MILF on Resumption of Peace Talks: ‘We Are Dealing with a Very Tricky Regime’

Published on August 3, 2009

By ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — Even as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has announced during her State of the Nation Address that peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are likely to resume before the end of this month, the MILF’s negotiating panel has expressed skepticism about whether or not the talks can go very far.

Earlier, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told the media on July 24 that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered a suspension of military operations (Somo) against the MILF. This, Ermita said, was necessary “to show goodwill on the part of government especially the President on our sincere effort to pursue the peace process in Mindanao.”

The Somo, however, does not cover MILF commanders Abdurahman Macapaar a. k. a. Commander Bravo, Ameril Ombra Cato, and Alim Pangalian – who have been dubbed by the government as “rogue commanders” and leaders of “lost commands”.

“We do not know how far we can go forward, because we are dealing with a very tricky government,” said Mohagher Iqbal, chairman of the MILF Peace Panel, in an Aug. 1 roundtable discussion with peace advocates in Quezon City.

Nearly 11 years of on-and-off peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) ended in disaster when the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MoA-AD) between the two parties was aborted on Aug. 4 last year, following the Supreme Court’s issuance of a temporary restraining order based on a petition filed by North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol and Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat.

North Cotabato and Zamboanga City are both covered by the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE), the scope of which would have been subjected to a plebiscite following the signing of the MoA-AD.

The non-signing of the MoA-AD gave rise to a re-escalation of armed confrontations between government troops and the MILF in Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato, and Maguindanao –- provinces known to be strongholds of the MILF. Following the outbreak of renewed hostilities, the government ordered a manhunt for Macapaar, Cato, and Pangalian – who have been dubbed as “rogue MILF commanders” and leaders of “lost commands”.

The re-escalated conflict has led to the displacements of hundreds of thousands in Mindanao. Based on an April 2009 from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Mindanao has reached 600,000 – which is higher than the numbers for Sudan (550,000), Kenya (500,000), Congo (over 400,000), Iraq (360,000), Pakistan (more than 310,000), Somalia (300,000), Colombia (270,000 as of June 2008), Sri Lanka (230,000), and India (220,000).

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruling late last year declaring the MoA-AD as unconstitutional sent the negotiations back to the drawing board.

Iqbal said the MILF set five preconditions for the resumption of its peace negotiations with the GRP: settlement of the MoA-AD issue, international guarantee of compliance with any agreements that may be arrived at, the return of the International Monitoring Team (IMT), the suspension of military operations against the MILF, and the retention of Malaysia as main facilitator of the talks.

The MoA-AD issue, in particular, is something the MILF is not willing to let go of, Iqbal said.

“It is evidence of accomplishment from more than 10 years of negotiations,” Iqbal said. “We cannot give that up.”

In a joint statement issued on July 29, GRP chief negotiator Raphael Seguis and Iqbal both acknowledged the MoA-AD as “an unsigned and yet initialed document to reframe the consensus points with the end in view of moving towards the comprehensive compact to bring about a negotiated political settlement…”

That, even as Ermita had previously said that any agreement to be entered into by both parties should be in accordance with the Constitution and not infringe on the country’s sovereignty. Ermita also said the MILF’s demand for a BJE should pass through Congress as an “ordinary” piece of legislation.

Iqbal also deplored the “exemption” of Macapaar, Cato, and Pangalian from the Somo’s coverage. Ermita also said any demand to stop operations against the three commanders will not be granted by the GRP.

As to why the issue of retaining Malaysia as main facilitator came up, Iqbal disclosed that the Manila government was harboring the view that Kuala Lumpur is partisan toward the MILF. (Bulatlat.com)