Govt position on homeland issue kept secret - Esperon

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang on Monday admitted that the government’s position on the proposed agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on the issue of ancestral domain was deliberately hidden from public eye. In an interview on dzBB, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Hermogenes Esperon Jr made the admission, even as he said consultations with local officials were conducted before the government committed to its position. Esperon said the plebiscite that will decide the inclusion of more barangays (villages) in the expanded Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will serve as a public consultation on the ancestral domain issue. “May mga patago. Alam mo naman sa negosasyon kelangan hindi mo isisiwalat yung iyong negotiating positions. Ngunit mayroong mga konsultasyon na nangyari sa baba (There were positions that were kept from the public. As you know, in negotiations you don't need to divulge your negotiating positions. But we held consultations on the ground)," Esperon said. In the interview, Esperon said Press Secretary Jesus Dureza - in his previous position as Peace Adviser - consulted local officials including North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol on the ancestral domain issue. Esperon allayed fears that local government units will be included in the expanded ARMM without their consent, saying the MOA explicitly states that a consultative plebiscite must be held within 12 months. “Ang pinaakamataas na konsultasyon niyan yung plebisito mismo (The highest form of consultation here would be the plebiscite itself)," Esperon said. “In fact, yung plebisito ay mangyayari pa after 12 months pagkapirma ng memorandum of agreement. Marami tayong pagkakataon na pag-usapan ito… Malawak na panahon yan upang makapagdiskusyon tayo (In fact, the plebiscite will take place 12 months after the memorandum of agreement is signed. We have a lot of opportunities to talk about this... That is a long time for us to discuss)," he added. He said a copy of the MOA between the government and the MILF will be distributed to the media on Thursday, adding that the copy published by a major newspaper is not the final MOA to be signed on Tuesday. “Yung nakuha nila ay yung draft. Yung paragraph sa territory, paragraph 2-D. Malinaw na nakalagay doon, dahil hindi 6 months ang plebiscite kundi 12 months pagkatapos magkapirmahan ng memorandum of agreement," Esperon said. Esperon clarified that no sovereignty will be given away to the MILF. "No sovereignty is given here. This is for the benefit of Mindanao and the country," he said. He added that the public should be pleased that the government is on its way to finalizing peace negotiations with the MILF, saying that the MOA also states that the two parties should try to draft the final peace agreement within 15 months. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV