DAVAO CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte intends to appoint members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to government positions if they agree to join his administration.

“You might be surprised that there are only about three, four, or five Muslims in the Cabinet because there will be a reconfiguration if I succeed in convincing my MILF brothers and Nur Misuari of the Moro National Liberation Front (in joining the government),” Duterte said in a speech delivered at the Mindanao Hariraya Eid’l Fitr, Friday evening at the SMX Convention Center.

Duterte said most of the representatives of the Moro groups “will occupy regional or state positions.”

MILF Vice Chairman Ghazali Jaafar, who was also present in the event, told reporters that they are “not yet thinking about the government posts that will be offered to them.”

“That’s not important to us. Our focus right now is how we can deliver the Bangsamoro government to our people,” Jaafar said.

The Philippines' first Mindanaoan president added that he is open to “reconfiguring the territories of the Tausug people” for Misuari.

“It is not intended to separate Muslims and Christians. It is only intended to delineate territories, but that should not keep us apart from being Mindanaoans,” Duterte said.

“You must realize that your Christian brothers are supporting the federalism and the Bangsamoro Basic Law,” Duterte said.