Cong. Rufus, Lao, Abaday want MILF to turn over Bravo, Kato

August 20, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

Cagayan de Oro City Second District Cong. Rufus Rodriguez is now calling on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to turn over to the Philippine Government their renegade groups manned by Comander Bravo Macapeer and Comander Kato.

He said MILF is in at the most advantage position to find, arrest and turn-over to the government these rogue soldiers who bombed and killed innocent civilians at Iligan City and Lanao del Norte.

“If they cannot turn over these renegade men to the government to be subjected to the Philippine Judicial System, then they should at least help in searching for them,” he told Gold Star Daily yesterday.

Rodriguez said it is the MILF cannot just do a Pontious Pilate everytime any of their soldiers become “lost commands.”

He said such a convenient excuse would smack of insincerity on their part to really forge a peace pact with the government.

Also, Rodriguez said the turning over of commanders Bravo and Kato by the MILF to the Philippine Government would be a concrete manifestation that the MILF that it still has control of their men on the ground.

“Because if their leaders do not have any control of their men on the ground, then they do not have any any authority nor any business of negotiating peace with our government, he said.

Opposition City Councilors Teodulfo Lao and Roger Abaday echoed their support on Rodriguez’s call that Kato and Bravo be turned over to the Philippine authorities.

But both voiced doubts that the MILF hierarchy would actually go through such lengths to bring down their very own men.

“The best thing that our government should do is to run after these men who violated the ceasefire agreement,” Lao said.

“Actually it’s a dim posiblity to let the MILF hierarchy bring the two commanders to the fold of the law because on the first place they declared that Kato and Bravo are renegade commanders of the MILF command so therefore the best thing that our government should do is to run after these men who violated the ceasefire agreement.”

Abaday said. “It is impossible for these kind of people to submit with the government. The government and the military should go against the rebels with those in cotabato and lanao which are disowned by local officials.

Written by admin · Filed Under Cagayan de Oro