MILF demands govt lift arrest warrants
Moro separatists on Thursday demanded the
Mohagher Iqbal, a spokesman for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) and a member of its central committee, said the group would not risk the
detention of its leaders unless the government formally ask
the courts to lift the arrest orders.
"If the government of the
"It would be difficult, like negotiating peace with a gun
pointed at your side."
Earlier Thursday, presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the
MILF has advised Malaysia, which is acting as a third-party monitor in the
talks, that rebel chief Salamat Hashim was to lead the negotiations expected to
start this month.
"The MILF has given the names of their five negotiators to
the Malaysian government for the formal peace talks. Among the five are Hashim
Salamat," Bunye said over government radio.
However, Bunye said there are warrants out for the arrest of
Hashim and other key lieutenants for their alleged role in two bombings in the
southern city of
Malaysian ambassador Taufik Mohamed Noor said last week that
while the neighbors have no extradition treaty, he hoped the Arroyo government
would take steps to have the arrest warrants lifted so the MILF leaders would
have peace of mind when they travel to
However, the government has since said it was up to the MILF to
take the legal steps to have the arrest warrant lifted.
"The MILF must initiate legal moves. They have to make
representations with the
The 12,500-member MILF has been waging a decades-old guerrilla
campaign to set up an Islamic state in
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