A ranking commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has belied reports reaching President Rodrigo Duterte that the MILF official has been receiving payoffs from drug dealers, allegely being used to build his own empire in Mindanao.
MILF commander Abdullah Macapaar, in a recent meeting with presidential adviser on Muslim concerns Abdullah Mama-o, said the former separatist group remains supportive of Duterte’s blood narco-war.
“In line with President Duterte’s directive, I immediately sought a meeting with Commander Bravo. We held the meeting inside a mosque in his mountain hide-out in Lanao del Sur,” Mama-o said.
“Bravo clarifies that his operations in the MILF Nortwestern Mindanao Front were, in fact, in support of the President’s anti-drug war,” the presidential adviser added.
Bravo and his group were reported to have established their own government in Mindanao, allegedly financed by payoffs from drug dealers and drug distributors from Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, the Visayas, and other parts of the country who had come down to Lanao to hide from the authorities.
Bravo claimed it was the drug syndicates who fabricated the wrong information that was fed to Duterte.
“Bravo said his command will continue complementing the President’s drive against the scourge of drugs. He also said that he abides by the on-going peace process between the government and the MILF,” Mama-o said.
Duterte earlier met the rebel leaders led by MILF chairman Ebrahim Murad at the Matina Enclaves Residences where he usually holds office on weekends.
Duterte and the MILF leaders also tackled the overall situation in Mindanao during the meeting, including problems in dealing with the extremist Maute group.
MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar said Duterte wants the peace talks to resume early next year.
“The Bangsamoro Transition Commission could now start its job of crafting a new Bangsamoro Basic Law,” Jaafar said.