Ex-MNLF rebels free marine general, defense under secretary in Sulu

Former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels released on Sunday a 20-member peace mission, including a marine general and a cabinet official, detained for the past two days in their camp in Panamao, Sulu.

Major General Benjamin Dolorfino and Defense Undersecretary Ramon Santos with other government officials and security escorts had been prevented from leaving the MNLF Bitanag camp in Panamao town since Friday.

Two helicopters fetched the group from the MNLF camp and brought to 104th Brigade headquarters in Jolo town. Then a Nomad plane airlifted Dolorfino and Santos with Peace process adviser Secretary Jesus Dureza to Edwin Andrews Air Base (EAAB) in Zamboanga City.

At EABB, Dureza told reporters “We are now here in Zamboanga we’ll go to Manila tomorrow. The two gentlemen have spoken with the President on the phone. The President expressed her thanks to everyone.”

Dureza said that in his personal assessment Ustadz Habier Malik was only concerned about the tripartite meeting. “They got so frustrated when they read an item in the newspaper saying that the tripartite was scrapped.”

When asked if there was an OIC intervention, Dureza replied: “If it is intervention in the usual meaning…there is no intervention but OIC helped in clarifying with Ustadz Malik the issue on tripartite meeting.”

In his account, Dolorfino admitted they were prevented by Malik to leave the area until the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Philippine government would settle the matter, referring to a meeting to be hosted by OIC to discuss the implementation of a 1996 peace agreement between the MNLF and the government.

“So there was only one important thing to Ustadz Malik and that is a definite schedule of the holding of the tripartite meeting,” Dolorfino told reporters.

Dolorfino said an OIC official called MNLF commander Habier Malik to assure him that the tripartite meeting between representatives of the MNLF, the Philippine government and the OIC will take place on March 17-18 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

He added that after getting assurance that the tripartite meeting will push through in March, “they agreed to let us leave.” The meeting was originally scheduled for later this month.

For Undersecretary Santos, “We took advantage of the time because they (MNLF sub commanders) were just there. I held seminar in the camp because Sir Dureza had instruction to organize a program about women and children in the conflict area.”

“The truth is that we were not under stress. It is stressful in the office than there… especially when my superior calls me to the office. I have gained many insights from there,” he quipped.

Former MNLF guerrillas have been complaining about the alleged failure of the government to keep its commitments under the peace agreement, such as socio-economic projects to boost development in impoverished areas in the southern region of Mindanao.

Santos and Dolorfino's team went to visit Panamao on Friday afternoon to discuss with MNLF leaders recent firefights between MNLF forces and the military, including one in January that left six MNLF members and three soldiers dead.

Dolorfino and other government officials had refused to call the situation a hostage-taking. The MNLF also insisted that the peace mission was only invited to stay overnight at their camp. The military, however, had heightened alert due to the incident.

In 2001, MNLF chairman Nur Misuari, also former ARMM governor, led a failed uprising against the government to protest the slow implementation of the peace pact, leaving more than 100 people dead.

Misuari attempted into self-exile in the Middle East but was captured in Malaysia and subsequently extradited to the Philippines, where he is now under house arrest while on trial for rebellion charges. (HG)