Philippines: Peace expected to hold despite clashes

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines

Clashes between government and rebel forces in the Philippines Muslim south are not expected to undermine last month‘s peace deal, despite signatories being caught up on both sides of the fighting.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Vice Chairman for Political Affairs Ghazali Jaafar has demanded an investigation into an incident last week when four of his members were among 18 gunmen killed in clashes between Philippines army and militant Abu Sayyaf fighters on the remote southern island of Basilan.

But government officials and MILF leaders remain confident that last month’s deal - the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro - will still hold. The peace deal was signed to end a decades-old rebellion that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and aims to create an autonomous Muslim area in the south by early next year.

Teresita Deles, the Philippines presidential adviser on the peace process, acknowledged to the Anadolu Agency this week that MILF fighters may have aided the militant group, but if they did they had done so "without their top leadership's permission."

She told the AA by phone that investigations were continuing, and if found to be true, the government “and the MILF have existing ceasefire mechanisms that will be tapped to look into the matter and determine possible courses of action."‎

Jaafar has confirmed that MILF members were among the dead, but urged the military to take precautions.

"Both parties must know what happened. This mistake must be remedied so it will not again happen," he told reporters.

He said he believes the incident will not, however, affect the agreement, and hopes it will serve as a lesson to the army when launching any law enforcement operations.

General Emmanuel Bautista, the Philippines army's chief, has denied any suggestion that his men had targeted MILF guerrillas, and said soldiers were pursuing Abu Sayyaf fighters, who were not party to the peace deal, but ran instead into MILF members.

Abu Sayyaf militants have been accused by authorities of kidnapping, beheading soldiers, and extortion, and are believed to be responsible for a spate of recent abductions.

Bautista said the military had consulted rebel commanders in the area before mounting an operation against the group.

Jaafar – speaking to the AA by phone – said that the MILF faction had only retaliated after they were attacked, adding that an international committee monitoring the ceasefire with the government has been asked to investigate who was to blame.

The MILF and the government are currently enjoying a "honeymoon" period, he told reporters.

"We do not want this agreement to be disturbed by such unwanted incidents initiated by the military."

Security forces have stepped up operations against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu and neighboring areas following the clashes.

On Tuesday, General Bautista said soldiers will continue to pursue the Abu Sayyaf and those supporting the group to address a kidnapping problem.

They are currently searching for a Chinese tourist and Filipina resort worker abducted from a resort off Semporna in Sabah in Malaysia early this month.

Kidnappers have demanded US$11 million (P500 million pesos) for the female Chinese tourist’s release.

Earlier Wednesday, authorities arrested a suspected Abu Sayyaf member at a checkpoint set up to ensnare kidnappers. In the ensuing melee, a crowd gathered and another man was arrested for carrying explosives.

The Abu Sayyaf member is facing charges of kidnapping and illegal detention, while police are readying charges of illegal possession of explosives against the second man.

englishnews@aa.com.tr