COTABATO, 11 May —The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday branded as ‘false’ the report by National Police Deputy Director for Operations Edgardo Aglipay indicating that the MILF has received at least 4 million pesos in “security fees” from candidates who wanted to campaign in areas under the control of MILF.
The report was made in a two-hour meeting by President Gloria Arroyo with representatives of nine political parties gathered in Malaca?ang to sign a manifesto for honest, orderly and peaceful elections.
During the meeting, Aglipay also said that the major threats to the holding of peaceful elections included not only armed goons, communist guerrillas and Moro rebels but also supporters of ousted leader Joseph Estrada.
Spokesman Eid Kabalu in a phone interview with GMA-7 branded the reports as “malicious”, “immoral” and “completely unfounded” whose objective is to destroy MILF’s integrity and reputation by implicating the Front in a political exercisewhere participation is strictly prohibited.
Kabalu also made the denial over RMN-DXMY, reiterating the Front’s standing policy of “non-interference” on a domestic affairs of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, and said that MILF armed forces will stay neutral as regards the May 14, 2001 local and legislative elections.
He also made the assurance that MILF forces will not do anything that would impair the conduct of May 14 elections even in the areas under MILF control.
