MILF wants to join Duterte administration in fight vs drugs

OZAMIZ CITY—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is open to collaborating with the administration of President Duterte in the campaign against illegal drugs.

This developed as Mr. Duterte disclosed on Thursday the web of individuals allegedly running the illicit drugs trade in the country.

In November last year, the MILF central committee issued a directive to its political and military leaders  to help curb the brisk trading in “shabu” in Moro communities in Mindanao. But this was met with  objections from government security agencies fearing that this would breach the ceasefire accord between the government and the MILF.

“With the election of Duterte as president of this country and his hardline policy on drugs, the campaign of the MILF against drugs finds comfort,” read a recent editorial on the MILF’s official website.

“In fact, a possible understanding or arrangement can be worked out. This can be done through the existing mechanisms of the peace process, such as the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (Ahjag) and the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH),”  the group said.

The MILF, which forged a peace pact with the government in 2014, said it was compelled to launch the anti-shabu campaign as “the drug menace is already destroying the future of the Bangsamoro people and hence should be confronted head on.”

The group said it had “identified hundreds to thousands of drug pushers, especially in central Mindanao” through the campaign which, it added, already “achieved some successes… and saved so many users or addicts from further destruction.” Ryan D. Rosauro, Inquirer Mindanao