Erap, Drilon unfazed by fatwa ruling from Ulama

Former President Joseph Estrada and re-electionist Sen. Franklin Drilon are not bothered by the issuance of fatwa against them by a council of Muslim scholars. Fatwa is a religious edict declaring them “enemies of Islam." “I have no plans of talking to them [council]. My only vision and program is to have a permanent solution towards peace and order in Mindanao," said Estrada who, as president, declared an all-out war against Moro rebels in Mindanao. He likewise said he does not regret waging an all-out military offensive against the Moro rebels nor does he plan on changing his plan of action should he gets elected back to Malacañang in the May 10 elections. Drilon and vice presidential bet Sen. Manuel Roxas II were also slapped with a fatwa for their strong opposition to the aborted Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF believed that the MOA-AD, which establishes the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity equivalent to an autonomous state, could have been the key to finally achieving peace in the conflict-ridden southern Philippines.

Part of politics But Drilon, in an interview aired over GMA News’ “24 Oras," reiterated his stand against the MOA-AD and dismissed the fatwa, saying “it is part of politics." Roxas could not be reached as of posting time, but in the same newscast, Lorenzo Tañada II, the spokesman of the Liberal Party where Roxas is a member, said they are hoping that the council would reconsider the fatwa, and that the party is open to a dialogue with them to resolve the problems in Mindanao. UP Institute of Islamic Studies Prof. Julkipli Wadi meanwhile said while the fatwa can only have the effect of a law in Islamic states like Saudi Arabia, the edict would nevertheless influence the voting behavior of Filipino Muslims. “Definitely it will have an effect. The ulama [Islamic scholars] are respected personalities in the country. What they say does have weight and will probably be heeded by majority of Muslim voters not only in Mindanao, but in other parts of the country as well," Wadi said. MILF denies issuing fatwa As this developed, the MILF having a hand in the issuance of the fatwa against the three candidates. “The religious group is not the MILF and it is unfair to say the MILF issues such fatwa," said Khaled Musa, deputy chair of the MILF committee on information, in an article posted on the group’s official Web site. He, however, said they “understand" how the council feels when it issued the edict. “The Moros do not want Estrada to become president again," Musa said in the article. He, however, refused to comment on the inclusion of Drilon and Roxas. - KBK, GMANews.TV