| KL HACKLES ACT
OVER ARMS REPORT By Charmaine C. Deogracias
and Joel San Juan
MALAYSIA reacted angrily to the Armed Forces' (AFP) claim of
an alleged arms deal, reportedly forged in the neighboring Southeast Asian country,
between North Korea and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
A ranking diplomat told THE MANILA TIMES the Philippine government should be raising the
issue officially instead of going straight to media.
Yet, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) seemed equally in the dark. Foreign Affairs
Secretary Domingo Siazon Jr. said he had not even heard of the report.
The DFA will make representations with both Malaysia and North Korea only after it has
verified the report, Siazon added.
"If the report is true, we'll think about it. But there's commitment from North Korea
that they'll respect our internal situation," Siazon said when asked of the
implications of the report to the pending diplomatic ties eyed with Pyongyang.
Diplomatic ties
Philippine Ambassador to Seoul Juanito Jarasa told TMT, however, that such a report could
torpedo the pending diplomatic relations set to be formalized between North Korea and the
Philippines next month.
The Philippines delayed the establishment of ties with Pyongyang because the communist
regime had earlier supported local insurgents, even provided training for elite units of
the New People's Army (NPA).
Malaysia was more rattled by the report.
"This is a very serious accusation. If this is verified, the Philippine government
should protest the matter or tell us about it so we can help," a top official of the
Malaysian Embassy told TMT in a telephone interview.
He stressed his government had not received any word from Manila about the alleged arms
deal, nor the presence of MILF leaders in Kuala Lumpur, where the foreign ministers of the
Organic of Islamic Conference (OIC) are scheduled to meet on June 29.
"Malaysia is a free country, just like the Philippines. No visa is required to enter
KL," the diplomat said.
"If there might be a group doing business somewhere there maybe in hotels, how would
we know such a private transaction, just as your government would not know who are doing
something in some hotels here," he added.
MILF problem
Palace officials, meanwhile, told TMT that Malaysian Ambassador Mohammad Arshad bin
Manzoor Hussein met yesterday noon with National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre on the
MILF problem.
The envoy reportedly "strongly reiterated" Malaysia's non-recognition of the
country's rebel group.
Hussein appeared "irked" about being "repeatedly asked to give his
reassurance," the sources said. The Malaysian, they added, insisted his country does
not recognize the MILF and "will never support them."
Press Secretary Ricardo Puno Jr. gave credence to the AFP claim.
"They (military officials) know about it, they have taken steps to make sure that any
plan to bring in arms are going to be frustrated," he told reporters.
He also hinted at a backlash against rebels. "Any attempts to bring in arms will be
inconsistent with the posture that we are talking peace," Puno said.
Siazon himself said the report, once verified, could have serious repercussions for the
country's ties with Malaysia.
The Abu Sayyaf hostage crisis in Sulu and ongoing government
operations against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have already strained
relations between Kuala Lumpur and Manila.
Malacañang has tried to get Malaysia's commitment to back the
government as guest in the OIC conference. It also wants Kuala Lumpur's help in defeating
two draft resolutions-one calling for a halt to attacks against the MILF and the other
urging postponement of polls and a plebiscite on expanded autonomy for Muslim Mindanao.
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