Peace panel for talks with MILF almost complete, Deles says

Malacañang is almost finished creating the government peace panel that will deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, but said it may not publicly name the members for at least one week. Presidential peace process adviser Teresita Deles on Saturday said the government hopes to start formal peace talks with the MILF by the fourth quarter, and that the names of members of the panel will be announced as soon as technical hitches are addressed. “Gusto naming pag-announce buo na talaga. May ilan na... kailangan pang ayusin para mapayagan pumasok sa panel (We want to wait until the panel is complete before we announce the members. Some have to finish their business concerns before joining the panel)," Deles said on government-run dzRB radio. “There are technical matters still being ironed out. We expect to name the panel members this coming week or next week," she added. She said the members must understand their respective sectors and the dynamics of the peace process. For its part, the MILF cited a “reliable source" that government may name Miriam Coronel, a close associate of government peace panel chairman and dean of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law Marvic Leonen. The MILF website said Coronel is a colleague of Leonen at the UP. On the other hand, Deles said they hope the government can resume peace talks with the MILF “within the next quarter." For now, she said “mutual friends" are relaying “informally" messages between the government and MILF, but these mainly involve “reactions" to issues. She did not elaborate. Deles also said President Benigno Aquino III has instructed the peace panel under Leonen to review past agreements between the two sides and see what can be implemented immediately. '5 basic questions’ for Leonen? Barely had he warmed his seat as new government chief negotiator, when Leonen got five initial questions to think about from the MILF. In an article on its website, the MILF said the questions Leonen might like to think for himself before facing his MILF counterparts in the negotiating table were suggested by lawyer and former peace adviser Camilo Montesa. The basic questions are:

1. Can the Moros (or the MILF) be trusted? 2. Is there a Moro Problem? 3. What is the Moro Problem? 4. What are the roots of the Moro Problem? 5. How should we solve the Moro Problem?

MILF peace panel member Lanang Ali lauded Montesa for his bold stance, saying Montesa "is one of the few members of the government peace panel who enjoyed high regards from the MILF Peace Panel." "He is very objective and is not one of a close mind when it comes to searching for the ‘new formulas’ in addressing the Moro Question in Mindanao," Ali added. — LBG, GMANews.TV