More classrooms for MNLF children

BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi - - The members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), representing the 57-strong pan-Islamic states, assured  the children of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)   on Wednesday of more classrooms and encouraged them to pursue peace when they grow up.

This, more or less, is the message delivered by the 10 ambassadors and attachés of the OIC member countries based in Manila as they made their visit to the three sites where the government initiated Pamana programs for the  MNLF communities are implemented.

The visit was part of the group's assessment  of the intervention programs implemented by the Philippine government pursuant to the  1996 peace agreement.

Observers here believe the presence of the OIC member countries could also affect the outcome of the meeting of  the OIC Secretary General with the MNLF and its breakaway faction Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on June 19 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The OIC has summoned the two largest Muslim insurgent factions to unite them and bring a common representative for the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao.

During the visit at a school named after martyred MNLF leader Dais Yusop, Egypt Ambassador Mahmoud Mostafa Ahmed Mohamed committed to talk with his government for the construction of three classrooms.

“We will give three more classrooms, but no war when you grow up,” said Mahmoud to children during a brief interaction inside the classroom.

The teachers and students were  also surprised  when Libyan Attaché for Media and Culture Idris  Tayeb Lamin committed and made an outright purchase of 15 electric fans and two water dispensers from his own money after seeing the school children sweating owing to sweltering heat.

"That’s the way to do it with no lip service, if we want people to embrace peace,” Lamin told newsmen later following the site visitation of the projects which include a health center and farm to market road project, implemented under the Pamana program.

The OIC- member country delegates said the programs of the Office of the Presidential Assistant in the Peace Process (OPAPP) to help alleviate poverty in MNLF communities are  encouraging.

“As we always says peace will only prevail where there are economic gains and dividends. What we have seen today is very encouraging,” Mahmoud, who led the OIC delegates told newsmen in a briefing.

Mahmoud said that while the projects do not represent all what they wanted to see and achieve,  these are "very important" steps to spread "the dividends of peace to the poor and to all
 strata of people.”

“As we always say peace will only prevail where there are economic gains and dividends,” he added.

The OIC delegates also met in a closed door meeting with the MNLF under the Tawi-Tawi state revolutionary committee.

But before the meeting, Laurel Tahir, chair of the MNLF Tawi-Tawi state revolutionary committee, said they support the full implementation of the 1996 peace agreement and the Bangsamoro agreement.

He said what is needed is to push the livelihood programs to boost the income of the MNLF dependents.

Amrudin Salahuddin alias Commander Amluh, another MNLF leader who fought during the  longest and bloodiest battle at Barangay Karundong, said the MNLF has accepted the Bangsamoro agreement as long as it will deliver  what they have aspired for the Muslim community in the region.

The OIC members said the development they have seen in the MNLF communities in this province encouraged them to visit other former rebel communities in the near future.

“I can say my government is interested in helping and assisting our fellow Muslims in Tawi-Tawi and in short time we would be seeing more things coming from Egypt to this place,” Mahmoud added. - Roel Pareño