Once more about the peace deal with the MILF

Yesterday morning, I was watching British Broadcasting Company news when it reported that the Philippine military figured in a clash somewhere in Mindanao with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. The BBC was quite vague as to where that clash happened in Mindanao, but in this era where the Aquino Administration has been trying to control the mainstream media, doesn't it just makes you wonder why the big TV news stations didn't give out this report about that clash with the BIFF?

To my mind, Malacañang was obviously trying to suppress this news especially as the Philippine government, just a few days, ago signed that Annex on Normalization with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Malaysia. But as I pointed out clearly, this peace accord can never prosper if they don't bring into the peace talks all the other armed groups roaming in Mindanao. Notably absent is the Moro National Liberation Front, the BIFF and the Abu Sayyaf.

Other Aquino critics even suggested that they pushed hard for this peace accord so that it would be front page news and indeed, it effectively removed from the front page that embarrassing episode where DILG Sec. Mar Roxas secretly brought Sen. Bong Revilla to Pres. PNoy at the Bahay Pangarap. Knowing that the Rasputins in Malacañang were on "damage control" mode, this "cover" story is not farfetched!

Last Saturday, the Philippine Star headlined this news "MILF Rebels Ready to Lay Down Arms." Again, this is perhaps the most important item in this framework for peace. But forgive my skepticism, but this is a deal that I have to see to believe. For more than a hundred years, the Moro people have always been fiercely independent from foreign colonizers and that's because they have high-powered firearms with them and are not scared to use them against anyone. Now they tell us that at least the MILF will lay down their arms? This is one for Ripley's!

Last week, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles was guest of Morning Talk at ANC with Karen Davila and when Karen pressed upon her what were the details about this arms surrender, she shrugged off the question saying that she wasn't conversant with firearms deal. In my book, she was keeping something away from Karen Davila. So there must be a deal being hatched wherein the MILF might have a "ceremonial" surrender of their firearms, or they would surrender the old and unserviceable ones for show to the public. But their main cache of arms would be kept intact.

We have seen how the Irish Republican Army during their peace negotiations with the Irish government kept their high powered weapons in secret bunkers that the foreign independent watchers were allowed to see. When that peace accord was reached, the firearms were turned over to the Irish government. But this is not the case in this framework to peace that the Aquino government has signed with the MILF.

Now the BIFF is acting up and minor clashes have begun. Just wait until the MNLF regroups and joins the fray and Mindanao will once more burn. In fact MNLF spokesman Absalom Cerveza was quoted as saying that the MILF will disintegrate because the armed regulars in the MILF will be transferring to the ranks Commander Samsudin, a former MILF Commander who is now under the BIFF led by Amirel Umbra Kato. Cerveza doubts if the MILF fighters would surrender their firearms based on Muslim culture and tradition. So I was right in my analysis of this problem.

Come on! Who doesn't want peace in Mindanao? But like what we've been harping on, the Philippine government panel should vigorously pursue this peace agreement and bring all contending parties into the peace talks. But for as long as the other armed elements are not a signatory to this peace agreement, there will be no peace in Mindanao.

The problem now is, thanks to the propaganda efforts by the Palace Rasputins who are praising this peace accord to the high heavens, they got the applause of the European Union, the US, Switzerland and the United Nations, who are obviously blind to the real truth behind this peace deal. In my book, it is too early to sing praises and hosannas to the Aquino government until we can see the implementation of this peace accord.

For the record, we saw that the peace accord signed during the time of US Pres. Jimmy Carter with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. But did that bring real peace in the Middle East? In fact Pres. Anwar Sadat was assassinated in public for signing that peace deal. So whether you like it or not, we shall see peace only when the MILF, MNLF, BIFF and the Abu Sayyaf disarm, then peace will reign.

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