When the Philippines in 2002 asked Malaysia to mediate in stalled peace talks with Moro separatists, puzzled eyebrows rose. Malaysia may be a neighbor with whom the Philippines has joint naval patrols and exercises, but their interests do not always jibe. For one, the Maguindanaos who control the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are descended from Johore in Malaysia. Given the ancestral ties, it would be like the Philippines in a chess game with the MILF agreeing to have the latter’s kin as referee. For another, the two countries have sporadic border disputes that could intensify once the Philippines reunites with its Moro brethren. So, a continually divided Philippines would be good for Malaysia. The mediation, moreover, would make a Malaysian “facilitator” the head of the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee. A snoopy alien would gain access to Philippines military and security installations in Mindanao.
Still the Arroyo admin persisted, despite protestations of its Vice President and foreign minister. So the Philippines reaped the whirlwind. Malaysia sent as facilitator an ex-intelligence officer, Datuk Othman Bin Abdul Razak, now with the Office of the Prime Minister’s Research Unit. Talks proceeded in Kuala Lumpur far from Filipino notice. In 2008 it yielded an agreement on ancestral domain that would cede territory and police-military rule to the separatists. The Supreme Court smote it as unconstitutional, and three MILF bands rampaged in Central Mindanao. The election of a new President gave the Philippines and MILF sides hope of hammering out a settlement. But odd are the Malaysian facilitator’s present antics. If one were to ask where the talks are now, the answer would be this: both the contenders are eager to restart, but the observer is blocking the effort.
Pieced together from various sources this is the story that emerges. Even before his inaugural President Noynoy Aquino already was briefed about the “facilitator issue.” Included in the situation report naturally was Othman’s unabashed leak to the MILF of his confidential e-mail exchanges with the Philippine panel. The leaks had enabled MILF negotiators to make certain demands unfittingly straight to Malacañang. Mentioned too was Othman’s adamant disapproval of drafting the terms of reference of the negotiations. TORs state the directions, aims, expectations, and rules of conduct for talks; the government has it in parleys in Norway with communist insurgents. It’s one of the first requirements of professional arbiters, so why is Othman resisting? This was why very early in Aquino’s term, when he declared preference for renewed peace efforts, he also said that old arrangements would be reviewed. Reportedly he meant the presence of Malaysia as mediator and of Othman as facilitator.
In the end, issues joined. Decision was made to retain Malaysia as mediator, on condition that it replaces Othman as facilitator. Getting it done is tricky, though. Four times already had the Philippines requested Malaysia to dump Othman, twice during the term of ex-Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and twice under present PM Najib Razak, to no avail. Othman allegedly was exerting all efforts to stay. At any rate, Aquino’s Cabinet Cluster on Security got down to work. Defense and foreign affairs officers reached out to Malaysian counterparts to explain the issues. In no uncertain terms did they make it clear that replacing Othman was non-negotiable. For the Philippines, respecting the MILF desire for Malaysia as mediator is a good gesture for talk resumption. Rekindled ties with the southern neighbor would also boost trade in Mindanao, a requisite for peace with the MILF. Philippine hopes were buoyed up when the Malaysians offered to transmit to Aquino’s peace adviser three names as Othman’s replacement. So Malacañang announced that talks definitely would resume after the Ramadan.
The Muslim holiday came and went last September, and no talks transpired. The MILF and civil society groups pressed the government to return to the negotiation table without pre-conditions, putting the Philippines on the defensive. In November in the sidelights of the Europe-Asia confab Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo reportedly discussed the “facilitator issue” with PM Najib Razak. Razak advised Romulo to have Aquino call him. When Aquino did, as a way to express trust in Malaysian mediating, Razak told him pointblank that Othman would stay. The insult on a head of government by a counterpart didn’t end there. Aquino committed in writing the Philippine stand. But there’s talk in Kuala Lumpur that the letter got “lost” somewhere; at least that’s what Othman claims.
All this is happening because of a purported diplomat-facilitator’s undiplomatic clinging to a post he has bungled. Othman has messed up ties between his country and the Philippines. He caused not only an affront on a neighbor’s President, but also the faux pas of his leader’s obstinacy. It is now up to him to look for face-saving and “face-giving” measures, the Asian diplomatic way, to clean up his mess.
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“Nothing makes a person finish his work ahead of time than the realization that there’s not enough time for it.” Shafts of Light, Fr. Guido Arguelles, SJ
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E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com