MILF: Editorial - MILF’s new role in Marawi City

Editorial posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (Oct 25): Editorial - MILF’s new role in Marawi City

The MILF had done what it must take it to do during the full length of the crisis in Marawi City. The MILF had not failed our brothers and sisters in Marawi City. Only many expected us to do more, but those were beyond our limitations, lest we got the lesser thing in exchange for the bigger issue.

Moreover, we are confident that the MILF had done all things properly in accordance with Islam and in full observance of the parameter of the peace process with Government.

Immediately after May 23 when the siege of Marawi City started, the MILF Central Committee was convened in plenary session to discuss and adopt appropriate measures in response to the crisis. Various decision points were made and two of which were to hold a council of ulamas (learned in Islam) and seek their religious view and advice on the most appropriate action the MILF will have to take and adopt and to request for a meeting of leaders of the MILF and President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, which indeed took place in Davao City on May 29.

The MILF is a revolutionary Islamic organization. As such, it decides on the basis of what is prescribed by Islam and by the rules of engagement agreed with government with third party facilitation, as set forth in signed agreements. It also observes the policy of consultative and collective leadership. Maybe decisions are slower in coming but once they are made they are very firm.

The MILF is not an individual person who oftentimes decides by force of emotion, tribal considerations, or political expediency of familial affiliations.

Deciding and acting are difficult, compared to just making comments. The “tongues have no bones”, which is the translation of a popular Maguindanao precept. As there are no perfect individuals, so are perfect decisions. One can never please everybody. And there are personalities who are only experts in critiquing.

Leaders of the MILF in the Central Committee were borne out of the hard and harsh conflict in Mindanao that exists until now after more than four decades, and therefore, it is safe to say they have the necessary wisdom to make decisions correctly. Blend this with ulama members of the MILF central leadership will leave little doubt that they make the right decisions, as in the Marawi crisis.

In all indications, the Marawi crisis is over; in fact, the government had already made a formal and official announcement that is it over. Surely, the Maute Group “had lost the war” but did the government win it? Our thesis is, it didn’t win the war, for all obvious reasons.

In these rehabilitation efforts, the MILF is set to continue its modest humanitarian intervention as in past months in creating with government the peace corridors which was instrumental in saving the lives of hundreds of civilians trapped in the city and for paving the way for pathways for flow of supplies (and evacuees) from Iligan City to Marawi City and Malabang to Marawi City.

As of now, this new role is not yet determined because representatives of the MILF and government to the Technical Working Group (TWG) which was created as result of the meeting between leaders of the MILF and President Duterte have yet to happen soon. This body will meet and is tasked to make recommendations which will be formally discussed and decided by the two peace implementing panels of government and MILF.

http://www.luwaran.com/news/article/1060/milf---s-new-role-in-marawi-city