97 surrenderees are fake MILF rebels, says Kabalu

By: Ali G. Macabalang And Bong Reblando

 

COTABATO CITY — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) claimed yesterday that the 97 Moro insurgents who yielded to Defense Secretary Angelo T. Reyes in Lanao del Norte last week were fake rebels who were used in the psychological warfare operations of the military.

 

“The 97 people who surrendered to Secretary Reyes were bogus rebels organized by a certain Mayor Romeo Dipatuan of Lanao del Sur,” MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu told the Manila Bulletin.

Some of those who yielded, Kabalu said, were former members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and the 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division based in Cagayan de Oro City had sanctioned their sham participation in the surrender rites.

In an interview through mobile phone, however, 4th ID spokesman Col. Johnny Macanas maintained that those who surrendered were “genuine MILF members” based on military verification.

Macanas said that the commanders of the 97 rebels “volunteered to lay down their firearms and live a normal life.”

In a reciprocal move, Macanas said, the government has earmarked a R2-million package for firearms, livelihood assistance and other allowances of the 97 rebel returnees.

Kabalu also accused Secretary Reyes of knowing the alleged “fake surrender of MILF rebels, as part of the over-all psychological warfare operations in Mindanao,” which aims to sow confusion and demoralize the MILF ranks.

“Just like any staged fake surrender of rebels, the persons behind it get a big chunk of state funds for those who yield, while the remaining money is shared by their co-conspirators,” Kabalu said.

He said no one of the 97 people who surrendered is in the roster of the MILF freedom fighters.

Kabalu’s arguments were corroborated by reliable civilian sources who said that the money-making scheme they called a “cottage industry in rebel surrender ceremonies” began during the Marcos regime’s reconciliation and pacification campaigns.

Meanwhile, the military has accused the MILF of resorting to plain banditry to survive in the face of waning support of the Muslim masses.

“From their political or fanatic religious agenda, the MILF has turned to banditry to raise funds,” said Maj. Onting Alon, a Muslim deputy spokesman of the Army’s 6th infantry division, claiming that “majority of the Muslim populace had stopped supporting” the group.

Alon averred that Muslim civilians have realized the MILF’s struggle for an independent Islamic state for the Bangsamoro in Mindanao is not attainable.

The belief was bolstered by succeeding events like the fall of Camp Abubakar and the Buliok complex, which showed the rebels vulnerability to the armed forces military power – ground troops backed by armor, artillery and air support, Alon said.