MILF leader: Marwan really dead

MANILA, Philippines - A top leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) maintained on Monday that Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Adhir, alias Marwan, has been killed in the operations in Maguindanao that left 44 police commandos killed.

“Our intelligence community has confirmed that he is dead,”  said Mohagher Iqbal, chief negotiator of the MILF,  in an interview at the Senate.

Iqbal debunked the claims of the MNLF spokesman who maintained that Marwan is still alive.

“That’s an MNLF spokesman under Nur Misuari. He is not in anyway related or connected with MILF. I cannot comment on his remarks,” the MILF leader said.

Fontanilla challenged the government to get a DNA report from an independent body to prove that Marwan was indeed the man slain during the raid.

Marwan is a Malaysian bomb maker with a $5-million bounty from the United States government. He was the high-value target, along with Basit Usman, in the operation of the PNP-SAF in Mamasapano.

The MILF leader refused to comment on reports that the United States (US) is providing the Philippines with intelligence information on the whereabouts of the fugitive terrorist. “I cannot comment on that. But they already said that on the retrieval efforts, they are helping,” he said, referring to the US troops assistance being limited to retrieval operations after the incident.

He added there is also no report reaching their camp on the US soldier reportedly wounded during the Mamasapano clash. “Wala, wala. So far, none,” Iqbal said.

There have been doubts on Marwan's death despite pronouncements by both the administration and the MILF. He was reported killed in a military operation in 2012, only to surface anew in other parts of Mindanao, military intelligence reports said.