MILF to members: Stay out of polls

ZAMBOANGA CITY , Philippines  – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front recently issued orders that prohibit all members of the rebel group’s military and political units from participating directly or indirectly in the May 10 elections.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim approved the order, which was signed and released yesterday by deputy chairman Ghadzali Jaafar.

Kabalu, however, clarified that the MILF would allow civilian supporters of the front to join the elections and campaign in areas considered as rebel territory.

He said the directive was contained in the memorandum order issued Tuesday last week that applies to all officials and regular members of the MILF but the civilian supporters of the rebel groups are not included.

Kabalu said the order was in reiteration of its standing guidelines that restrict MILF officials and members with warnings that any violators would be subjected with punishment under the front’s judicial system.

“The ban is applicable to all the members be they in Sulu, Basilan, western or eastern Mindanao,” Kabalu said.

He said they are discounting the possibility that some members, who have civilian relatives outside the organization engaged in the political exercise, might be enticed to help individually.

“Precisely, we have this strict memorandum for them to be guided accordingly,” Kabalu said.

He, however, said the order would not restrict their members and officials from going out of their camps or in areas where there are known MILF organizations.

Under the latest MILF memorandum, the members are specifically prohibited to participate in political campaigns, rallies, deliver speeches on stage during campaign, solicit campaign funds, and to allow any candidate to use MILF vehicles during the election period.

In the same order posted in its website, the MILF banned the officers and members to participate in the 2010 elections cited the divisiveness and poor credibility of the electoral system of the country.

“This so-called democratic system of choosing leaders is not only divisive and acrimonious and creates animosities and intrigues, but it also failed miserably to produce the best and qualified people to lead the people. Usually, those with ‘gold, guns, and goons’ get elected; and the consequence is a corrupt and strife-torn society is in place,” the statement added.

Forging peace deal

Additionally, the MILF expressed confidence that a final peace agreement would be forged before President Arroyo ends her term of office on June 30.

“We are optimistic something will happen because of the latest developments taking place in the peace process. We are optimistic that a final peace agreement will be signed before President Arroyo will go down from office,” Kabalu told The STAR.

Kabalu said the resumption of the long-stalled peace talks on Dec. 8 to 9, 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was a very positive development.

The peace talks with the MILF collapsed in August 2008 after the proposed Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) was not signed due to the outcry of various sectors.

Efforts were made to bring both parties back to the negotiating table after the Supreme Court declared the MOA-AD unconstitutional.

And after a 16-month impasse, the government and the MILF panels met anew in Kuala Lumpur in a bid to ‘fast- track’ the peace process, hoping that a final peace accord would be signed by March or April.

“What is important here is, we, in the MILF, have remained committed to the peace process,” Kabalu said.

The two panels have also agreed to renew the mandate of the International Monitoring Team to check on the ceasefire on the ground.

The two parties also recently approved the creation of the Civilian Protection Component within the IMT that shall ensure that the protection of civilians would be a priority.