'Substantive gains' cited in gov't, MILF talks

By John Unson

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front said they have “reached substantive gains” during the September 5-8 exploratory talks in Malaysia.

The parties have also scheduled another round of meeting before October to resolve the remaining thorny topics of the now 14-year negotiations.

“The four-day meeting which was marked with mutual trust, sincerity and cordiality, successfully worked toward the crafting of a framework agreement,” the government and MILF’s peace panels said in a joint communiqué, referring to the 31st exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur, which culminated Saturday.

The two panels organized the TWGs during past exploratory talks to hasten the discussions on the remaining contentious topics of the peace talks such as the wealth-and-power sharing, natural resources, and territory of the self-governing homeland the MILF is eyeing to establish with the cooperation of the national government.

“The respective Technical Working Groups (TWGs) continued their discussions, reached consensus on many issues and submitted preliminary reports which were duly noted by the Panels,” the statement said.

The statement was signed by GPH chief negoiator Marivic Leonen, his counterpart in the MILF, Muhaquer Iqbal, and Malaysian facilitator of the peace talks, Tengku Dato' Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed.

Moving forward

“We are definitely moving forward. By next meeting, we hope that we not only move forward but find a quantum leap in our negotiations,” Leonen said in his statement.

He said the GPH and MILF panels found a many creative options to hasten the peace talks.

Leonen earlier told reporters that they are optimistic of striking a final peace deal with the MILF before the 2013 elections.

Iqbal said there was a “clear and positive movement” in the GRP-MILF talks.

“As we approach the last stretch of our negotiation on the issue of framework, it is very clear that there is a buildup of excitement and expectations among our people, and including the constituents of the government. If we succeed to sign the framework agreement then we expect a very good atmosphere on the ground,” Iqbal said.

The inter-agency, multi-sectoral provincial peace and order council (PPOC) in Maguindanao welcomed the outcome of the talks, following concerns about the adverse impact to the negotiations of last month’s bloody attacks by the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in the province.

“We don’t want any kind of trouble that can affect the GPH-MILF talks, we want the talks to go on smoothly, without hitches,” said Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, presiding chairman of the Maguindanao PPOC

Deploy ceasefire monitors

Mangudadatu said they will request the government and MILF panels to establish ceasefire monitoring outfits in the five towns the BIFF subjected to violent attacks from August 5 to 11 to maximize the government’s efforts of restoring normalcy in the conflict-stricken areas.

“Civilians dislocated by the BIFF-initiated hostilities are reluctant to return to their villages because of fears the bandits can come back and terrorize them again. The presence of ceasefire monitors on the ground will deter BIFF harassments even if the group is not covered by the government-MILF 1997 ceasefire agreement,” Mangudadatu said.

Mangudadatu said they also want the GPH and MILF panels to discuss how to cooperate to help in the return of evacuees to their villages.

The spokesman of the MILF, Von-Al-Haq, announced over Catholic station dxMS here last week that the BIFF has agreed to end harassments of communities.

Al-Haq said they crafted a covenant with the group enjoining the latter's forces to suspend all hostile acts.

Al-Haq added that the covenant does not mean an alliance between the MILF and the BIFF, or concede sanctuary to bandits in areas covered by the ceasefire accord.

Dipetik dari - philstar.com