Fighting mars MILF ceasefire in south

The12,500-strong separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) unilaterally launched a 10-day ceasefire, even though the Armed Forces chief said ground soldiers and air force personnel will follow President Gloria Arroyo's instruction to continue a military campaign against rebels in the south.

"We are in religious observance of this (ceasefire) declaration in letter and spirit. This declaration is unilateral. It is not binding on the Philippine government," explained Eid Kabalu, MILF spokesman.

"We believe our sacrifice will produce something good for the MILF and the government. The MILF remains in a defensive posture and will fight back if attacked," said Kabalu.

"But if there is no reciprocal action from the government, we will go back to war on the eve of June 12," warned Kabalu.

When asked to explain Arroyo's lack of response to the MILF offer, Kabalu said: "The government is now looking for a way out as justification for not responding to this (truce) declaration. The government also does not want to restart the peace process."

Kabalu said the MILF fighters had stopped offensives against the government earlier, a day before the 10-day unilateral truce took effect.

But clashes between the government and the MILF forces which began last Saturday were renewed in Pandan village, South Upi town, for 45 minutes at 9am yesterday, said Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero, Armed Forces spokesman. Both camps did not suffer casualties, he added.

The Air Force sent two MG 520 helicopters to assist ground troops in Pandan village, stated Lt. Col. Lucero. "The rebels themselves have violated their own truce. This is an indication that the MILF has no control over its forces."

At the same time, he admitted that the clashes yesterday were a continuation of the conflicts between government soldiers and MILF fighters last Saturday, which killed two paramilitary men and three farmers. The paramilitary men were escorting farmers to protect them from the MILF forces.

Earlier, the military claimed it killed 19 MILF fighters as it took over a camp in Mindanao last Saturday. Ignacio Bunye, presidential spokesman, said: "The higher issue which the government would like to resolve at this time is whether the MILF will be interested in signing a final peace agreement."

Bunye also reiterated Arroyo's earlier claim that the MILF's ceasefire was a "tactical ploy" meant only to get sympathy from Islamic countries.

The MILF announced its plan to declare a ceasefire on May 28. But Arroyo rejected the offer on May 30, a day after the MILF launched raids on civilian residents on May 29.

Citing a condition for a positive response from the government, Arroyo said the MILF should publicly cut links with the hostage-taking Abu Sayyaf group and the Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian chapter of the Al Qaida terror network.

When she embarked on a visit to South Korea and Japan yesterday, Arroyo did not mention the MILF's unilateral ceasefire. Before she went to the U.S. on a state visit on May 17, she had called for a "punitive" military campaign on suspected MILF lairs.

Arroyo has suspended the government-MILF talks twice.

On May 6, she suspended the government-MILF talks, citing the deaths of 95 people during the stepped up MILF attacks in the south since February this year.