Presidential hopeful Hermogenes “Jun” Ebdane Jr. was asked on Friday by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to focus on addressing the long-standing peace and order problem in Mindanao as part of his platform in government.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu called on Ebdane to include in his first things-to-do list the arm conflict in the region since he has the “skills and experience” for being a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and Defense Secretary that set him apart from other candidates.

“He’s not a politico so he does not engage in propaganda. The peace process should be at the top of his agenda. We are not endorsing him but he has the making of a national leader if he would be given the chance,” he said.

As far as the MILF is concerned, Kabalu said Ebdane “had no bad record in the police service” as he advised him to “seriously address the peace crisis” in Mindanao when elected as the country’s next president.

“There should be meeting of the minds. We need rational leaders. He or whoever becomes President should genuinely tackle the problem. He should sit down with us and groups needing help. Kailangan dito ang masinsinang pag-uusap,” he said.

Earlier, Ebdane vowed to resolve the problems on peace and order and insurgency by putting tractors and not bombs on the ground when elected in the highest office.

“We will boost productivity of our vast land resources instead of pouring money into weapons that cause loss of life and derail unification. Peace and order is our shared responsibility, the community must be the frontline of defense,” Ebdane said.

The MILF spokesman claimed that previous negotiations with the government had failed to achieve its goal because they did not feel the sincerity of “negotiators in achieving lasting peace in Mindanao.”

He recalled that when Ebdane was Public Works and Highways Secretary, he built road networks that helped farmers transport their goods. “He has done a lot for Mindanaoans,” Kabalu said.