MILF convenes caucus today

From the Manila Bulletin (Dec 22): MILF convenes caucus today

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is intensifying its entry into the world of Philippine politics with a huge meeting scheduled on December 23 to 24 in Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

An MILF official told the Manila Bulletin yesterday that at least 26,000 participants coming from the areas where the new Bangsamoro entity will be established are expected to attend the caucus.

The huge turnout was assured after key MILF officials pledged to bring their followers and supporters to the event.

This will not include those who will be coming on their own to see for themselves the revolutionary group’s transformation into a political party in preparation for the proposed Bangsamoro new political entity (NPE) which, if the Government of the Philippines (GPH)-MILF peace process roadmap is fulfilled, should have its first election in 2016, the source said.

The MILF has just registered with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) its United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), also headed by MILF Chairman Al-Haji Murad Ebrahim.
 
Sammy Al-Mansour, the chief of staff of the MILFs Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), is UBJP secretary general.

House Bill 4994, the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is currently being threshed out through public hearings to get the sentiment of Filipinos, including those in various parts of the country, not just in Mindanao.

When passed into law, the BBL will implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which covers the establishment of the proposed Bangsamoro Government under the MILF.

As this developed, the leadership of the National Commission of Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) visited the MILF chairman recently in Camp Darapanan, the Secretariat office for the MILF’s peace talks with GPH.

NCMF Secretary Bai Yasmin Busran-Lao led the courtesy call. She is also a member of the GPH peace panel.

http://www.mb.com.ph/milf-convenes-caucus-today/