COTABATO CITY, June 30 (PNA) — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has insisted the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Sulu Sultanate and Indigenous Peoples were consulted on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) before it was finalized and submitted to Malacanang.
In a statement posted on its website luwaran.com, the MILF said those who claimed they were not consulted were not telling the truth.
“Such claim is ‘cheap and outright lies,” the MILF said.
“It is very unfortunate that there are so many so-called political leaders and religious personalities, who can lie with heads high, as if they are telling the truth,” it added.
The group maintained that the government, Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) which drafted the BBL, Civil Society Organizations, Non-Government Organizations, MILF Committee on Information and Political Committee and the Bangsamoro Leaderships and Management Institute (BLMI) have conducted hundreds of consultation with various sectors in Mindanao.
It added the GPH alone has participated in about 553 consultations.
It explained that MNLF is made up of at least five factions of the Nur Misuari-led group, MNLF Committee of 15 led by Chairman Muslimin Sema, the MNLF faction chaired by Abulkhair Alonto, the MNLF-Islamic Command Council spearheaded by Mujahab Hashim, and another MNLF sub-group anchored by Alvarez Isnaji.
The MILF said what is more important was all these factions radiate with the MILF through the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF) organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The last meeting which witnessed the fraternal bond and close coordination between and among these groups was held last May 28 where MILF Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim addressed the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Conference in Kuwait.
“On top of these, the OIC has endorsed the BBL as solution to the Moro Question or Problem in Mindanao,” it said.
The MILF has a direct line of communication with Misuari which was eventually cut after the Zamboanga siege in September 2013, the MILF said.
Since Misuari has already reverted to the pursuit of independence instead of autonomy, consultation was no longer necessary, the group added.
“Likewise, the Sultanate of Sulu has nine claimants, some of whom are supporting the peace process. Of these, only the faction led by the late Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III has been intense in their opposition to the BBL,” the MILF said.
For the IPs, the MILF said, the group was part of the negotiations and in crafting of the BBL. The late B’laan lawyer Datu Antonio Kinoc was an alternate member of the MILF Peace panel.
It said BTC have two IP representatives from the Teduray tribe, Melanio Ulama and Froilyn Mendoza. Commissioner Ulama is also an MILF Peace panel consultant on IP affairs.
“Notwithstanding this, consultations with the IPs were so many, in all levels of engagements. As a matter of fact, the provisions on IPs in the BBL were crafted by IPs themselves,” the MILF added. (PNA)