Moro Islamic Liberation Front First Vice Chairman and chairperson of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, Ghadzali Jaafar speaking to reporters during the commemoration of the third year of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro on March 29, 2017. A program was held at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Lanang, Davao City two days after the official date of the signing of the CAB. The CAB was signed on March 27, 2014. (Zea Io Ming C. Capistrano/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has formed an adhoc committee to study the causes of Moro radicalism.
Ghazali Jaafar, MILF first vice chairman and chair of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, announced Wednesday that the MILF central committee has formed the adhoc committee which includes all intelligence units of the MILF.
“The purpose is to study the causes of Moro radicalism,” he said during the media forum coinciding the celebration for the 3rd anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Lanang here.
“After we discuss it, we are going to report the findings to the central committee and formulate a plan,” Jaafar said.
The Moro leader said even when there is a ceasefire between the government and the MILF, there are still groups who continue to wage war. He mentioned that there are “5 or 6” radical groups in Mindanao, including Maute, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and the Abu Sayyaf Group.
He said “there is no guarantee to stop this” unless an acceptable Bangsamoro Basic Law is passed.
“The guns of the Abu Sayyaf, BIFF, and the Maute are continuously firing and there is no guarantee to stop this… except merong Bangsamoro Basic Law na tatanggapin nila. Kapag ang BBL na ipapasa ng Congress ay hindi nila tanggapin, I doubt whether we can convince them, lalo na yung ASG,” Jaafar said.
Jaafar stressed “this Maute, BIFF and other groups…” are not members of the ISIS (Islamic State).
But he warned that ISIS can come in if the problem will not be solved since they are looking for funds to buy arms.
“I guarantee you hindi mga ISIS ito, but papasok yan dito kapag hindi natigil. Sapagkat yung mga ito naghahanap sila ng finance. Yung Maute naghahanap ng pera para makabili ng maraming armas para meron siyang panggastos sa operation nila. This is the reality of the situation (I guarantee you these are not ISIS, but ISIS could come in if this will not stop because these groups are looking for financial aid. Maute is looking for fund to buy arms and to spend for their operation),” he said.
“Unless a Bangsamoro Basic Law is passed into Law by the Congress of the Philippines we cannot implement the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and therefore no solution to the problem,” said Jaafar.
He assured the public that once a Bangsamoro government is put up “we can take care of ourselves.”
“Kaming bahala, sila brother IQ (MILF Peace Implementing Panel Chairperson Mohagher Iqbal) ang bahala dyan,” he said.
Signed on March 27, 2014, CAB is the negotiated political settlement between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF that served as the basis for the drafting of the proposed BBL. The BBL will pave the way for the creation of the political entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.(davaotoday.com)
