Homeland issue still casting shadow on GRP-MILF talks

The Philippine government is not keen on giving Moro rebels their most sought after “Bangsa Moro homeland" – a step that is casting a shadow on moves to end decades of armed conflict in the troubled region of Mindanao. In a statement, Rafael Segius, the head of the government peace panel, categorically said that the creation of something similar to last year’s controversial Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) is not included in the draft peace proposal they submitted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). “There is no mention of any ‘Bangsa Moro’ sub-state in our draft," he said, adding that the draft was “guided by the Supreme Court decision on the aborted Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD)." The MOA-AD, which the Supreme Court ruled as unconstitutional, would have created the BJE, which would have given broad governing powers to Moros in an expanded Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Doables Seguis assured that the government draft “is compliant with the Constitution and pertinent laws." “It mostly identities executive ‘doables,’ proposed legislative actions to strengthen regional autonomy, and openness to hear MILF proposals for constitutional change," he said of the government’s draft. The exchange of draft proposals between the government and the MILF occurred during the two-day exploratory talks last Jan. 27 and 28 in Kuala Lumpur. It was the 17th engagement between the two parties since formal negotiations broke down in August 2008 following the aborted signing of the MOA-AD. The talks were done under the auspices of the Malaysian facilitator, Datuk Othman bin Abd Razak, and were also attended by representatives of the International Contact Group (ICG). Nothing new The MILF, through its chief negotiator Mohaqher Iqbal, meanwhile, said there is nothing new with the government’s draft peace proposal. He accused the government of deviating from the agreement reached during the Agenda Setting Session in the meeting held last Dec. 8 and 9, 2009. “The [Government of the Republic of the Philippines] draft essentially offers the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao," Iqbal was quoted as saying in an article on the MILF Web site. Iqbal noted in the article that the government panel submitted a 17-page document (font 14, double space), while the MILF’s is 37 pages (font 12, 11/2 space). The article also said a disappointed MILF panel refused to meet with their counterparts on the second day of the meeting. “The MILF peace panel, finding that the GRP’s draft had nothing new to offer, decided not to meet its counterpart. Instead, the MILF peace panel requested for a special meeting with the Malaysian facilitator and members of the International Contact Group (ICG) to explain the position they have taken," it said. “The second day [January 28, Thursday] was supposed to be the deliberation session," said Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF Peace Panel Secretariat. On the second day, the government and the MILF panels separately met with the ICG. Peace before June? Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Annabelle Abaya said the government is looking forward to the signing of a peace agreement with the MILF before President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s term ends on June 30, 2010. “There is only one way to peace and the resolution of conflict—and that is through talking or negotiating. It may be painful and difficult, but in the end, it is the only way forward," she said in a statement released Sunday. The MILF, on the other hand, said this is unlikely. “We doubted this very much, simply because Arroyo then had been in office for almost eight years, and the comprehensive compact was never discussed. Even the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) was only initialed but not signed, so how much more for a larger and more important document such as the comprehensive compact - and Arroyo has barely five months remaining in office?" Iqbal said during a speech before the start of the Jan. 27 meeting. Both parties agreed to meet again on Feb. 18 to 19, 2010. - KBK, GMANews.TV