Gov't, MILF now focused on new entity

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are now focused on setting up a new autonomous political entity, as both sides push through the 15-year talks in a bid to strike a peace deal during the term of President Aquino.

The two panels ended their three-day, 29th exploratory talks in Malaysia on Wednesday with a consensus that both sides would continue discussing the wealth and power sharing framework for a Moro-led self-governing entity that would eventually replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Government chief peace negotiator Marvic Leonen said the two panels are set to meet again in August for another round of exploratory talks.

Leonen expressed optimism that the two panels are now close to striking a final peace deal, while the Malaysian facilitator of the peace talks, Tengku Dato’ Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed, was quoted by www.mindanews.com as describing the talks now as “on the same page, but different paragraphs.”

MILF chief Al-Haj Murad earlier told reporters that the peace talks have barely achieved anything solid on the political front, and that both sides only have the April 2012 “decision points of principles” as the only tangible outcome of the negotiations.

Leonen said at the opening of the 29th exploratory talks that both sides are now at the “door of an agreement” and that all they need to do is persevere in forging a final peace deal. – With Jose Rodel Clapano