Chiz asks MILF:
Help secure NGCP towers to avert poll failure in Mindanao
By Office of Senator Chiz
Escudero
January 21, 2016
PASAY CITY – The Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) should play an active role to ensure
the coming May elections will push through in Mindanao by helping
secure the transmission towers of the National Grid Corp. of the
Philippines (NGCP) that have been the subject of at least 17 bomb
attacks since last year.
“There can be no better time
for the MILF to show good faith and sincerity than now when the BBL (Bangsamoro
Basic Law) is under consideration in the legislature,” said Sen.
Francis “Chiz” Escudero, the leading vice-presidential candidate in
the May polls.
Escudero said that while the
NGCP has issued urgent appeals to the military, police and local
residents to help secure its towers, the MILF should take it upon
itself to be involved in the security since most of the bombed
transmission towers are located in its bailiwick, particularly the
provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur.
“These are the areas where
the MILF has presence and wields some form of authority. Surely, they
will be in a position to secure the NGCP towers,” Escudero explained.
As of last week, at least 17
NGCP towers have already been bombed by unidentified suspects,
although many residents have blamed the renegade Bangsamoro Islamic
Freedom Fighters (BIFF) for most of the attacks.
Escudero said the BIFF
involvement is an issue that could be contained by the MILF since many
of its officials and members have relatives and friends aligned with
the group.
“Baka pwedeng arburin na
lang ng MILF sa BIFF ‘yung mga NGCP towers ‘wag lang maputol ang
kuryente at maantala ang eleksyon sa Mayo,” Escudero said.
At the same time, Escudero
said the MILF could also be “instrumental in settling, negotiating for
and mediating land claims and zonal problems which have kept the NGCP
from throwing a more reliable blanket security around its towers.”
“With its formidable and
respected position in Muslim society, the MILF could also intervene in
these matters to assure the uninterrupted and efficient operation of
the NGCP which will tantamount to peace, order and development in that
part of Mindanao,” he averred.
The NGCP and President
Aquino himself have lamented that land claims, zonal problems and
unreasonable land owners have stood in the way of the power
transmission firm’s objective to provide constant power to Mindanao.
“The MILF holds the key to
solving these problems. And should the BBL come into fruition, the
MILF leaders should start considering themselves as partners in
progress, especially in the power industry,” Escudero said.