MILF, MNLF declare support for Leni, Sara
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front and a faction of the Moro Nationalist Liberation Front on Saturday evening announced their support for Vice President Leni Robredo and for Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, presidential and vice-presidential bets from rival slates.
In a joint statement, MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and MNLF Chairman Muslimin Sema said the decision was compelled by the primacy of the peace process in the southern Philippines.
Al Haj Murad Ebrahim is the nom de guerre of Ahod Ebrahim, chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao that was created to implement the MILF’s peace agreement with the government.
The initially secessionist MNLF and MILF were formed during the Marcos dictatorship and region bore witness to heavy fighting as well as numerous documented abuses by the military.
The MILF and MNLF leadership said their decision to support Robredo was based on “the Bangsamoro peace process, the full implementation of the peace agreements and, most importantly, the interest of the Bangsamoro people.”
Referring to Robredo, they said that “only one candidate has come out in the open declaring her commitment to sustaining the gains of the Bangsamoro Peace Process.”
In contrast, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., was chair of the Senate local government committee that held hearings on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law in 2015.
Marcos opposed the passage of the bill that would have created the BARMM and which had to be refiled during the Duterte administration.
Suspended lawyer Larry Gadon, a member of Marcos’ senatorial slate, has gone on record to say that the 1968 Jabidah Massacre that sparked Muslim Independence Movement is fake.
He also said in 2016 that he would be willing, if appeals for peace fail, to have the military “kill them all... burn their houses... wipe out their clans.”
“[The] MILF and MNLF leaderships also agree to commonly and strongly support the candidacy of Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio as Vice President of the [Government of the Republic of the Philippines],” the joint statement read.
Marcos has been leading in pre-election surveys and the groups said they are “aware of the political consequences of this declaration” but said the primacy of the peace process compelled them to be “unequivocal on the choice of presidency.”
MNLF Founding Chairman Nur Misuari, who is associated with a separate faction, has declared support for Marcos.
The MILF and its United Bangsamoro Justice Party endorsed Robredo in April but did not say at the time which candidate for vice president they were supporting.