If polls are held today, MILF says it is ready

COTABATO CITY – If elections are held today, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) is ready and will make history, a ranking MILF official said today.

Sammy Al
Mansoor, secretary general of an MILF political party formed ahead of the
coming of new political entity in southern Philippines, said the party is
called United Bangsamoro Justice Party.

UBJP was
formed based on unity and justice among Moro people,” Mansoor said over the
weekend.

The MILF,
since its birth in 1977, has never recognized Philippine electoral processes
and never participated in it as an organization. However, it did not prevent its men and
sympathizers from supporting local political candidates.

We are
already recognized by the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission,” he
added. We are working on the accreditation from the Comelec (Commission on
Elections),” Mansoor said.

Mansoor said
MILF chieftain Al Haj Mohammad Murad is the party executive chair and
president.

Ghadzali
Jaafar, currently MILF vice chair for political affairs, is the party chair in
Maguindanao, with Maamor Estino for Western Mindanao, Hussein Munoz for Eastern
Mindanao, Alim Alim Solaiman for Northern Mindanao and MOhaqher Iqbal, MILF
chief negotiator, for Southern Mindanao.

On Tuesday, at
least 25,000 volunteers will gather at the MILF’s main base, Camp Darapanan in
Barangay Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguidanao.

The gathering
will prove to Comelec and SEC that UBJP really exists,” he told reporters
Thursday. We are expecting more than that number because they are the young
and determined to have voice in the BAngsamoro government,” he added in
Filipino.Mansoor said
the plebiscite next year about the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is a litmus test
for the Bangsamoro people.

This is
really the intention why we rush up to make the party established now because
of that plebiscite next year,” Mansoor said of the BBL.

He said the
new political party is open to all. We are open and will accept politicians
who would like to join us provided they abide by our policies,” he said.

We are open
to an ally with the Liberal Party (LP),” he added. LP is President Aquino’s political party and
the ruling in the country’s political landscape.

When asked how
can the MILF act like a political party with its armed wing, the Bangsamoro
Islamic Armed Forces still exists, Mansoor saidand Speaking of armed wing, di ba
may pinag usapan dyan sa agreement sa normalization, and this is the subject
now of the normalization yung armed wing namin, so after yung Bangsamoro
Transition Authority, yung armed wing ng MILF ay wala nay un, yung MILF as an
organization will still be intact pero yung military activities ay wala nay un
(The BIAF is a foregone conclusion because of the normalization process as
stated in the PH-MILF peace accord, the MILF will stay but its armed wing will
no longer exist),” Mansoor stressed. (Ferdinandh Cabrera)