MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar. Photograph by Bernard Testa.
A ranking official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front said Sunday’s mis-encounter in Maguindanao between his group and government authorities that resulted in the death of 50 elite policemen should not delay discussions of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, warning that until the measure is enacted, “there is still war, technically,” in Mindanao.
MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar made the comments on Monday as news broke that Senator Ferdinand Marcos, chairman of the Senate committee on local government, cancelled hearings on the proposed BBL in the wake of the clash in Mamasapano town.
“It is not logical for anybody to delay the process of making (the) BBL into law because it will be a disadvantage to all parties concerned, malaking disadvantage ito lalo na sa mamamayan sa area (this will be a huge disadvantage especially to the residents in the area).”
The BBL is a condition of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed last year by the government and MILF to end decades of fighting in the south. The law would create a new autonomous homeland.
“Technically, there is still war in Mindanao because what we have only here now is a ceasefire agreement. That is why there is no shooting on the ground … but there is no solution to the real problem, the real problem in Mindanao and so, until the solution to the real problem in Mindanao is implemented, Mindanao remains as it is,” Jafaar explained.
Security officials said the incident was the offshoot of an attempt by the police Special Action Force to capture Malaysian bomb expert Zulkifli Bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” who has a $5 million bounty from the US, and Basit Usman, a Filipino trained in bomb-making by the Jemaah Islamiya who has a $1 million bounty.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/103795/maguindanao-clash-should-not-delay-bangsamoro-law-discussions---milf-official
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.