Military, police probe into alleged MNLF recruitment in Negros Occidental

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Military and police authorities on Thursday, March 21, began looking into the recruitment of members allegedly by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in a city in Negros Occidental.

The recruitment, reported in the village of Tinampaan, Cadiz City, in the northern part of Negros Occidental, has left many people in the city and province feeling uneasy.

Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante said he was leaving the investigation to the state forces.

“I entrust everything to our local authorities – the police and the Army – to handle the validation regarding the accuracy of the information. As of now, there is no cause for panic as the city remains very peaceful,” he said.

Escalante assured the public that the city government would provide full support for whatever actions the authorities decide to take regarding the alleged presence of the MNLF.

In neighboring Bacolod, the capital of Negros Occidental, police were closely monitoring the situation in Cadiz in anticipation of similar recruitment activities there, according to Colonel Ronnie Brillo, spokesman of the Bacolod City Police Office.

Nadia Laud, who introduced herself as a member of the MNLF, confirmed to local broadcaster K5 News FM-Cadiz the ongoing recruitment, but assured the public that they mean well and don’t pose a threat to Cadiz and the province.

Laud said the MNLF also set up a camp within a two-hectare property that they acquired through a donation. She did not identify the donor. 

Founded in 1969 by Nur Misuari, the MNLF fought for self-determination until reaching a political settlement with the government in 1996, during the Ramos administration. Misuari subsequently became the third governor of the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), precursor of the present-day Bangsamoro region.

However, in September 2013, the MNLF carried out an armed incursion into Zamboanga City, seeking to raise their flag at Zamboanga City Hall in a bid to declare independence for the Muslim-majority areas in Mindanao. The conflict resulted in a siege lasting weeks, causing significant casualties, displacement of residents, and destruction of property before government forces regained control of the city.

The spokesperson of the Negros Occidental police office, Lieutenant Abigael Donasco, said an intelligence monitoring team was tasked to look into the alleged MNLF recruitment operations given that these have caused people to worry.

“With this case, we still need ample time to conduct an investigation and validation along with our Philippine National Police in Cadiz since it is their area of operation,” she said. 

Lieutenant Colonel J-Jay Javines, spokesperson of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, said the military started to receive pieces of information about the alleged MNLF activities in Negros Occidental, and they were checking if those behind the recruitment were really members of the MNLF. – Rappler.com