13 drug suspects nabbed by Philippine troops, ex-rebels

By Hader Glang

ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines (AA) – More than a dozen men believed to be members of an armed group involved in the illegal drugs trade have been arrested in joint operations by Philippines government forces and the country’s one-time largest Muslim rebel group.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process released a statement Saturday saying the 13 suspected “henchmen” of the group’s notorious leader -- Samad Masgal alias Commander Madrox -- were captured Oct. 5-11 in the southern province of North Cotabato.

In July, under President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed a deal agreeing to coordinate plans to combat the scourge of narcotics in areas the group considers its territory.

Commander Madrox, however, remains at large.

During the operation, two grenade launchers, two M16 rifles, an M14 rifle, a homemade shotgun, a .30-caliber Garand rifle, a homemade .50-caliber sniper rifle, one rocket-propelled grenade and two fragmentation grenades were recovered, along with a number of handguns and several sachets of methamphetamine -- locally called “shabu".

The 13 suspects were turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) of Region 12 on Saturday.

In the statement, the MILF’s Central Mindanao Front commander, Gordon Sayfulah, was quoted as saying the joint operation “has resulted into better and peaceful lives for our stakeholders as well as stronger confidence between [government] and MILF forces”.

Meanwhile, the PDEA-12 Regional Director Lyndon Aspacio underlined that the fight against illegal drugs “transcends all affiliations and it even unites people with diverse backgrounds”.

“We are very delighted that the coming together of the PNP [Philippine National Police], the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines], and the addition of the MILF among our allies against illegal drugs is becoming a reality," he added.

“This pursuit operation has resulted into better and peaceful lives for our stakeholders as well as stronger confidence between GPH and MILF forces,” said the MILF’s Sayfulah. “I would like to commend this new administration for its strong commitment to end illegal drugs in our country.”

Under the July deal, all government agencies have been given the primary responsibility to implement anti-illegal drugs programs in areas controlled by the MILF, which is engaged in an ongoing peace process with the government.

The agreement provides mechanisms and procedures to be observed by both sides in the conduct of law enforcement operation.

In 2014, the MILF and the government signed a peace deal that would have been sealed by a proposed law that would have replaced the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with a more inclusive Bangsamoro autonomous region.

The Bangsamoro Basic Law, however, stalled in Congress earlier this year, as it adjourned for campaigning for the May 9 polls won by Duterte.

Duterte has vowed to correct the historical injustices committed against the Muslim Moro and other indigenous peoples, proposing to amend the country’s constitution to grant regions more federal autonomy.