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Duterte meets with MILF leaders in Malacañang


President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night received Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leaders in Malacañang, days after the Moro rebels expressed their frustration with the government.

MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim was joined by Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) chair Ghazali Jaafar,  MILF peace implementing panel chair Mohagher Iqbal, BTC commissioner Abdulraof Macacau, and BTC executive director Esmael Pasigan during their meeting with Duterte on Monday night.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Sec. Jesus Dureza, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Interior and Local Government Acting Secretary Catalino Cuy, and presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella were also at the meeting.

Malacañang, however, is yet to provide details of what were discussed during the meeting.

In an editorial posted on its website on Saturday, the MILF scored the government's failure to comply with its commitments specified in past agreements.

"Even the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which is the legal interpretation of the FAB and CAB, has no sponsor in Congress up to this time. Worse, it is not listed as one of the 14 priority legislations of Congress during the recent Legislative-Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting last August 29," the MILF said.

"Frankly again, failure to address the legitimate grievances of the Moros of Mindanao, the conflict in Mindanao will stay with us. The use of brute force will only aggravate the problem," it added.

Abella had said that the LEDAC would tackle the BBL during its next meeting scheduled on September 20. However, he also said it would be up to Congress if it will sponsor the BBL. —ALG, GMA News

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