MILF: Govt dilly-dallying on negotiations

A top leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) accused government Tuesday of dilly-dallying in the peace process, and claimed that it has yet to give a hint when to resume peace talks. MILF Central Committee vice chairman Ghadzali Jaafar also said his organization sees “further delays" in the resumption of the negotiations. “The MILF (sees) further delays on the resumption of the negotiations between the two parties," Jaafar said in an interview with British Broadcasting Co. (BBC) at Camp Darapanan in Maguindanao last Saturday. Excerpts of the interview were posted Tuesday on the MILF website. For their part, members of the government peace panel admitted having “concerns" about the process of facilitation. “We are ready as a panel but we do have some concerns regarding the process of facilitation, the pending status of which has not enabled the immediate commencement of talks," said Miriam Coronel-Ferrer in an article posted on the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process website Tuesday night. Ferrer is a member of the government panel and represented chief negotiator Mario Victor F. Leonen in the sixth Mindanao Media Summit last weekend. “In any negotiation there should be a level of comfort with regards to the infrastructure for the talks that will carry us through for the long haul," Coronel said, adding that she believes the MILF also sees the importance of this question of “comfortable infrastructure." “Less time would have passed had our current framework allowed the two parties to communicate directly with each other to sort out preliminary matters like this," Coronel added. Malaysia is the third country facilitator of the peace talks between the government and the MILF. As Jaafar noted, President Benigno Aquino III had announced that the peace talks between the government and MILF would resume after the holy month of Ramadan, which ended on September 11. “But (Ramadan) had already passed but still no signed of the resumption of the talks," he said, adding that that they “really do not know" when the talks will resume. “As far as the MILF is concerned, the ball is in the hands of the government. The MILF is waiting and ready to resume the talks intended to achieve a comprehensive, lasting and just negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Question in southern Philippines," he said. He added that the MILF, as well as the Bangsamoro people who gave MILF the mandate to negotiate with the government, are very sincere in pursuing the peace process to regain their ancestral domain and exercise their right to self-determination, but their people are “disappointed with the Philippine government." Last weekend, the MILF claimed that Bangsamoro groups held a rally near Camp Darapanan calling on the secessionist rebel leadership “to stop engaging the government in senseless and endless negotiation." “More delays on negotiations, more problems will possibly happen and only the government can be blame(d) for these. The MILF wants the peace process to move on from where it stopped during the last administration under President Gloria Macapagal–Arroyo," Jaafar stressed. Appeal to int’l community Jaafar appealed to the international community to double their efforts in convincing the Aquino administration to resume the negotiation and settle the conflict soonest. He also asked for continuing support for the peace process especially on the humanitarian aspects for thousands more evacuees. Thousands of Mindanao residents fled their homes when renewed fighting broke out between government and MILF forces in 2008, after the Supreme Court thumbed down a memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain, which was considered a key part of the peace agenda. Govt insists it is ready for talks For its part, the government peace panel said it is “anxious" to resume peace negotiations with the MILF. “The Aquino administration is seriously intent on finding a political solution to the Bangsamoro conflict, as part and parcel of its governance and security agenda," Ferrer said. Ferrer also belied speculations that Leonen, the head of the government panel, does not have direct access to the President. The MILF had earlier advised Leonen to insist on having direct access to Aquino. “From day one, the Chair of the Panel of the GRP along with the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process has had access to the President. More importantly, I can say—with personal knowledge—that your President is engaged, very much engaged, in this process. He seeks to understand, he listens, and strives to reconcile the competing demands on his office," she said. Govt, MNLF legal panels review ARMM law Meanwhile, legal panels of the government and MNLF began on Monday a five-day formal meeting to continue reviewing the proposed amendments to Republic Act 9054. RA 9054 was passed in 2001 creating the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which includes Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and Maguindanao, and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan. The meetings also cover other items for further study, such as the implementation of the agreement to set up the Bangsamoro Development Assistance Fund (BDAF), and the tripartite monitoring of the implementation of the peace pact. The output of the legal panel meetings will be reported in the next tripartite meeting. The legal panels were formed based on the agreement during the third tripartite meeting between the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the national government , and MNLF held on March 13 last year. Both panels were tasked to transform the common proposals between the two parties into legal form and to arrive at common grounds to move forward on the issues for further study. Heading the government side is Justice Undersecretary Leah Tanodra-Armamento, with Regional Executive Secretary Naguib Sinarimbo, Environment Assistant Secretary Anselmo Abungan, and Ala-uya Ala of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, as members. The MNLF legal panel led by Randolph Parcasio includes Umbra Jainal, former solicitor general of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) during Misuari’s term; Yasser Lumbos; Ulka Ulama; Rexie Bugarin; Mohammad Ali Guro; and John Anthony Lim.—JV, GMANews.TV