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| Southeast Asia |
| Filippino military confirms MILF arms shipment |
| 2004-08-05 |
| The military confirmed on Tuesday that it has received reports about an alleged arms shipment to separatist groups in Mindanao but could not say whether or not such shipment landed or has actually reached the Moro rebels. "We received information that there was such shipment sometime in May. Before the supposed landing, we deployed troops and Navy assets but we did not find anything in the supposed location. It's either we deterred the action or they got away. We don't know if that [shipment] happened," said Lt. Gen. Generoso Senga, Southern Command chief. Senga said reports about the shipment came as early as May this year. However, he said timely government preparation might have prevented the delivery. Reports said that the first of four shipments of weapons to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) arrived two weeks ago in the coastal towns of Palembang, Sultan Kudarat and Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur. The arms landing reportedly included 1,190 automatic rifles and hundreds of thousands of ammunition rounds. The MILF was also trying to acquire several heavy machineguns and mortars, sources said. But Senga said the MILF would find it difficult to have these firearms transported to the mainland because of the tight military cordon around those areas. The military deployed three battalions along the Lanao coastline a day after the reported delivery of the arms in Kapatagan, but found no trace of the weapons. Despite this, however, Senga said the military continues to monitor and verify the report. "We have not stopped monitoring and verifying the report day to day," Senga said. Asked if the reported arms shipment would affect the outcome of the peace negotiations between the government and the MILF, Senga said: "We have representatives in the peace process. We are leaving the matter to them. . .at the same time we are monitoring if they [MILF] are committing any violation or provocative [acts]." MILF negotiator Benjie Midtimbang was quoted as saying that the Front was unaware of the arms shipment and called the military report "unsubstantiated." Members of both panels are out to verify and investigate the reports, the military said. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |