Misuari rallies followers to vote for Bro. Eddie

The founding chair of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) over the weekend rallied his followers to ensure victory for Bangon Pilipinas standard bearer and evangelist Eduardo Villanueva. "Ipunin natin ang lahat ng boto ng Mindanao para kay Bro. Eddie Villanueva, [running mate] Bro. Jun Yasay at lahat ng kasama nila sa Bangon Pilipinas (Let us gather Mindanao's votes for Bro. Eddie Villanueva, Bro. Jun Yasay and all Bangon Pilipinas candidates)," a statement from the party quoted Misuari as saying on Sunday. Earlier, Misuari pledged to give Bangon Pilipinas about five million votes. Misuari, who is runing as Sulu governor under the Bangon Pilipinas banner, made the request to about 200,000 MNLF leaders and supporters who went to the group's summit in Davao City. For his part, Villanueva vowed to establish peace in Mindanao should he win for president. The religious leader first ran for president in 2004 but was a cellar-dweller in the five-way race won by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Besides establishing the MNLF — a secessionist rebel group that later signed a peace pact with the government — Misuari was also the first governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Misuari’s stint as ARMM governor from 1996 to 2001 was marred with controversies, with the so-called MNLF’s Council of 15, accusing him of incompetence while as governor of ARMM. On November 2001, on the eve of ARMM elections, Misuari accused the government of reneging on the peace agreement. He supposedly ordered attacks in Sulu and Zamboanga City, where more than 100 people were killed. He subsequently escaped by boat to Malaysia where he was later arrested and deported to the Philippines. He was charged with rebellion and was out on bail. A Makati court dismissed the rebellion charges last December 2009. During the MNLF's Freedom Day celebration in Zamboanga del Sur last March 18, Misuari and Villanueva raised their arms together. The former also vowed to give Villanueva and his ticket five million votes. Bangon Pilipinas campaign manager Lyndon Cana expressed confidence that Villanueva would win the May 10 elections. "Our conservative calculation is a minimum of 17 million votes for Bro. Eddie and Bangon Pilipinas' dream team," he said. Cana also said "the swing vote" would come from Mindanao, which the party considers its "geographical bailiwick." - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV