MILF leader warns against arming civilians

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Tuesday appealed to local government executives in Mindanao to be careful in issuing statements that tend to provoke hostilities, such as calls to arm civilians.

Eid Kabalu, MILF civil-military affairs chief, feared such calls might resurrect the Christian-led Ilaga paramilitary group in the 1970s.

The Ilaga was blamed for the Manili massacre in North Cotabato province, where 65 Moro men, women and children were killed inside a mosque at the time. The years that ensued fanned bloody skirmishes between the Ilaga and Moros known as Blackshirts.

"These recent calls to arm the civilian population... tends to spark animosities [between Christians and Muslims]," Mr. Kabalu said.

Mayor Manuel M. Rabara of Midsayap in North Cotabato and North Cotabato Vice-Governor Emmanuel F. Piñol have separately called for the arming of civilians in their area, saying that civilians should be allowed to defend themselves from "marauding MILF fighters."

But Mr. Kabalu said such provocative statement may influence the mind-set of the local officials’ constituencies.

The pronouncement of Mr. Kabalu, however, apparently runs counter to an earlier statement by a fellow MILF leader, Muhammad Ameen, chairman of the front’s central committee secretariat, who seemed to favor arming the civilians. (gmatv.net)