Philippine Muslim rebels protests members' arrest

The Philippines' largest Muslim rebel group issued protests Monday over several members' arrests related to bombings, warning they could hurt efforts to end two decades of separatist rebellion. Police said they had filed an illegal possession of explosives complaint against four suspects, including two identified by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, or MILF, as its members. The MILF posted a statement on its Web site saying the arrests last week of four MILF members "are (a) prohibited hostile act" that constitutes "a blatant violation" of a cease-fire agreement signed by the government. The statement said the MILF cease-fire committee, headed by Von al Haq, filed a protest Monday with its government counterpart, citing the arrest of MILF members in the southern cities of Cotabato and Zamboanga.