MILF weapons factory in Maguindanao?

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano yesterday accused the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of manufacturing its own weapons, including high-powered firearms that were used in the firefight in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

Cayetano grilled MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal over the machineries and vast armaments supposedly maintained by the MILF despite engaging in peace talks with the government.

The senator cited an address in Barangay Katol, General Salipada Pendatun, Maguindanao as an alleged site of a weapons manufacturing facility of the MILF.

“Can you tell me why this address is significant? Isn’t this the address of the place where the MILF manufactures firearms?” Cayetano asked.

During the hearing, the lawmaker showed a photograph of a Barrett M107 .50 caliber sniper rifle, which has a maximum range of two kilometers.

The photograph was lifted from a website www.inetres.com  on M107 infantry.

“This is the one that killed and shattered the skull of many of our SAF commandos. Each of this costs from P750,000 to P1,000,000,” Cayetano said in Filipino.

“A two-month training is not enough because the effective range of this .50 caliber weapon is two kilometers,” he said.

Cayetano also mentioned the Bangsamoro Military Industries (BMI), which has three weapons factories.

Before this, Cayetano showed a portion of the report of the Armed Forces of the Philippines showing a recap on armed groups in Mamasapano.

The slide identified the threat groups as the MILF, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Moro National Liberation Front and private armed groups, which have 631 members and 626 weapons.

The location of the threat groups was scattered in the computer-generated map. The positions of the SAF teams deployed for the operations were also pinpointed in the diagram.

Iqbal denied any knowledge of the factory or any existing BMI.

Cayetano pestered Iqbal with questions on the alleged existence of an MILF “academy” in Maguindanao where Malaysian bomb-maker Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, took refuge during a previous operation.

The MILF negotiator confirmed the MILF used to have an academy in Camp Abubakar, but it no longer exists.

Relieved SAF commander Getulio Napeñas said there was no confirmation of the academy although he had heard the same reports.