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| Senator Alan Peter Cayetano |
In a
media briefing, Cayetano said the “irresponsible, desperate and ridiculous”
statements from Ferrer have endangered national security.
Ferrer’s
remark that the recruitment and training of fighters by the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) “is not a prohibited act” put government troops and
soldiers at risk, Cayetano said.
Cayetano
The
senator said that under the implementing guidelines of the 1997 ceasefire
agreement, the MILF committed to the joint interdiction of terrorists and
criminal elements, and the prohibition of the entry of criminal and terrorist
elements in their communities and controlled areas.
Another
condition of the ceasefire was negotiation in good faith and the maintenance of
the status quo, which meant there should be no arms buildup or recruitment of
fighers, Cayetano said.
Had
the MILF adhered to the provisions of the ceasefire agreement, they should have
arrested and surrendered the terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir and Abdul Basit Usman,
and there would not have been a Mamasapano massacre in which 44 police
commandos were killed.
Cayetano
has repeatedly called for the resignation of Ferrer and presidential assistant
on the peace process Teresita Deles for their failure to protect the interests
of the government in the negotiations with the MILF.
Also
on Friday, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. denied allegations that he was against
the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and was an “enemy of peace” in Mindanao.
In an
interview on radio dwIZ, Marcos said he could not understand how he can be
portrayed as anti-peace or anti-BBL simply for defending the Constitution.
As a
government official, he said, he took an oath to uphold the Constitution and
all the laws and directives of duly constituted authorities.
Some
Muslim groups have attacked Marcos for refusing to accede to the MILF
insistence that the BBL be approved in its original form and that it should not
be watered down.
Marcos
said the Senate could not rubber stamp the BBL because of unconstitutional
provisions that need to be fixed.
He
added if the BBL in its current state is passed, it would be challenged before
the Supreme Court.
Senate
deliberations on the BBL, suspended after the Mamasapano massacre, are set to
resume on April 13 but will examine ceasefire mechanisms to prevent a
recurrence of the Jan. 25 bloodbath.
Marcos
said they were waiting for the peace and order conditions in Mindanao to
improve before they hodl public hearings on the BBL in Jolo and Zamboanga.
At
the same time, Marcos said he was still awaiting the MILF’s report on the
incident before BBL hearings can resume.
Marcos
acknowledged that passage of the BBL was no guarantee that peace would take
hold in Mindanao, particularly since other armed groups such as the Bangsamoro
Islamic Freedom Fighters oppose the agreement.
Marcos
said the government needs to lay down a massive development plan for Mindanao
to curb poverty, which is one of the root causes of the rebellion in the south.
If it fails to do this, Marcos added, there will be no peace in Mindanao.
Source: +ABS-CBN News
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