MILF dares anti-BBL sectors: Choose peace, freedom

MANILA, Philippines – As part of its obligation in the peace process, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) turned over an initial batch of firearms and 145 armed troops to an independent body on Tuesday, June 16. 

“You want peace? Prepare for peace,” declared Mohagher Iqbal, head of the MILF peace panel, in his opening speech at a ceremony attended by dignitaries led by President Benigno Aquino III.

“Throughout the course of history we have always armed ourselves in defense of our homeland. Today, we have reversed that… narrative,” Iqbal said.

Iqbal lamented the delayed approval of the pending Bangsamoro basic law, saying that those who continue to oppose the bill prefer a region that is mired in poverty and conflict. 

“It is a sad and terrible wasteland. This is the preferred scenario painted by those who do not want to pass BBL,” Iqbal said.

He added that despite the obstacles to the process, the MILF has chosen the “road to a Bangsamoro that is prosperous…where children are given the opportunity to reach their dreams, where people are healthy and live their lives in accordance with their values and religion…a Bangsamoro that is at peace with a bright future.”

Iqbal said: “We choose security over insecurity. We choose freedom over tyranny. We choose development over poverty.” – Rappler.com