NEWSFLASH

ENRILE BACKS MNLF-MILF SHARING OF GOVT BENEFITS

Manila, Jan. 24, 2000 - To resolve contentious issues such as overlapping territorial claims, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile proposed yesterday a sharing of government-granted concessions between the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and its breakaway faction, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Enrile stressed, however, that any compromise formula on the sharing of concessions should be within the limits of the Constitution and the peace accord forged in 1996 between the government and the MNLF.

"There has to be a sharing of concessions here since there has also been certain matters such as the issue on territory that were granted to the MNLF under the Autonomy Law, while the MILF is also claiming the same areas as that of the MNLF," Enrile pointed out.

Areas being claimed by the MILF as its territory are part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which is under the supervision of MNLF chief Nur Misuari.

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense, also advised the government to abide by the Charter in crafting a peace accord with the MILF.

"These concessions should be lawful and should not violate the Constitution," Biazon said.