Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas have executed a member of
the government's ceasefire observer after being snatched by the Moro rebels
during the recent heavy military-MILF clashes in Maguindanao province, the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.

Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, Army's 6th Infantry Division spokesman, said reports
reaching the AFP point to missing GRP-MILF Joint Monitoring Action Team
(JMAT) ceasefire observer, Army Sgt. Roger Emben, of the Army's 64th
Infantry Battalion, as having been summarily executed and buried in a
shallow grave at the borders of Datu Piang and Mamasapano towns in
Maguindanao.

The guerrillas abducted Emben and another companion last week in Barangay
Balanakin, Datu Piang, and nothing has been heard from both since.

"We were informed by local officials and evacuees from Barangay Balanakin
that the MILF faction that took Emben and his companion allowed the MILF
ceasefire monitors to leave first before taking them captives," Ando
stressed.

Emben and companion were separately shot to death near their ceasefire
monitoring post, Ando added.

In similar fashion, a Christian vigilante group known as the Ilagas, warned
yesterday that it will start executing 10 Muslim rebels for every civilian
killed as violence in Mindanao intensifies.

The Reform Ilaga Movement, dormant for decades after gaining prominence in
the 1970s during the early stages of the rebellion, has again been on the
spotlight in the face of a new campaign by Muslim rebels.

Rebels last week killed scores of people in attacks on Christian villages
and towns in fighting that has intensified since a breakdown in talks to end
the insurgency by creating a semi-autonomous Muslim region.






"If the fighting continues, for every civilian killed, we will execute 10
MILF rebels," said Mike Santiago, a spokesman for the vigilante movement.

"We are for arming civilians in areas targeted by MILF and for them to
defend their families and property," he told reporters in his hideout camp
in the south of the country.

Santiago, 65, said his group had as many as 20,000 followers and supporters,
adding that they would defend not only Christian and tribal communities but
also Muslim civilians.

The Ilagas in the past have been linked to human-rights abuses, with some
members cutting off the ears of dead Muslims and wearing them around their
necks as trophies.

One senior member also gained notoriety in the 1980s after he was convicted
of murdering an Italian priest he had suspected of having links with
communist insurgents - and then eating the victim's brain.

Meanwhile, government and MILF negotiators met in Malaysia yesterday to try
to save ongoing peace talks amid widespread fighting in Mindanao, sources
said.

The Malaysian-brokered meeting was aimed at extending the presence of a
Malaysian-led 31-member international monitoring team (IMT) to enable the
foreign truce monitors to help stop the clashes that have killed at least 17
soldiers, more than 100 rebels and scores of civilians in a week of
fighting, diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.

Presidential peace adviser Hermogenes Esperon told about 70 diplomats in a
briefing at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that the government
wants to extend the IMT's presence, which ends on Aug. 31, by at least a few
months.

During the briefing led by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo,
Esperon, and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, along with AFP chief of
staff Gen. Alexander Yano, the officials explained that the government
decided not to sign the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MoA-AD)
after three MILF commanders attacked several communities in Mindanao.

The meeting between the two sides was the first since the controversial
signing of the MoA-AD was halted by the Supreme Court, resulting in the
resumption of armed conflict in the south.

Earlier, Esperon announced to diplomats that meetings are being set with
Malaysia as facilitator to discuss the terms of reference of the IMT,
whether it will just be a mere extension of the current terms of reference
(TOR) or an entirely different setup."

Romulo said the government is firmly committed to the pursuit of peace and
progress in Mindanao "within the framework of its laws and Constitution."

"Every effort is being made to clarify all issues on the proposed Memorandum
of Agreement on Ancestral Domain through oral arguments before the Supreme
Court and in continuing dialogs between the government and local communities
in Mindanao," Romulo said.

While the door to enduring peace remains open, he said, the Philippine
government stands firmly against any form of violence, even that which is
inflicted ironically in the name of peace.

Lanao del Sur Rep. Faysah Dumarpa called on the Arroyo government to
initiate a cessation of hostilities in Mindanao, at least, during the month
of Ramadhan which will start the first of September, saying that the Muslims
including the members of the MILF should be allowed to observe the religious
practice and stop the war in Mindanao.

"The MILF has no choice but to adhere to the teaching of Prophet Muhammad,
that is: 'When one is fasting, he must refrain from uttering false
statements; avoid loud voices which will disturb others; and if any one
fights you, tell him that you are fasting instead of fighting back.',"
Dumarpa said citing the Qur'an.

With Ramadan soon to start, the government security forces said the
ceasefire will take place.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno
yesterday said that Ramadan, that is set on Monday will prompt the police
and military to halt the offensive operations that was launched against the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Puno then expressed optimism that MILF Commander Umbra Kato will languish in
jail and face the law before the end of the month.

In a meeting with North Cotabato officials, religious leaders and civic
organizations, Puno said the world of MILF commander Kato is "getting
smaller everyday" and that it is likely the government will get Kato to face
the court of justice.

"There's no let up, I hope it would be over before Ramadan starts," Puno
said. "He (Kato) has to answer for the crimes he committed."

Kato along with Commander Bravo brought conflict in Mindanao when they
attacked some towns in Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte and Saranggani
provinces some weeks ago that killed less than a hundreds, mostly civilians.

But Brig. Gen. Jorge Segovia, acting chief of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) command center, said the military assaults will continue
in the absence of orders to halt the operations.

He said the AFP will not let the two MILF commanders who are wanted and have
a P10 million bounty for their heads get away with their attacks on
civilians.

Malacañang yesterday said operations against the two commanders will go on,
even when the Ramadan month is on.

Ermita said the the government objective is to hold accountable those who
have committed the criminal acts.

The latest rebel attacks came after the Supreme Court earlier this month
suspended a draft agreement intended to open the door to a peace agreement
with the government and the setting up of a Muslim homeland in the south.

Although the military says it has pushed back the MILF forces, sources say
many civilians are taking up arms in anticipation of new Muslim rebel
attacks.

The government is also deputising civilian groups to support the police in
securing areas from MILF attacks. With Gina Peralta-Elorde, Gerry Baldo, AFP
and PNA

http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20080828hed1.html





--
Give us back our countries: Stop the criminal multiculturalism ideology
enforced upon the white world against the will of its peoples, leading to
mass immigration from the third-world: Mul-cul + pol-corr = lethal mixture
for the white world. And give us back our freedom: Dismantle all
surveillance technology.