguard the peace process from being derailed by "anti-peace and evil-minded groups out to destroy the peace talks." Umbra noted that under the arrangements made by the government and MILF panels, the IMT's security will be the responsibility of MILF if the team is at the separatist group's area of jurisdiction. MILF security officers confiscated from the soldiers four .45 caliber pistol "on full cock ready to fire," plus cellular phones. Umbra told the committee that trouble almost erupted when the soldiers refused to turn over their guns and cell phones, prompting the security officers to "overwhelm" them.
| Meaning they had them outnumbered, so they roughed them up... |
MILF leaders claim that other than the military commanders opposed to the peace process, a powerful local politician is suspected of being behind the planned "sabotage." The 13 "arrested" soldiers led by 2nd Lt. Eliezer M. Briann were released on the same day upon intervention by the MILF-CCCH chairman Benjie Midtimbang. The MILF also returned everything that was confiscated from the soldiers.
| So Benjie realized it was a screwup and had the guys sprung, and now Arab News is spinning it. |
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