The breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Monday said it will not interfere with the national and local elections next month in Maguindanao and will not prevent its followers from voting.
Abu Misry Mama, speaking for the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement (BIFM), also assured candidates that they are free and safe to campaign in their areas.
"As long as the candidates promised to work for the benefit of the Bangsamoro people, we will not oppose it," Mama said, adding that they will help the government conduct a peaceful election in the province.
He said as an organization, the BIFM does not participate in electoral process or do things that will disrupt the peaceful conduct of elections.
"As in the past, we did not participate and we did not disturb the election because that is not our business," Mama said.
Mama stressed that the BIFM will not endorse, campaign for or against a particular candidate.
"Candidates are free to visit our territories in Maguindanao if they want to campaign," he added.
The BIFM, under former MILF brigade commander Ustadz Ameril Umbra Kato, broke away from the mainstream MILF due to ideological differences.
It has been pushing for independence of Mindanao while the MILF agreed to settle for genuine autonomy in Muslim dominated areas in
Mama also said that a lot of candidates have so far conducted campaign sortie in BIFM identified areas in Maguindanao's first and second districts.
He also stressed that the BIFM does not collect any campaign fee unlike the New Peoples Army (NPA).
The BIFM operates in the hinterlands of the towns of Mamasapano, Shariff Aguak, Datu Piang, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Hofer, Sultan sa Barongis, Kabuntalan and SK Pendatun.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=516400
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