Presidential candidate Senator Manny Pacquiao will pursue a federal form of government if he wins in the upcoming elections.
Pacquiao bared this on Thursday at the sidelines of his campaign rally in Bohol, where he said he made the pronouncement when he recently met with the key leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
He said such a move has to be taken to address violence in Mindanao, caused by poverty and lack of access to the government.
“I am hoping na ang MILF magka-isa na rin sa isang adhikain sa isang adbokasya na magkaroon ng kaunlaran ang Mindanao (would unite in an advocacy to achieve progress in Mindanao),” Pacquiao said.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker said he had set a meeting among members of MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to try to come up with an effective peace process. But the date is not yet known.
He said previous peace talks did not materialize due to lack of sincere efforts to enforce the agreements.
“Nabawasan ba iyong mga mahihirap o lalo pang dumami ang mahihirap, lalo pang lumubog sa kahirapan ang bansa natin. Bakit? Kasi puro lang pangako katulad din ng peace talks na ginagawa nila ilang beses na tapos walang nangyayari, hindi ginagawa (Has the number of poor people decreased or increased? Why? Because they resort to promises like in the peace talks that have been repeated a number of times but nothing comes out of it),” he said.
“Kailangan kung may pag-uusap, gawin. Hindi iyong pamumulitika lang, hindi iyong pa-pogi lang sa social media o sa mga tao (If there are talks, do it. But do not allow politics to come into play and do not make yourself look good in the social media and the public),” he added.