Chief negotiator allays speculations on delay in peace talks

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer yesterday allayed mounting speculations regarding the postponement of the 37th exploratory talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that were scheduled on March 25-27 in Malaysia.

In a joint statement, Ferrer and MILF panel chair Mohagher Iqbal said “the parties discussed the composition of the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT) and the Independent Commission on Policing (ICP), the convening of the Transition Commission in the first week of April 2013, and the Terms of Reference of the Task Force Sajahatra Bangsamoro.”

The two sides also agreed to hold the 37th round of formal talks in the second week of April.

Ferrer told Catholic radio dxMS here that there is nothing wrong with the government-MILF talks and that both sides remain focused on the completion of the annexes of the framework agreement on Bangsamoro.

Ferrer said she and government peace panel members Senen Bacani and Yasmin Busran-Lao went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to convey to their MILF counterparts the request of President Aquino to move the formal talks from March 25 to the second week of April to have more time for review and consultation on the draft annexes.

“In fact, we will be having the first meeting very soon of the members of the Transition Commission. That would be in early April. There is nothing to worry about,” Ferrer said.

She said both panels continue to seek solutions to the remaining issues in the best possible way, at the soonest possible time.