MANILA – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is keeping its hands off the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) polls and maintains that the election is not a factor in the peace talks. In a statement posted on its website luwaran.com, the MILF said the holding of polls in the region is an affair of the government of the Philippines. “The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has never been a factor in the 16-year goverment-MILF peace negotiation. We don't mind if the election in this administrative region pushes through or not. It is government affair,” said Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF Secretariat. Mantawil was reacting to reports claiming that the MILF had asked the government to defer the ARMM polls until the peace negotiations are completed. The report quoted MILF Vice Chairman Ghazali Jaafar as saying that the government should postpone the ARMM polls while waiting for the outcome of the negotiations. Mantawil, however, said Jaafar was “grossly misquoted” by a broadsheet correspondent. — Agencies
