From an April 18th Jihad Watch archive it was reported that the Philippine government was having talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the terror group which has for decades been attempting to take control of the southern island of Mindanao from the rest of the Philippines. On October 13th the Philippine government agreed “to allow Muslims in the South to draft their own constitution, impose their own tax system, and to form and maintain legal and financial institutions.” Ten days later petro-dollars from Saudi Arabia have been pledged to the southern island. From ABS-CBN News:
At least $100-million worth of Saudi development funds are expected to boost government infrastructure projects in troubled Mindanao, officials said on Sunday. US$20 million would be used to fund road improvement projects in Basilan, Lanao and Cotabato provinces, the Saudi Arabia Embassy in Manila said.
The embassy said the money is part of a recent loan agreement between the two countries and would be sourced from the Saudi Fund for Development to the Philippines.
Saudi also pledged another $50 million to boost development projects in the five-province Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said Governor Zaldy Ampatuan, a spokesman for the ARMM.
Basilan, Lanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Maguindanao provinces are part of the Muslim autonomous region.
MILF claims to the provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi were forsaken in the government-rebel talks when MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu conceded, “Originally, we wanted the whole of Mindanao- Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Palawan -but the reality is we no longer control all these areas.” So one must ask why they are now part of that Muslim autonomy? How long will it take before the Saudi-financed ARMM starts agitating for more control of the rest of the Philippines?