From the MILF Website (Jan 20): Advocacy on Framework Agreement set in Sulu today
A large number of people is expected to participate in an advocacy on the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) at an MILF camp named Angilan, Omar town in Central Sulu. According to organizers, people started to arrive at the venue as early as yesterday from the surrounding municipalities including the town of Jolo. Invited as resource speakers were members of the MILF peace panel. However, their presence is most unlikely given the fact that by the time the advocacy takes place, all members of the MILF peace panel are in Kuala Lumpur for their 35th exploratory talks with the Philippine government negotiators.
The advocacy is timed with the graduation of hundreds of graduates for members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) and Central Sulu provincial police force. Their training had started two months ago and those who made it, after a theoretical and actual training, joined the graduation rites. The MILF has one front command for Western Mindanao, which is equivalent to one division. A division is made up of four brigades, and each brigade is made up of four or five battalions. In terms of manpower, the MILF front command is equivalent to government divisions but in terms of firepower, it is below the standard as in conventional army.
Sulu, which used to be an MNLF country, is now a bastion of the MILF after both civilians and combatants by the hundreds are joining the MILF after the signing of the FAB in Manila last October 15. Two of the eight members of the Transition Commission (TC) nominated by the MILF came from Western Mindanao particularly Sulu and Basilan. The rest, including one member of the indigenous tribe, are from Lanao, Davao, Cotabato, and Maguindanao. Their names will be released soon to the public after President Benigno III would have appointed them.
http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3051:advocacy-on-framework-agreement-set-in-sulu-today&catid=31:general&Itemid=41
The MILF wants to project the image that as an organization it is increasing its strength in the Sulu region, an area that has traditionally been the stronghold of the rival Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). This would appear to be part of an MILF effort to demonstrate that the group has a strong presence throughout Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago and thus is capable of representing/governing all of the Moro people. As a result, there is a tendency on the part of MILF propagandists to exaggerate the group's overall strength/influence in the Sulu archipelago.
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