MILF takes next step to polls, seeks Comelec nod for party

COTABATO CITY—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has taken the next step to its foray into politics, submitting an application for accreditation at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for a political party formed by MILF leaders and members.

MILF on Tuesday announced that it had already submitted its application for accreditation at the Comelec for the political group United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP).

Sammy Al-Mansoor, MILF’s military chief, did not say when the accreditation documents had been submitted but that the group had already registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), one of the requirements of the Comelec for accreditation.

Al-Mansoor, also UBJP secretary general, said the MILF-led political party’s first task is to campaign for ratification of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which would create a new autonomous system to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The proposed law, if passed by Congress and signed by President Aquino, would be put to a vote in a plebiscite before its provisions, especially on creating a new autonomous region, could be implemented.

The creation of a new autonomous region is the key feature of a peace agreement between MILF and the administration of President Aquino.

Al-Mansoor said UBJP would have a general assembly on Dec. 23-25 which would be open to even non-MILF members.

He said MILF is organizing the assembly “to prove that UBJP is now in business.”

UBJP, he said, would gather at least 25,000 MILF members “to educate them on the country’s electoral system.”

“If we want to sustain this political party, we need to prove that it is really existing,” he said.

MILF had announced the creation of a political party as early as March.

Mohaqher Iqbal, the MILF chief negotiator and chair of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), said the UBJP might affiliate with a national political party.

He said the party would field candidates in the elections that would be held for positions in the future Bangsamoro region.

Al-Mansoor said MILF, through UBJP, is establishing a network of supporters, even as it expects to enlist more community-based volunteers in Basilan, Lanao Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Simeon Datumanong, former Maguindanao representative, said in a paper submitted to members of the House committee studying the BBL that the proposed law would pass legal and constitutional scrutiny.

In his paper, Datumanong said the Constitution allows Congress to determine the kind of government—parliamentary or unitary—for the autonomous region.

“The choice of Congress to create a parliamentary form of government within the Bangsamoro is well within its plenary authority,” said Datumanong’s paper.

“It is an exercise of its absolute legislative discretion and wisdom,” it said.


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MILF to disarm in January

The number of firearms that will be decommissioned by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front will be “much, much more” than what was turned over by Banda Aceh rebels in Indonesia, government chief negotiator Miriam Ferrer said on Wednesday.

“The MILF already submitted a list of all its weapons as well as combatants in a confidential letter to President Benigno Aquino III. The total number of firearms that will be decommissioned will not be like Banda Aceh with only 1,000 firearms. It will be much, much more,” Ferrer said.

Ferrer said the first batch of weapons—55 high-powered firearms and 20 crew-served weapons—will be decommissioned in January.

The MILF also offered to decommission 150 combatants during the symbolic turnover ceremony.

“The decommissioning of the first 150 combatants was a proposal from the MILF. Under the agreement that we signed, the MILF is only required to turnover weapons in the first batch of decommissioning,” Ferrer said.

Ferrer could not yet give a definite date for the ceremony, but said it will be after the visit of Pope Francis in January.

Presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles, for her part, said the government and the MILF are “not quibbling” over numbers in so far as the decommissioning process is concerned.

“Numbers do not matter. What we want is to be able to give the opportunity to as many as possible to start afresh as civilians,” Deles said.

Ferrer said six acknowledged MILF camps will also be turned into productive civilian communities with intervention from various government agencies, led by the Department of Agriculture.

“We will take a look at how to improve the socio-economic conditions in the areas surrounding the MILF base camps,” she said.

“The interventions will be in the form of delivery of quick-impact projects such as farm implements, fishing boats, seedlings, and livestock, among others, to pump prime the livelihood of the communities,” Ferrer added.

Deles, for her part, remained optimistic that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law will be enacted  by Congress within the first quarter of 2015 to ensure that a plebiscite is held by the middle of next year.

“When you’ve gotten to where we’ve gotten, your frame of mind changes. You just want to see this through to the end,” Deles said.


Sumber - Manila Standard Today