Defense Secretary Volatire Gazmin, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas attend the 5th public hearing on the Mamasapano incident. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) — Even as the government has yet to formally demand the surrender of Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters involved in the bloody Jan. 25 clash in Mamasapano, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the Moro group can show good faith by committing to turn over their men at the appropriate time.
“Wala pang kapangyarihan to compel the surrender of MILF members. Kung gusto ipakita ng MILF ang good faith, napakalaking confidence-building measure kung ngayon pa lang [ay] magpahayag na sila na i-susurender ang mga miyembro sa tamang panahon,” De Lima told reporters before the resumption of the Senate hearing on the Mamasapano clash.
De Lima reiterated that there is no demand yet from the government for the MILF to surrender their members involved in the encounter which left 44 PNP-Special Action Force commandos and 18 MILF fighers dead.
On Monday, De Lima was asked by Sen. Ralph Recto if the government has a standing demand for the MILF to yield their fighters involved in the clash.
To which, De Lima replied: “We have no coercive power at this point to demand that they (MILF) surrender those involved.
“We have to find out first exactly what happened, who are involved, identify them precisely, and when the proper time comes there would be appropriate legal processes like the issuance of subpoena at the preliminary investigation level,” she added.
The MILF earlier said that instead of surrendering their combatants to the government, they will impose sanctions on its members involved in the encounter.
“If you look at the ceasefire agreement of the government and the MILF, what it says there, any breach of discipline on the side of the government, the government will discipline their forces,” MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said.
“In the same way that if there is a breach of discipline on the part of the MILF, the MILF will take charge,” he added in the same interview.
The implementing guidelines of the ceasefire agreement signed by the MILF and the Philippine government in 1997 state that the parties “will make appropriate actions on their respective forces” who violate the pact. (MNS)