The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vowed to safeguard the conduct of the upcoming Bangsamoro parliamentary elections, brushing aside concerns that internal tensions within the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) could disrupt the polls.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla stated that the military remains committed to maintaining peace and order in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), despite reports of infighting within the MILF leadership.
“We are working under the umbrella of the [Commission on Elections] in this and working hand in hand with the Philippine National Police to ensure the peaceful and orderly elections,” Padilla said.
On Monday, Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. noted the recent concern raised by former peace negotiators over the apparent divisions within the MILF leadership.
“We call on all those who have accompanied the government and the MILF during the protracted negotiations to exert their moral influence on its leaders in the hope that they may overcome their rift for the sake of the broader interest of peace in the region,” Galvez said in a statement.
