RP offers bounty for MILF chiefs, may call off peace talks in KL

RP offers bounty for MILF chiefs, may call off peace talks in KL

Agence France-Presse, Manila

President Gloria Arroyo on Monday offered close to a million-
dollar bounty for leaders of the Philippines' top Moro rebel
group amid hints she may scrap peace talks after a string of
deadly attacks.

"The government has decided to take punitive action against
all the perpetrators of the Siocon terrorist attack and also the
Maigo attack," said Jesus Dureza, a peace negotiator with the
12,500-member Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Some 200 MILF rebels took over the southern mining town of
Siocon on Sunday, seizing hostages and torching the public market
and nearby houses. The attack claimed the lives of 28 people --
10 civilians, seven MILF rebels, six policemen and five soldiers.

Two weeks earlier, MILF rebels also attacked the southern town
of Maigo, killing 16 civilians.

The MILF is waging a 25-year campaign to set up an Islamic
state in the southern third of the mainly Roman Catholic
Philippine islands.

Dureza told reporters at the end of a cabinet meeting convened
by Arroyo that Manila would offer 50 million pesos (US$926,000)
for information leading to the arrest of MILF chairman Hashim
Salamat, rebel commander Ibrahim Murad, and three other MILF
senior officials.

The Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur is scheduled to host the
resumption of exploratory peace talks between Manila and the MILF
after a 14-month break, but Dureza suggested this could now be in
peril.

"In the meantime, since the atmosphere is not conducive to
peace negotiations and since the panel to panel meeting have been
suspended since March 2002, we will remain in the same mode," he
said.

"There will be appropriate action that will be taken to inform
those who have been helping us, like Malaysia and the OIC
(Organization of the Islamic Conference) member-nations."

Dureza said Manila "will just have to work at seeing to it
that similar terrorist activities would not be left unacted on by
the government."

Earlier Monday, Arroyo dispatched hundreds of troops to Siocon
and demanded that the MILF hand over those responsible for the
Siocon raid, which also left dozens wounded.

Hundreds of troops deployed in and around the gutted center of
Siocon on Monday, with military helicopters helping the soldiers
comb hinterland areas where the rebels are suspected to have
fled, journalists on the scene said.

Several dozen villagers were seen huddled and sobbing in a
community center as others sifted through the smoldering rubble
of the public market.

Buildings were pockmarked by bullets and one large hole,
possibly made by a mortar, could be seen in the wall of the
mayor's office.

Siocon mayor Cesar Soriano told AFP by telephone that
authorities were trying to confirm reports from villagers that
the gunmen had beheaded one of three hostages seized from the
town.

Arroyo said the authorities "will go after the perpetrators
and the MILF must turn over to the government without excuses the
perpetrators.

"We will not compromise against terrorism. We will pursue them
wherever they flee. They will not find any sanctuary here or in
any other land."

She said the MILF must undertake "a full renunciation of
terrorism".

Earlier this year, the MILF was accused of ordering the
bombings of two southern Philippine airports and a southern port
that left 39 people dead and more than 200 others wounded. The
group has denied the charges.