Kabalu: MILF willing to share leadership of 'juridical entity'

MANILA, Philippines — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is willing to share with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and other groups the leadership of Bangsamoro Juridical Entity the group is negotiating with the Philippine government, a rebel official said on Friday. MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said the group is open to a leadership sharing not just with its main rival Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) but to whoever shares the MILF’s ideals. “The MILF is not selfish enough to reject whoever wants to become part of the juridical entity so long as it will redound to the interest of our people," Kabalu said in an interview. He said the initial expression of agreement by MNLF leaders to the “projected" territory of the juridical entity is an indication that accommodation is possible for the MNLF and other groups “for the sake of bringing peace and bringing development in the area." He said the MILF and MNLF will be holding a solidarity conference soon to talk about unity of purpose for the sake of bringing peace and development in the area. He said the conference does not necessarily mean merging the two groups. In the first place, he said, the MNLF has “ceased to exist as a revolutionary organization" since it signed a final peace agreement with Manila. “Hindi na pupwede yung unification nang dalawang organization (a merger of the two groups is not possible) but unity of purpose can be done because it is more of an arrangement between the leaders of the organizations," said Kabalu, who is also the MILF’s civil-military operations chief. Kabalu confirmed a statement of retired general Hermogenes Esperon Jr., presidential adviser on the peace process, that the MILF had agreed to subject the projected coverage of the juridical entity to a plebiscite. The government and MILF peace panels are to meet on July 24 to set a date for the signing of a memorandum of agreement on the critical issue of ancestral domain that the two sides agreed upon in secret talks in Kuala Lumpur early this week. As explained by Esperon on Thursday, the projected territory, which will be considered the ancestral domain of Muslims min Mindanao, includes the “current" Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) plus 712 barangays in the provinces of Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga-Sibugay and Palawan. The ARMM is currently composed of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur including Marawi City, Maguindanao (including Shariff Kabunsuan), Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. On the objections by some politicians over the expanded coverage of the juridical entity’s territory, Kabalu said those who are worried should be reassured by the MILF’s agreeing to a plebiscite. He said the MILF is not opposed to a plebiscite since it is “consultation with the people." GMANews.TV