‘AFP to play the harder part in peace deal’

MANILA, Philippines - Supreme Court Associate Justice and former government chief negotiator Marvic Leonen on Friday cited the crucial role of the military in implementing the peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Speaking to military officers at the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP), Leonen said field commanders would play the “harder part” since they would deal with stakeholders.

“The work that will be left behind by negotiators is not the work of OPAPP (Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process).  I think we had the easy job. The work will be left to you and by you because you are going to take the reins of the leaderhip of the armed forces,” Leonen said.

“It depends on your commandership to be able to maintain the peace and therefore usher in progress. The work is not really ours. The work is yours we have just done the easier part,” he added.

Leonen served as resource person for the NDCP’s lecture series entitled “National Security and the Challenge of Autonomy in a Constitutional Setting.” The event was attended by military officers taking up their masters in national security administration.

Leonen reminded the officers that political consultants may not be with them when they are required to make vital decisions.

“All the conflicts have to be understood by those commanders. They are the ones who will see the real ramifications of all these conflicts layered one upon the other in order to resolve a particular problem,” Leonen said, referring to officers who lead Army battalions, brigades and divisions.

“If they do not understand the roots and just apply force they may just exacerbate the problem,” he added.

Leonen also cited the importance of confidence building measures between the government and MILF forces.

“When the annexes (of the Bangsamoro framework agreement) are completed what you will all have are simply pieces of paper and along the way there will be small violations of the agreements. But there will always be confidence-building measures,” he said.

Leonen said there have been instances when commanders who were supposed to be against each other worked together for common objective like ensuring the safety of civilians and providing livelihood to residents.

“The government and the MILF should be able to meet the challenges. It’s a relationship they have to build,” Leonen told reporters.

"Soldiers would also need to contribute to that effort because they are in contact with the communities. They will have to do whatever they can to preserve the peace,” he added.

The government and the MILF signed the historic framework agreement last Oct. 15 in Malacañang.

The deal would form a new political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which President Aquino had called “a failed experiment.”

The proposed entity will have to be formed through legislation. The government and the MILF are now completing the annexes of the agreement including power-sharing, transitional arrangement, normalization and wealth sharing.