MILF eyes political party in future polls

WAIT AND SEE Members of the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) line up inside their camp in Datu Saudi, Maguindanao, as the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) agreed on a peace framework. Leaders of the BIFF, which broke away from the MILF, have adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward the peace process. JEOFFREY MAITEM/INQUIRER MINDANAO

MANILA, Philippines – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front   (MILF) is planning to form a political party that will run in future elections, an official told Radyo Inquirer 990AM Monday.

With the new peace agreement reached with the government, MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghazali Jaafar said his group has yet to discuss the options that are now available for them.

“What is definite is that magtatayo ang MILF ng isang (the MILF will form a) political party. Itong (This) political party will engage in our future elections,” Jaafar said.

By 2016, the MILF official said a new Bangsamoro government might be ready to replace the  present Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

‘It’s the  beginning of the  end  (in) Mindanao conflict because it will address the Bangsamoro issue, which is the cause of war in  Mindanao,” he said.

“Kaya masaya ang buong Mindanao, maaring ang buong  Pilipinas lalo na kaming mga Bangsamoro sapagkat nakuha din natin itong political settlement sa mapayapang pamamaraan (That’s why the  entire Mindanao is happy, probably the entire Philippines specially the Bangsamoro  because  we finally achieved  this political settlement  peacefully),”  Jaafar said.

He quickly clarified though that the agreement was not exclusive to the MILF, saying it was “inclusive everybody.”

“Lahat ng Bangsamoro people. Ito’y para sa  buong sambayanan ng Bangsamoro irregardless kung ano mang organisasyon na kinasasapian ng bawat isa. Hindi ito para sa amin lamang, ito ay para sa Bangsamoro (All Bangsamoro people. This is for  all  Bangasamoro people irregardless  of their organizations. This is not only for us, this is for Bangsamoro),” Jaafar stressed.

As peace talks continued between the two parties, the MILF official said the group will not stop or oppose the holding  of  ARMM elections in May , 2013.

“Hindi namin tinutulan yun. Ang tinututulan lang namin yung mga kandidato na walang palabra de onor, mahilig lang sa progpaganda. Yun ang tinutulan naming (We don’t oppose it. What we oppose are those candidates who have no word of honor and are fond  of propaganda. That is what we oppose),” Jaafar added.