“We are confident that ‘yes’ will win,” MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim told CNN Philippines on Monday. “If there is no manipulation, no intimidating, there will be overwhelming approval,” he added. Duterte last week urged voters to approve the plan and show they wanted peace, development and a local leadership that “truly represents and understand the needs of the Muslim people”. The whole of Mindanao has since been under martial law. The MILF and the government hope autonomy would lead to greater investment in infrastructure and natural resources, and allow for expansion of fruit and nickel exports and development of a palm oil industry.

Source: bd News24 January 21, 2019 03:00 UTC