Cayetano bares documents showing Marwan’s ‘intimate’ relationship with MILF

Senate Majority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano. Photo courtesy of Cayetano’s Facebook page.

MANILA – Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday disclosed documents from a United States court showing “intimate” relationship of Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

”It is becoming more clear that Marwan has intimate relationship with the MILF and they (MILF) are lying when they said that they did not know and not protecting Marwan,” Cayetano said in a Senate media interview.

According to the warrant of arrest and indictment issued by the US district court in California against Marwan’s brother Rahmat Abdhir, Marwan was hosted by MILF commander Abu Hashim in 2005.

”Here (indictment documents), the US court detailed the e-mails of the two brothers and show Marwan’s relationship to MILF and he was talking with the MILF commanders,” Cayetano said.

The documents showed Marwan’s presence in the Philippines through the money, goods and services allegedly provided by Rahmat to his brother, using a bank account in the name of Normina K. Hashim, from 2006 to 2007.

”Earlier, the commander here told me that the gun dealer in the city has an M203 for sale. The price is 3K USD…this 203 is only available every once in a while,” Marwan told his brother, a US citizen, through e-mail.

The US court documents also mentioned the possible involvement of MILF commander Wahid Tundok in coddling Marwan.

”Commander Wahid says that there is a soldier who wants to sell a new .50 caliber, for USD5,000. He said that he can only afford 2K, and asked to find the remaining 3K…,” Marwan said in one of his e-mails to his brother who addressed him “Hulagu” to avoid being monitored by the authorities.

The court documents also alleged that Marwan conducted trainings in certain areas in Mindanao.

”Last night I taught a course on sniping. Discontinued today because the troops heard and then came spy planes. The guys who were monitoring the radio could hear the troops to report to their commander. The commanders here attended too..,” Marwan emailed to Rahmat on July 3, 2007.

Marwan, an international terrorist who had USD5 million bounty on his head, was killed in the ‘Oplan Exodus’ carried out by the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s Special Action Force (SAF) troopers in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25.

A total of 44 SAF men had also been killed in the operation after they encountered the combined forces of the MILF and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

With the alleged link of the MILF to Marwan, Cayetano urged the Philippine government peace negotiators to look for another group that has sincerity to push for genuine peace in Mindanao.

“Again, all of us want peace and my stand is pushed it through peace process but not with the MILF. Let’s find a group that will really give genuine peace,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano challenged the MILF leadership to come clean and admit their relationship to Marwan.

He also dared the MILF to reveal their factory of weapons and firearms and allow the government to crush them “because it is against the ceasefire agreement.”

”Let us negotiate with another group which will fight for the interest of the Filipinos, Philippines government and not only the interest of the Bangsamoro people,” Cayetano said.

Asked who gave the documents, Cayetano said, “these are public documents that can be searched by anybody.”