‘We chose peace’

Even during the Spanish colonization period, the relations between the Muslim and the non-Muslim population in the Philippines has always been conflict-ridden. For a long time, this relationship was characterized by violence as the only perceived ultimate solution. The final Peace Agreement is, to me, one of the most underrated accomplishments in our history.

That is why to me the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro is such a critical event.

For those of us who truly want to become a serious student of Philippine history and for others who want to simply learn and appreciate the story of the Bangsamoro peace talks, we are very fortunate that all of these events are now thoroughly chronicled in the book “We Chose Peace: An Insider’s Story of the Bangsamoro Peace Talks” (University of the Philippines Press, 2024) written by Miriam Coronel Ferrer, the Philippine lead negotiator who signed, in behalf of the Philippine government, the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The blurb of the book says it “offers insights into the intricacies of a difficult political process, the ways and means by which it was approached and how complicated issues were resolved in the midst of intermittent explosions of violence and vacillating public opinion.”

It is written in a very readable narrative form and in fact, reads like a novel in some parts. It becomes more interesting because of the author’s personal notes and the photographs of the different stages of the negotiations process.

Again, in the blurb: “Last but not least, its descriptive account from one chapter to the next bring to life the fervor of those from all sides who invested their will and leadership, persisted with goodwill and integrity and continued to believe that a just and comprehensive peace agreement must and can be reached.”

The descriptive and highly detailed nature can be seen in the initial paragraphs of the book, in a subsection “Non-Mindanawan in the Panel.” “On July 2, 2010, a Thursday, I arrived at about 6:00 pm for the meeting with Peace Adviser Teresita “Ging” Quintos-Deles at the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) in San Agustin 1 Building at the Ortigas Center. From my rearview mirror, I saw then University of the Philippines (UP) Law School dean and newly appointed government panel chair Marvic Leonen get off his UP driver-driven car. I drove myself, knowing parking was the perennial problem in this area. I texted Ryan Sullivan for help.

“Ryan, a former student of mine at the UP Department of Political Science, had headed the Panel Secretariat under several panel chairs….”

The book is divided into eight parts. Part I “And So It Began (For Me)” includes the official oath taking with then president Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III. When the author suddenly found herself ready for an oath-taking, she remarked that she felt like a midnight appointee.

Part 2, “Third Parties to the Talks,” includes how international bodies and foreign governments eventually became part of the peace talks.

Part 3, “The Making of the Framework Agreement” centers on the resumption of negotiations and the completion and signing of the Framework Agreement.

Part 4, “Women in the Talks” includes the bringing in of gender provisions and the role of women in the negotiations. The author recounted the usual gender challenges for women but was complimented at the end of the day when the comment was made by MILF chief negotiator Chair Mohagher Iqbal on dealing with his counterpart, a woman, after his previous experience dealing with military generals, ambassadors, government officials, “But it was the woman who was the toughest.”

Part 5, “The Lahad Datu Tragedy” refers to the crisis and its resolution that could have ended the whole negotiation.

Part 6, “Keeping the Peace” focuses on the ceasefire negotiations and the Mamasapano mis-encounter.

Part 7, “Completing the Annexes” continues the building of trust and the negotiations within the Philippine negotiating party.

Part 8, “The Signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.” Here was described the finalizing of the introductory text, bringing all the MILF commanders to call on President Noynoy and the final ceremony.

One of the most interesting chapters was on Keeping the Peace. This has the stories of how the panel traveled around the Muslim area and how PNoy entered an MILF camp for the first time. It also included the details on how and when the actual ceasefire was negotiated.

In the Epilogue, there is also the tragic story of how Congress failed to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law under the term of PNoy. The final version was finally signed on July 2018, more than four years after the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement.

The author, Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, was a professor of political science at UP Diliman until her retirement in 2022. From January 2018 to January 2021, Professor Ferrer was also a member of the UN Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisers. Among the numerous awards she has received is the 2023 Magsaysay Award Foundation’s Women in Peacebuilding Pioneer Award. She remains active in peacebuilding and mediation in different parts of the world.

This is a rare book in the narratives of Philippine history because it is a book not written by a historian, but by one of the architects of this major event in our history.