January 15, 2002, Arab News, MILF warns rebels on kidnapping, by Mama Gubal,

COTABATO CITY, 15 January — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front yesterday vowed to impose “harsh sanctions” against its members who are involved in kidnapping.

Ghazali Jaafar, MILF vice chair for political affairs, issued the stern warning following persistent police and military reports about the alleged links of some MILF rebels to kidnapping groups in Mindanao.

"The MILF Central Committee has warned its members not to get involved in kidnapping or else they may face harsh sanctions from the organization,” Jaafar said.

The warning came in the wake of a threat from Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte that he would lead an attack against MILF camps that were being used as sanctuaries of kidnapping groups.

The tough-talking mayor said he had enough of the wrongdoings that “these people” have committed.

"These people are full of bull. They do not deserve to live,” Duterte blurted during his weekly radio and television program in Davao City.

"And since I said this, I will really do it, mind you. Just wait for me,” he said.

Duterte also identified several areas in Southern Mindanao as hideouts of the Pentagon Group, which, he said, has links to some MILF leaders.

Earlier, Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol also denounced the involvement of some MILF guerrillas and called on rebel leaders to do something to stop the guerrillas’ involvement in criminal activities.

Piñol, irked by nearly a dozen kidnappings that took place in his province, declared an “all-out war against kidnappers.”

He challenged Malacañang to convince the MILF, which is negotiating peace with the government, to help stop the kidnappings.

Jaafar told the Radio Mindanao Network here that the Bangsamoro Armed Forces would run after members "who will violate the order.”

"The MILF, through its military arm, will not hesitate to launch military actions against these kidnappers,” he said.

Jaafar vowed that the MILF would see to it that none of their camps would be used as hiding places of kidnap groups.

“No MILF camp would allow (the) entry of kidnappers and their victims,” he said.

Eid Kabalu, MILF spokesman, clarified that Jaafar’s warning did not mean that the rebel group admitted the involvement of some of its leaders in kidnapping.

He challenged Duterte and other officials who have linked MILF leaders to kidnappings to formalize their charges.

"The mayor’s accusation is very general. If there are problems, why not make it (accusation) official,” Kabalu said.

He defended an MILF commander who had earlier been reported in the media to be one of the protectors of the Pentagon.

"Commander Boy Hashim has not been involved in any nefarious activity,” he said.

It was learned that Boy Hashim, who is based in Cotabato, is the younger brother of MILF chair Salamat Hashim.

The MILF spokesman also expressed apprehensions that the ongoing joint campaign by the US military and the Philippine armed forces could be used against the MILF.

"There are fears that the American troops will be used against us," he said.

The 12,500-member MILF, the largest Muslim guerrilla group in the country, signed a ceasefire with Manila last year in support of ongoing talks for a political settlement to the 23-year-old rebellion.

"As you know, we are on a defensive stance since we are holding negotiations with the government," Kabalu told reporters through a conference call with the Manila press.

Philippine military officials earlier said that about 150 US Special Operations Forces and 500 "support and maintenance" soldiers will join their Filipino counterparts later this month to help crush the bandit group Abu Sayyaf.

Both governments say the Abu Sayyaf has links with the Al-Qaeda network of Osama Bin Laden, the main suspect in the September attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in the United States.

The Abu Sayyaf is holding an American Christian missionary couple and a Filipina nurse hostage in the southern island of Basilan. (Agencies)