MILF remains hopeful draft BBL goes to Congress smoothly

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 26): MILF remains hopeful draft BBL goes to Congress smoothly

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been keeping its hope high the Bangsamoro Basic Law will have a smooth journey from Malacanang to Congress.

In a statement, the MILF said its confidence on President Aquino remains high to date.

It said the BBL has already been submitted to President Aquino who is expected to review it in the light of the letter and spirit of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and its four Annexes, plus the Addendum on the Bangsamoro Waters.

”We don’t doubt the President will exercise his powers of review diligently, fairly, and fully conscious that the BBL should and must address a problem, the Moro Question, and put it to rest forever,” the MILF said.

”This is our conviction. In short, what we mean is that the BBL we envision is one that complies with the flexibility of the Constitution and, more importantly, one that will lead to the resolution of this question. Short of this, the road ahead is not easy to contemplate on,” the MILF said.

The BBL once approved by Congress will be submitted to the people in the Bangsamoro core territory and will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Manila and the MILF signed the peace deal in March this year hoping to end the decades old Moro rebellion in southern Philippines.

The MILF also issued a statement downplaying reports the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) sent fighters to train and fight with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Reports have it that about 100 Filipinos were recruited to fight and train with the ISIS in the Middle East.

”It was unlikely,” the MILF said in its editorial.

“For us, the threat is not in the two groups’ joining the ISIS. Their number is too tiny to be felt and make a difference,” the MILF said. “The threat really comes from the extremism espouses by the ISIS. Ideas are contagious and infectious. Wild ideas are attractive to those who want adventures and pre-occupied with hatred and revenge," the MILF said, adding that the current leadership of the MILF, which is matured, experienced, and reasonable and has done and is doing everything feasible to succeed in this peace undertaking.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=676736