Mindanao Peace Initiatives Get Big Boost

MANILA, June 2 (Bernama) -- The Philippine Government's peace initiatives with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) received a big boost when the indigenous peoples (IPs) and Muslim groups in Mindanao threw their support behind the ongoing peace talks to find a genuine and lasting solution to end the long-drawn armed conflict in southern Philippines.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said on Saturday, the two groups manifested their all-out support at the just-concluded First National Muslims and Indigenous People's Cooperative Summit 2012 held in Davao City, according to the Philippines News Agency (PNA).

The peace panels of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF had just completed their 28th exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur where they discussed substantive issues, particularly wealth and power sharing.

The participants highlighted peace-related issues as among their concerns which they said could be resolved through peace negotiations between the government and MILF, the PNA reported.

During the discussion, Muslim and IP delegates cited the importance of resolving the decades-old armed conflict in southern Philippines as it would help improve their cooperative efforts and usher in development in Mindanao.

The Cooperative Summit aimed to enable the Muslim and IP cooperatives to be positive forces in bringing economic stimulus in their specific areas and thereby, strengthen the dividend for peace.

OPAPP said the Davao Summit was held in coordination with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and centred on President Benigno S. Aquino III's "straight path" policy.

At the same time, PNA quoted ARMM-CDA Administrator and Department of Agriculture Assistant Regional Secretary Pendatun Disimban as saying that Muslim and IP cooperatives must continue supporting the GPH-MILF negotiations as it would bring genuine peace and development in their areas.

"Let us join the administration's quest for peace. Let us support the GPH-MILF peace negotiations that will truly help develop our cooperatives," he said during his presentation entitled, 'Determining the Muslims and Indigenous Peoples Priorities for Improving Cooperative Management and Development'.

Among those who attended the summit were Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Mujiv Hataman, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos secretary Mehol Sadain, CDA Chair Emmanuel Santiaguel and CDA acting executive director Orlando Ravanera.

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