MILF: Misuari should give peace talks a chance

MANILA - Moro Islamic Liberation Front vice-chairman for political affairs Ghazali Jaafar on Wednesday said the arrival of Moro National Liberation Front troops in Zamboanga City has aggravated the plight of the Bangsamoro people. Jaafar said MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari and his men should have given the peace process between the government and MILF a chance. "We believe it will only complicate things. It will even worsen the situation of the Bangsamoro people. Dapat bigyan nila chance para matapos pag-uusap ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas at MILF," he said in an ANC interview. Jaafar refuted views that Misuari was left out of the peace negotiations. He said Misuari was given the opportunity to uplift the lives of the Bangsamoro people when he was ARMM governor but he failed. "Binigay sa kanya ang pamumuno sa ARMM at alam Ng lahat kung ano ang nangyari sa kanyang pamumuno. walang improvement sa pamumuhay ng mga Bangsamoro sa kanyang pamumuno," he said. "Ang akala namin e talagang pabor sya doon. Yun ang daan na tinatahak niya. Peaceful na daan kasi ilang beses siyang tumakbo as candidate. Twice yata as governor and one time provincial governor of Sulu pero sa pagkandidato niya, he lost. He did not win," he added. ANC, September 11, 2013