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Monday, March 10, 2008
MILF to educate members, assess peace talks
BUTIG, Lanao del Sur -- Thousands of members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have converged at the erstwhile Camp Bushra Somiorang for an "expanded Central Committee meeting" which started Saturday and ends Tuesday.
"The meeting will end on March 11th. It is aimed at educating all ranks of the MILF on the relevance of the peace talks and processes," said Ahmad Lao, chair of the Media Committee of the conference. Updates on the Peace Process with the government will also be assessed.
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The MILF, most of them in full battle gear, came from neighboring areas and as far away as Davao, North Cotabato and Sarangani. They arrived onboard trucks, jeeps, motorcycles, and vans.
Marawi residents waved green flaglets and chanted "Allahu Akbar!" as they passed.
A number of city's traffic police enforcers also escorted them until they reached the city's boundary.
MILF members from the three Zamboanga provinces, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, and Lanao del Norte were then blocked by soldiers when they reached Kapatagan town "to remind them that they ought not to display their high powered firearms" while on travel.
MILF members from the two Lanao provinces welcomed provincial delegates by lining up on the roadside in full-battle gear, the colors of their armbands signifying their battalion's affiliation.
Even solders of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stationed in detachments along the highway to Butig also came out and waved their hands as the MILF convoy passed.
As delegates reached Camp Bushra, agongs were played. Sports enthusiasts also played sipa sa manggis, a traditional Maranao sports.
The MILF camp was literally transformed into a village with various tents pitched to house delegates.
Maranao entrepreneurs even built stalls to sell food and malong, kumbong, and Maranao delicacies.
On Sunday, MILF vice chair Aleem Abdulaziz S. Mimbantas officially welcomed all delegates to the conference whose theme is "One people, one struggle."
MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim delivered his State of Jihad Address before his constituency, but details of the speech have not been given to the media. The media will only be allowed entry on March 11.
On Monday, Ebrahim will have an exclusive meeting with the MILF committees, provincial chairmen and front commanders for ground reports and assessment.
Part of the assessment will be updates on the peace process with the government.
A resolution of all provincial chairmen and MILF base commanders reaffirming the mandate given to the MILF Peace Panel in the conduct of the ongoing peace talks between the MILF and the government will also be read.
On Tuesday afternoon, Ebrahim will see selected groups who want to pay a "courtesy call" on him. (With Richel Umel/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pampanga. (March 10, 2008 issue)
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