MORO ISLAMIC LIBERATION FRONT

CENTRAL COMMITTEE

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Press Release

June 15, 2003

Gov’t resorting to dirty tactics

    MILF Chairman Salamat Hashim vehemently denied writing the letter read during the Friday, June 13, rites marking the conversion of barangay [village] Inugug, Pikit, North Cotabato into so-called peace zone. He also denied ordering MILF freedom fighters to withdraw from four towns in Maguindanao province and one in North Cotabato province.

He instructed the undersigned to print this denial and I quote: “Please strongly deny my alleged letter to GMA. I have never written any letter to anybody in the Philippines. The alleged letter is false and fabricated. It’s part of their [referring to government] deception tactics.”

This is not the first time that a letter was forged or fabricated to defile the name of the MILF. On May 22, 2003, Tabang Mindanaw also claimed to have received one from Muhammad Ameen, who strongly denied having written that letter. Ameen is a senior official in the office of MILF chairman. Again, this forgery happened and the source, according to friendly media reporters, was from the same group, which claimed to be a multisectoral humanitarian organization for war-affected areas of Mindanao.

We are not dealing with the government or any of its leaders or agencies directly. We deal with them through the Malaysian government, and therefore, what in Heaven’s sake that we could ever write that letter, which is not only self-defeating but insulting to man as rationale being.

We want all internally displaced persons [IDPs] or evacuees to go home as soon as possible but not at gunpoint and mercy of circumstances. More importantly, we want peace to return to our lands, but that peace must be just, lasting and comprehensive. Not peace that is deceptive and which perpetuates servitude of one man to another.

What can this so-called “peace sanctuary” offer? Nothing.  Firstly, instead of withdrawing, more and more government forces are deployed in the area. And we will not withdraw our freedom fighters in the same area either. And secondly, once the second SOMA of the MILF expires on June 22, fighting could resume anytime and these poor IDPs will flee as soon as the first bomb explodes.

Regarding former Datu Paglas town mayor Ibrahim Paglas III, who read the alleged Salamat’s letter, let him take up the matter with his uncle. We will not interfere.

APPROVED FOR RELEASE:

MILF CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

Contact No. 0919-280-3220