SEARCHING FOR ‘BATO’: MILF, MNLF deny coddling fugitive senator

National

THE Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) denied insinutaions that some of their commanders were coddling Sen. Ronald dela Rosa.

MILF officials earlier refuted some online posts showing one of its senior leaders, Abdullah Macapaar, appearing to provide refuge to Dela Rosa.

Macapaar is a former member of the interim Bangsamoro parliament that got replaced with a duly organized 80-member regional lawmaking body, composed of lawmakers elected during the autonomous region’s Sept. 14 elections.

MNLF and MILF leaders in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte described insinuations that they are coddling Dela Rosa as reposterous. They said these insinuations are meant to malign both organizations.

Dela Rosa is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for his alleged role in former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.

Duterte has been in detention in The Hague since March. He is awaiting trial for alleged crimes against humanity.

Dela Rosa went into hiding in May when reports came out that he was to be arrested on orders of the ICC.(MyTVCebu)