House Deputy Speaker and lone Basilan district Rep. Mujiv Hataman. Photo from the congressman’s office
MANILA, Philippines — The “historic” move of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), through the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), to endorse the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo is “a vote for peace and progress in a large area of Mindanao,” a House leader said Wednesday.
House Deputy Speaker and lone Basilan district Rep. Mujiv Hataman believed that aside from the atrocities that happened during martial law, Robredo was able to secure the support of MILF due to the “certainty of peace” in Mindanao under her administration.
House Deputy Speaker and lone Basilan district Rep. Mujiv Hataman believed the MILF is supporting Robredo for president because of the “certainty of peace” in Mindanao under her administration if she wins in the May 9 polls. The MILF had denounced the atrocities that happened during martial law under President Ferdinand Marcos, father of Bongbong Marcos, a rival of Robredo for the presidency.
“Ang UBJP at MILF na mismo ang nagsabi na si VP Leni ang best partner para ma-sustain ang kapayapaan na tinatamasa natin ngayon sa Mindanao,” Hataman said in a statement.
(The UBJP and the MILP themselves have said that VP Leni is the best partner to sustain peace in Mindanao.)
“Kaya naniniwala kami na ang endorsement na ito ay magkakaroon ng domino effect sa maraming lugar hindi lang sa BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) kundi pati sa buong Mindanao,” he added.
(That’s why we believe that this endorsement will have a domino effect in a lot of areas, not just BARMM but the entire Mindanao region.)
READ: Birthday gift: Robredo secures MILF, UBJP endorsement
Hataman said the support for Robredo was not only about the past for the Moros, but also about looking forward to the future.
“Yes, what happened in the past is a contributory factor kasi malupit naman talaga ginawa—towns burned, mosques pillaged at napakaraming masaker ng mga Moro,” said Hataman, referring to the reign of former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., whose son Bongbong Marcos Jr. is now vying for presidency against Robredo.
(Yes, what happened in the past is a contributory factor because what happened was not good—towns burned, mosques pillaged, and there were a lot of massacres of the Moros.)
READ: Leni Robredo is best bet to stop return of family who ‘massacred’ Moros – Hataman
“Pero para sa UBJP at MILF, mas matimbang ang panatilihin ang kapayapaan sa hinaharap. What the future holds is more important, if the interests of the Moros will be protected, if the path of peace is kept, and who can this be entrusted to,” he added.
(But for the UBJP and the MILP, what carries more weight is to ensure the continuity of peace in the future.)
READ: ‘Massacres during Marcos regime gave birth to Moro resistance’
Minister of Education Mohagher Iqbal earlier gave a privilege speech urging his fellow officials to refrain from supporting a candidate who may bring back horrors that the Moro people experienced in the past.
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