MILF to join welcome for Gaddafi's son in Manila

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will send a five-man team to Manila to welcome the son of Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi upon his arrival Wednesday afternoon. In a statement on its website, the MILF said its delegation will relay to Saif Al-Islam Al-Gaddafi its position on the issue of unity. While the MILF said security reasons prevented it from naming the members of its delegation, it described the composition as "geographically well-balanced." It said the members include one each from Lanao, Basilan, Sulu, and Maguindanao and Cotabato City. MILF deputy spokesman Khaled Musa said that while the MILF favors unity, the main thing is "how to bring about that unity that is genuine and lasting." Musa said that while the MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) can sign a unity declaration, this can be "hollow and superficial." An advisory posted on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) website said arrival ceremonies for the young Gaddafi will be held at the Villamor Air Base at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Al-Gaddafi is president of the Gaddafi International Foundation for Charity Associations. The MILF said the young Gaddafi went to Sultan Kudarat town in Sharif Kabunsuan in 1999 during one of the early talks of the MILF and the government. He relayed and reiterated at the time his father's commitment to the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Mindanao. He also paid a courtesy call to the late MILF chairman Salamat Hashim at Camp Abubakar As-Siddique, the largest MILF camp in Mindanao. Libya has representatives to the International Monitoring Team (IMT) monitoring and enforcing the ceasefire between the MILF and the Philippine government. The IMT also has as members Malaysia, Brunei, Japan, and Canada. - GMANews.TV