MNLF DEBUNKS MILF EXCUSES IN THE MASS MURDER OF 50 SAF PNP POLICEMEN OF 25 JAN 2015 IN MAGUINDANAO.
EXCUSE #1: PNP INCURSION INTO MILF TERRITORY
DEBUNK: The MILF organization has no sovereign territorial rights over any piece of land anywhere in the Philippines, whether that be their fully-controlled camp, village, or community. The government forces have full sovereignty over all parts of the Philippine territory. There is no such thing as a demarcation line or boundaries of land that grants territory to the MILF.
The PNP has warrant of arrest and has all the rights to go and pass through wherever in the territory of the Republic of the Philippines wherever they have available information on the whereabouts of the Malaysian terrorist.
EXCUSE #2: PNP DID NOT COORDINATE WITH MILF
DEBUNK: There are two types of coordination. One is peace-process compliance coordination, the other is tactical coordination. The peace-process coordination was already complied by the PNP because it was already published in the newspapers that PNP is scouring those provinces of Magindanao, Cotabato, and Lanao area to look for Malaysian bomber Marwan. Marwan is already in the publicized Philippine Most Wanted List and the American Embassy in Manila even has a reward tag of P5M for his capture. Moreover, the PNP have already made so many patrols in that area in relation to the the legitimate police operation of finding Marwan. On the other hand, the tactical coordination is an internal process within the trust layer of the PNP chain of command, and it is not subject to peace-process coordination compliance. We MNLF can attest that PNP already coordinated with us via the the public information news we read in mainstream media months ago that PNP is operating in that area to get Marwan and other wanted Malaysian terrorist bombers. Just like the MILF, we MNLFs also have a peace-process-related coordination compliance with Government's large troops movement; and we attest that this particular PNP operation to search for Marwan in Maguindanao, Lanao, and Cotabato area is well coordinated with us.
EXCUSE #3: MILF ACTED IN SELF-DEFENSE
DEBUNK: The five (5) reasons why self-defense is not a valid excuse are: (1) MILF failed to take the evasive maneuver in a way that they could have walked away from the path of the PNP to avoid misencounter; (2) MILF assaulted persons in authority; (3) MILF's superiority of strength in terms of numbers, weapons, and familiarity with the terrain; (4) MILF did acts of mutilation, and (5) MILF did summary execution on subdued members of the PNP.
EXCUSE #4: PNP TOP-BRASS UNAWARE OF SAF OPERATION IN MAGUINDANAO
DEBUNK: There is what we call layer of information in the chain of command. The PNP top-brass would not be aware of the SAF operations in Maguindanao because the workload and knowledge base of top-brass PNP is 100% on organizational management and almost zero in the ongoing field operations. The management of information of ground operations is a function of the field commanders. If I have a list of ground operations of the PNP in my hand and I would be given a chance to interview the top brass, I would ask him if he has information about any of the ongoing ground operation in my list; and I will also randomly pick a name of a field officer and ask the top-brass a question if he knows the detail of operation of the particular field officer. The result of interview would be predictable, the top-brass would say "I have no information about the detail of that ground operation but I can make a few calls to get the information". Of the thousand operations in the ground, the top brass would only be briefed of the full detail of a particular specific operation when he orders a briefer, and it normally happens when the operation brought about public relation controversies.
EXCUSE #5: ANG SAF ANG UNANG NAGPAPUTOK
DEBUNK: Careful in analyzing, kasi magkaiba ang pinutukan ka na nakikita mo na ikaw ang binabaril, at iba rin ang situation pag narinig mo lang na may pumuputok from a distant pero hindi mo nakikita kung sino ang binabaril. Ang unang pagpapaputok ng SAF (kung totoo man na SAF ang unang nagpaputok) ay warning shot para mapaisip ang nakapaligid na possible hostile party na huwag na lumapit. Kung conscious ang MILF field commander sa peace process, dapat inutusan niya ang kanyang mga taohan na lumayo sa kung saan nila narinig ang source ng putok. Ang pag iwas ng encounter ay parating better option kung conscious ka sa peace process.Magkaiba ang scenario pag bahay kumpara sa village. Pag bahay, lalaban ako. Pero pag village, mananatili ako sa bahay ko at hindi lalabas, at mas lalong hindi magpapaputok. Village ang scenario doon sa incident natin sa Maguindanao. MILF should have just stayed inside their houses. 300 MILFs outside their houses and waiting along the path of PNP is a clear ambush. It was MILF who took advantage of darkness of night for ambush.
BY: John R. Petalcorin
MNLF Director for Communications
MNLF Admin of the OneMNLF Page in Facebook
MNLF Officer-in-Charge while Nur Misuari is put on Whereabouts Unknown Status
