MILF in extortion, murder, says Moro lawmaker

By JODEAL CADACIO
TODAY Reporter

Besides perpetrating terrorist attacks and other crimes against civilians, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas operating in Central Mindanao are also into extortion, preying on businessmen and even local governments, a Muslim lawmaker claimed.

Lakas Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte, in a privileged speech, denounced the MILF as nothing but “a group of despicable terrorists, lawless bandits, extortionists, lowly cattle rustlers, and murderers.”

Dimaporo took the floor to deplore the attempt by a band of MILF rebels to seize the town of Maigo in his district on April 24, which resulted in the killing of at least 15 civilians by the rebels.

Dimaporo said that about 700 to 1,000 MILF rebels stormed the town in the early morning and tried to take control over the municipality.

He said the attack was brought about by the “MILF’s failure to pursue extortion activities in Lanao del Norte, particularly against the provincial government, from which it had asked P3 million as financial support for its activities.”

Dimaporo told the chamber that during his stint as provincial governor he had made it a point not to give a single centavo to the MILF. “We wanted to prove to kidnappers, murderers and the MILF that crime does not pay,” Dimaporo said.

He said the local government had also campaigned among civilians and businessmen not to give money to the MILF as this would embolden the rebels to ask for more next time.

Dimaporo said the rebels attacked Maigo in retaliation for the provincial government’s refusal to give in to their extortion demands.

He said the rebels were repulsed by the military, the police, volunteer village guards and armed civilians as well, but not after at least 13 people, including women and children, were killed by the rebels.

He said the raid was perpetuated by MILF rebels under the command of Commanders Tigre, Minsupala, Bravo and Yahya.

Dimaporo told the House that until that fateful day, he had regarded the MILF as rebels trying to fight for what they believe is good for Muslim Mindanao.

He stressed that the Maigo incident changed his perception, as he had seen for himself that “indeed, the MILF is a terrorist group.”

“The civilians killed and wounded were not collateral victims of the MILF attack; rather, they were intentionally shot at close range and in the back while lying face down on the road. Although the civilians, particularly the women and children had no weapons of whatever kind, none of them were spared from the brutality of the MILF,” Dimaporo said.

He claimed that after going on a killing spree, the MILF rebels looted the victims of their money and other valuables.

Dimaporo said the attack has proved to the people of Lanao del Norte that the MILF are not soldiers of Islam.

“No believer of Islam will ever kill at close range defenseless women and children,” Dimaporo said. He then called on his colleagues to unite against terrorist groups like the MILF.

The lawmaker urged the government to rethink its policy in dealing with the MILF, and prodded the Armed Forces and the National Police to go full throttle in crushing the MILF before the rebels cause more deaths and disturbance to civilians in Mindanao.