ligan lone district Rep. Frederick Siao on Thursday asked Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Al-Hajj Ebrahim Murad “not to play the ISIS card” even as the House of Representatives endeavors to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
Murad Ebrahim, chairman of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
(AFP PHOTO / TED ALJIBE / MANILA BULLETIN)
This, after Murad reportedly identified Iligan and Cotabato as possible targets of a terrorist attack like the one launched in Marawi City last year in case the BBL doesn’t get Congress’s nod.
“As the Representative of Iligan City, I am deeply concerned about the statement of MILF Chairman Al-Hajj Ebrahim Murad that Iligan City and Cotabato may already be targets of terrorist groups for a sequel of their siege of Marawi City, in case the Bangsamoro Basic Law fails to pass,” Siao said in statement.
It can be recalled that Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) inspired Maute gunmen to occupy Marawi without warning on May 23, 2017. This sparked a grueling door-to-door campaign by government troops, who managed to liberate the city later in October.
Marawi sustained billions of pesos worth of damages, not to mention a forever damaged psyche.
While Siao said that he had since confirmed from military and defense officials that Iligan and Cotabato aren’t under any imminent terrorist threat, he still hoped that Murad would talk to the same officials first before speaking to the media.
“The concern of the esteemed MILF chairman for the welfare of Iligan and Cotabato is much appreciated, but I also hope he would first confer with top officials of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), DND (Department of National Defense), and DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) instead of first making such statements to the news media,” he said.
“Let me take this opportunity to assure Chairman Al-Hajj Murad that there is a good base of support in Congress for the passage of the proposed BBL and so there is no need to play the ISIS card while the BBL goes through the legislative process,” added Siao, who is a vice chairman of the Committee on Tourism.
The enabling law of a 2014 agreement between the Philippine government and secessionist group MILF, the proposed BBL primarily aims to usher in a period of peace and prosperity in Mindanao with the creation of a Bangsamoro juridical entity.
The Bangsamoro will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or ARMM.
The previous draft BBL–although aggressively pushed by the previous Aquino administration–failed to get the Congress approval due to its alleged plethora of unconstitutional provisions.
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, President Rodrigo Duterte’s top lieutenant in the legislature, has repeatedly said that the Lower Chamber would conduct exhaustive discussions on the proposed statute in the current 17th Congress. In fact, committee hearings are being held about the BBL nearly every session day.
“Congress is simply in the process of ironing out the details to significantly increase the BBL’s success factors during the implementation phase,” Siao said.
He said that his city is still reeling from the effects of the Marawi siege last year.
“Iligan is one of the most progressive cities in Mindanao and is still recovering from the impact of the Battle of Marawi. The extension of Martial Law in Mindanao has helped stabilize the peace and order situation, as well as business confidence in Iligan and all over Mindanao.”
Siao in the same statement hailed government troops and police for being steadfast in their defense of Mindanao against all security threats.
“Their commitment to their duty has earned the admiration and respect of Iliganons,” he said.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/02/22/milf-told-dont-play-isis-card-amid-bbl-talks/
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