Government, MILF agree to resume talks

COTABATO CITY , Philippines   – The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have agreed to put up an International Contact Group (ICG) in a bid to break the 11-month impasse and restart the stalled peace talks.

The government and the MILF issued a joint statement late Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in an effort to help push forward the peace initiative.

Philippine chief negotiator Rafael Seguis and his MILF counterpart, Muhaquer Iqbal, said “groups, states (and) non-state organizations” would mobilize international support for the peace process.

Seguis and Iqbal also reaffirmed the government and the MILF’s commitment to their separate declarations of the suspension of offensive military operations (SOMO) to allow the resumption of the peace talks.

Both negotiators also agreed to “complete the preparations for the resumption of the peace talks,” without stipulating any date on when formal negotiations will be held.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Assistant Secretary Camilo Montesa, official spokesman of the GRP panel, said Seguis and Iqbal had a two-day meeting in Kuala Lumpur under the auspices of the Malaysian government.

Malaysia has been brokering the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the MILF.

Montesa said Seguis and Iqbal re-established official contact to complete the preparation for the resumption of peace talks.

“The two-day special meeting was cordial and ended on a high note, with both parties expressing their common desire to restore trust and confidence in addressing major issues that will pave the way for the early resumption of the stalled peace negotiations,” Montesa said.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Avelino Razon Jr. said the government will sustain this new positive development.

“Patience, perseverance and determination have paid off to put back on track the resumption of the stalled peace talks. I’m elated with this new development. It’s a breakthrough for a bright prospect for lasting peace in Mindanao,” Razon said.

The British government, through Ambassador to Manila Peter Beckingham, said they would continue support for the peace process.

Beckingham said the British government is willing and stands ready to offer support and advice on the peace talks.

“We are willing and stand ready to offer support, advice, assistance and more to the Mindanao peace process, as long as both the Philippine government and the MILF feel that would be welcome,” Beckingham said.

The British government earlier flew MILF representatives to Northern Ireland to enable them to learn the process of the negotiations that resulted in the signing of the Belfast Agreement in 1998.

Beckingham said the MILF representatives were scheduled to meet with experts of the Northern Ireland peace process to help them gain fresh perspectives for the peace process in Mindanao.

Malacañang expressed optimism that substantial progress would be achieved in the peace process between the government and the two remaining insurgencies in the country when President Arroyo steps down from office next year.

Secretary to the Cabinet Silvestre Bello III said a lot of the substantive and most difficult issues have already been addressed in the peace process with the MILF, along with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

Bello said a final peace agreement with the two rebel organizations would not be too far-fetched, but stressed the process cannot be rushed because the root causes of the conflicts must first be addressed.

The peace talks broke down last year when the MILF went on a rampage in Central Mindanao that left scores dead and hundreds of thousands of persons displaced after the Supreme Court threw out the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) establishing the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that would have given the rebel group control and autonomy over an expanded area in the region.

In the joint statement, Seguis and Iqbal acknowledged the controversial MOA-AD was an “initialed” but still unsigned document.

The joint statement also underscored each other’s commitment to “reframe” the consensus points of the MOA-AD, with the end in view of moving towards the forging of a comprehensive compact to bring about a negotiated political settlement of the Bangsamoro uprising.

Sources in the MILF said the ICG would have “convergence points” that would be jointly discussed by both panels during the peace talks.

The statement also indicated a consensus by both sides to work for a framework agreement on the establishment of a mechanism to protect villagers and non-combatants in armed conflicts.

The joint statement, however, pointed out the GRP’s concern over the MILF’s insistence that the manhunt for the renegade rebel leaders behind the Central Mindanao rampage last August should be included in the SOMO.

Iqbal earlier pointed out the manhunt for the rebel commanders could compromise the SOMO and might trigger another war with the government.

The MILF maintained the police action against their leaders should be properly coordinated under the 1997 Agreement on General Cessation of Hostilities.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) said they would abide by the SOMO but this would not suspend law enforcement.

The military yesterday also urged the MILF to step aside from operations against Abu Sayyaf extremists.

Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ben Dolorfino urged the MILF to turn over Abu Sayyaf extremists and other criminals taking refuge in their known area of operations.

“We urge the MILF to have a sense of responsibility (of avoiding truce violations) to step aside when we are pursuing the criminals hiding in their areas,” Dolorfino said.

With the commitment of both sides to revive the stalled peace talks, Seguis and Iqbal also detailed their resolve to allow evacuees displaced by the fighting to return to their homes.

Montesa, of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, said Seguis and Iqbal have agreed to cooperate in putting the peace talks back on track and allow the return of the evacuees.

Evacuees earlier expressed fear that the SOMO would not be enough to ensure their safety. – With Roel Pareño, Marvin Sy, Jose Rodel Clapano, Rudy Santos