By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
SO,145 fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) laid down their arms in order to join the mainstream. But where are the 9,855 others?
Former vice mayor Antonio Soriano, a staunch critic of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), pointed this out even as he lashed out at President Aquino for allegedly putting on a show during the start of the MILF’s decommissioning of combatants and firearms in Maguindanao on Tuesday.
Soriano frowned over the decommissioning of 75 firearms and 145 combatants of the MILF at the old capitol building in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, saying it was merely to win “pogi points” for Aquino and the MILF.
Soriano, a lawyer, said the Maguindanao event had no impact on the peace process.
“Supposedly, combatants and their firearms were decommissioned. There were 75 firearms, and 145 MILF combatants. But didn’t they say there were at least 10 thousand MILF fighters? How can there be peace when there are still thousands of armed MILF fighters in Mindanao?” asked Soriano rhetorically.
In a Mindanews report, government peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said Tuesday’s event was merely a “dry run,” and that thousands of firearms and combatants would be decommisioned once the BBL is ratified.
Soriano called the Maguindanao event as part of a “political maneuver” resorted to by the Aquino administration in favor of the proposed BBL, adding that it was an “exercise
