MILF urges public to support pro-peace candidates

MANILA, Philippines - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday urged the public to support “pro-peace” candidates and to reject those who are “anti-Moro” in the coming elections.

The MILF said the drafting of the Bangsamoro law and the holding of the referendum for its approval would be held within the terms of those who would win in the May polls.

The MILF, along with the candidates in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), is appealing to the people to vote intelligently and choose the candidates who are  pro-peace and reject those who are  anti-Moro.

The group said all candidates except Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founder Nur Misuari are “generally supportive” of the Bangsamoro framework agreement and the peace process.

“This makes the choice very tough for voters,” the MILF said in a statement.

Lobregat was among those who opposed the botched memorandum of agreement on Ancestral Domain in 2008. He is seeking a congressional seat in one of the districts of Zamboanga City.

Misuari, meanwhile, opposes the Bangsamoro framework agreement, saying it violates various agreements like the 1996 final peace agreement with the MNLF. He is running for governor in the ARMM.

The government and the MILF signed the Bangsamoro framework agreement last Oct. 15 to pave way for the creation of a new entity that would replace the ARMM.