Drilon: Opposing illegal MOA-AD doesn't make me anti-Muslim

MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party senatorial candidate Frank Drilon dismissed yesterday as “untrue, unfair and absurd” allegations that he and LP vice presidential candidate Mar Roxas were being “anti-peace and anti-Muslim” when they campaigned against the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panels in 2008.

Reacting to reports, Drilon vehemently denied that he was motivated by a bias against Muslims when he opposed the MOA-AD two years ago.

 “We opposed the controversial MOA-AD on constitutional grounds and not because we don’t want the peace processes in Mindanao to succeed. And most certainly, Sen. Mar Roxas and I are not anti-Muslims,” Drilon said, reacting to the statement of a religious leader in Marawi City who accused him, Roxas and former President Joseph Estrada of allegedly being biased against Muslims

He said that among his very close friends are Muslims “and we go a long way back to our law schools days in the University of the Philippines.”

He said that when he was justice secretary during the administrations of Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, he served as consultant to the peace process commission that held talks with Muslim and communists rebel groups.

Earlier, a certain Shiekh Jamil Datu Haron Yahya, said to be chairman of the Marawi City-based Muslim Concerned Citizens, accused Estrada of being responsible for the government’s all-out war policy against the MILF in 2000 and that Drilon and Roxas petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify the MOA-AD in 2008.

Drilon said the Supreme Court, in its ruling nullifying the MOA-AD, specified that all further peace negotiations between the government and rebel groups must be conducted with transparency and public consultation as well as respect for the Constitution and the country’s territorial integrity.

Should LP presidential candidate Sen. Benigno Aquino III win in the May elections, Drilon said the “LP was prepared to support any proposition that will give the fullest of autonomy to the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).”

Drilon also supported the suggestion of former justice secretary and Lakas-Kampi senatorial candidate Silvestre Bello for the creation of a permanent and independent peace commission that will negotiate with the NDF and the MILF.

Drilon also welcomed the statements of both the government and the MILF panels that met in Malaysia recently that they were prepared to continue with the peace negotiations under the incoming administration.

Drilon earlier urged President Arroyo to leave the task of forging a peace agreement with the MILF to the country’s next president. He said the Arroyo administration should accept the fact that it failed to find a lasting solution to the Mindanao problem and should leave the job to the next administration.