I wonder what would motivate someone throwing hand-grenades into a Mosque
??
Military accuses MILF of extortion
THE secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is taking advantage of the present lull in military operations in Mindanao to further their extortion activities on civilians, the military said Friday.
Maj. Gen. Raul Relano, Armed Forces deputy chief of staff for civil military operations (J7), said MILF members have been threatening to abduct civilians who refuse to give protection money.
“Even teachers who do not receive sufficient wages are being forced by some members of the MILF to pay protection money or else they will be kidnapped,” he said.
Relano said they were informed of the MILF’s extortion activity when a group of teachers from the Alliance of Volunteer Educators came to them to express alarm over the activities of the Muslim group.
Investigations done by the military’s 44th Infantry Battalion confirmed that since August 4 this year, undetermined copies of extortion letters were sent to teachers working in three public elementary schools in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte.
Relano said the affected teachers worked in Cusipan Elementary School, Pangian Elementary School and Santo Niño Elementary School.
“The MILF is requesting a P200 monthly contribution from these teachers,” Relano said, adding that the letters presented to the military by the alliance bear an MILF seal and the signature of a certain Commander Suya Arasid, alias Puti Ulo/Batang Dagat.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu, however, denied that their units are involved in extortion. “That’s a total lie. That report is fabricated. The MILF has no involvement in that shameful act,” he said.
In the letter, Arasid expressed his willingness to meet with school principals to “discuss the collection scheme.” Relano said Arasid demanded to have the amount automatically deducted from the teachers’ monthly salary.
The letters reportedly caused great fear among the teachers prompting them to suspend their classes prematurely. Others, according to Relano, stopped reporting to their schools for fear of being kidnapped.
Elements from the 44th Infantry Battalion based in Zamboanga City and the Philippine National Police were deployed to provide security in the three schools so that classes could resume.
The military and the MILF have agreed to a cease-fire in preparation to the much-awaited resumption of the peace negotiation, which is scheduled this year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Kabalu said this latest accusation by the military will not affect the forthcoming negotiations, but said they would eventually bring this to the negotiating table.
-- Karl B. Kaufman
