Mindanao groups still upbeat on peace talks with MILF

MANILA, Philippines -  Mindanao-based civil society groups remain upbeat on the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) despite the breakaway group of Ameril Ombra Kato and the differences between the proposals of the two sides.

Ariel Hernandez, senior director of Balay Mindanaw Foundation, said the government has shown sincerity to talk about the issues raised by the MILF.

“I think what causes the optimism really with MILF is the perceived sincerity of this government to deal with the details of what is acceptable to both the government and the MILF,” Hernandez told reporters over the weekend.

Hernandez, a former representative of the Anak Mindanao party-list, said civil society groups are talking to Kato to ask him not to use violence in pursuing his causes.

“We cannot afford that one section of a particular group can derail the whole thing. People have invested a lot of energy and resources,” he said.

Balay Mindanao is a network of six non-government organizations engaged in community building, peace education and development. 

Karen Tañada, executive director of the Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute, said the meeting between President Aquino and MILF chairman Al Haj Murad in Tokyo last August was a “symbolic action of sincerity.”

“We just have to keep trying and really focus more on efforts in getting the support of the civilian population and citizens,” Tañada said.

On Kato, Tañada said the MILF also had a strong position similar to him but eventually agreed to talk to the government.

“There was a time that the MILF also had a strong position but eventually, peace negotiations were held. So in a way, there is really hope,” she said. 

Hernandez said achieving peace in Mindanao hinges not only on signed agreements but also on delivery of services, demobilization of armed groups and partnership with communities.

Hernandez and Tañada were among the speakers of the forum “From Ignorance to Understanding” held in Ayala Museum in Makati City last Friday. 

Kato, former chief of the MILF’s 105th Base Command, has left the group to establish the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement. 

Kato was reportedly against the political package offered by the government to the MILF. He has criticized the MILF leadership for its alleged revisionist policy in abandoning its original stance of independence.

Kato and his followers were given until Sept. 26 to return to the MILF but the breakaway group ignored the deadline.

The rogue commander, who claims to have about 5,000 followers, has vowed to destroy the peace process which he labeled as “a waste of time.”

Talks between the MILF and the government were stalled after the two sides failed to reach an agreement in a meeting in Malaysia last August.

The government presented a proposal that would entail massive economic development, political settlement with the MILF, and cultural-historical acknowledgment.

The government draft calls for the transformation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao through a “massive program of social services and economic development.”

MILF negotiators, however, rejected the government’s offer, saying it did not meet their expectations. The group insisted on the creation of a sub-state that would allow the Bangsamoro people to run their own affairs.