MILF junks any compromise on sub-state

As RP peace negotiators talk of peace pact soon

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) stands firm on its demand to be made a sub-state and vowed that until the aspirations of the Bangsamoros remained unaddressed, the Mindanao conflict will continue.

This was what MILF Chairman Murad Ebrahim Al-Hadj told some 100 foreign and local media practitioners who attended the press conference yesterday at Camp Darapanan, Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on the last of the four-day Bangsamoro Leaders’ Assembly.

Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Deles, who attended the Assembly earlier, claimed that the peace pact would be forged fairly soon “in its entirety.”

Murad, however, said the MILF was “negotiating with the Philippine government for the entire Bangsamoro people, thus all must be involved and another compromise is of no avail anymore. We cannot hold any longer our people to wait in an endless talk with the government.”

He said the MILF and Bangsamoro people were “not campaigning for a federal form of government but a sub-state.”

“Genuine self-governance, not the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). We do not recognize the ARMM as it has no power, much more no people’s empowerment. The Philippine government is very centralized,” Murad said.

Giving an update on the peace negotiations, Murad said “only the 10-point declaration of principle is done. This, among others, pertains to a road map of the negotiation, wealth and power sharing. The negotiation is now in its critical stage.”

Reacting to recent Palace statements, he said, “we hope President Aquino shall fulfill his commitment to conclude the peace negotiation in the tenure of his administration.”

But the MILF chairman warned the adminstration against giving a “palliative solution, not a substantive compromise. So until and unless the aspiration of the Bangsamoro is addressed, the struggle will go on.”

The aspiration of the MILF for the Bangsamoro nation is for self-determination, which translates to an independent Islamic state in Mindanano.

A sub-state, which is an Islamic state within the Philippine state, is seen as the MILF’s first step to gaining independence from the Philppines.

The Supreme Court however, has already ruled as unconstitutional a sub state as well as a federal state, as the Philippines does nto operate under a federal system.

Regarding a transition period, should there be an agreement reached, Murad said, and anything can happen.

“The transition mechanism is really significant so that other things could be done. We have nothing to do with the election as it is purely on the side of the Philippine government. The burden is on their side to see to it that the ARMM election will not pose problems to any forged truce.”

On the (Moro National Liberation Front) MNLF-MILF unification issue, Murad said, “in 2003 we met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to have a solidarity conference. There had been an effort exerted by the MILF under the facilitation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) but sad to say that it failed when (MNLF) Chairman Nur Misuari disowned the 15-man council of the MNLF while the talks were midway.

“In May of 2010, the OIC initiated a meeting in Saudi Arabia wherein five series of meetings took place but really Nur is not quite keen on the agreement.”

With regard to Umbra Kato, the MILF leaders said “(Kato) waged rebellion because he was upset by the non-compliance of the Philippine government on the MoA-AD (memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain). Thus I believe he will not be an hindrance should there be an agreement reached.”

But for Deles, she told a gathering of MILF rebels that “the time for peace is now,” emphasizing the “whole-of -government” approach of the Aquino administration in pushing for peace.

In her speech during the Moro Leaders’ Assembly in Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat,Deles cited the “clear” directives from President Aquino to all departments and agencies to contribute to ongoing efforts to fast-track peace and development in Mindanao.

The peace adviser mentioned how the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police have been carrying out their functions in support of the peace process. She also said that the government panel has been diligently consulting all government agencies and departments on the agenda of power and wealth-sharing, and governance which are being discussed with the MILF on the peace table.

“The Panel does not bring empty or false promises to Kuala Lumpur. Following the President’s instructions, the Panel ensures that the appropriate departments and agencies have been properly consulted and have come on board. The Panel goes to KL for every meeting with a fresh mandate from the President,” she stated.

She emphasized that regular consultations are being done with Congress and Senate. “I tell you the feedback has been positive from the leadership of both Houses of Congress,” she said adding that dialogs with retired Supreme Court justices and members of the 1987 Constitutional Commission are set to be conducted.

Consultations with local government units and civil society organizations, as well as business sector and the academe are also continuing in line with P-Noy’s directive for transparency in the negotiations.

Deles stressed President Aquino’s tuwid na daan (straight path) principle, which is also upheld by the Islamic principle alsirat al mustaquim and his hands-on leadership in securing permanent peace in Mindanao within his term. “Iin tuwid na daan, our word is sacred.”

She recalled the President’s move to personally meet Murad in August 2011 in Japan where they agreed to fast track the peace negotiations and the stand he made against the outcry for an all-out-war in October of last year, which he silenced with his call for “all-out-justice.”
“President Aquino has been tried and tested in the search for peace. He has passed the test,” she said.

Deles graced the kick-off of the Moro assembly which ended Monday with other key government officials, chief negotiator Marvic Leonen; peace panel members Miriam Ferrer, Yasmin Busran-Lao, Senen Bacani and Hamid Barra, 6th Infantry Division’s Major Gen. Rey Ardo, Government of the Philippines (GPH) ceasefire chief BGen. Gilberto Jose Roa, senior military adviser BGen. Leo Cresente Ferrer and senior police adviser SSupt. Noel Delos Reyes.

Also in attendance were Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) representative Tahir Akmad Saif, Malaysian facilitator Tengku Dato’ Ghafar Tengku bin Mohamed, members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), foreign dignitaries and local government executives and representatives.

The peace adviser’s message reinforced the Murad’s declaration that he “sees a flickering light at the end of the long tunnel,” referring to a possible breakthrough in the GPH-MILF peace process.

Chief government negotiator Dean Marvic Leonen conveyed the same sincerity and commitment from the government. He also underlined the urgency that a peace pact with the MILF should be signed soon.

“Our final agreement should be simple but meaningful and it should be signed within this year so that there is an opportunity to implement and assess and learn some more,” Leonen explained that by signing it this year, both parties will have ample time to adjust the agreements.

“We know that our national government, who we represent at the negotiating table is poised and ready to invest technically, politically, and financially to achieve all these,” he added.
Leonen also pointed out the importance of building trust in the negotiations. “As the President reminded me time and again: It is not the complexity of the agreement that will ensure its implementation or the achievement of its aims—it is the trust that is built in the process of negotiation and in the process of assessing its implementation. At the end of the day, we build on each other’s sincerity and we do this while we are implementing programs and projects than just simply talking for that perfect peace agreement at the negotiating table,” he said.

“We negotiate for more than peace. We negotiate that we can live in a society that not only aspires for justice but also painstakingly tries to achieve it,” he stressed.

Leonen also lauded the MILF peace panel for being able, patient and wise in the peace negotiations. “To negotiate with your panel and your leaders is indeed a lifetime honor that we will cherish,” he told the participants. –Daily Tribune