Palace hopes facilitator issue in talks with MILF solved soonest

Amid the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)’s claim it will not resume talks in January due to a dispute over the facilitator, Malacañang expressed hopes Sunday the issue will be resolved soon. Deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said presidential peace process adviser Teresita Deles had admitted the issue has so far stalled the progress of the negotiations. “Sana ma-resolve [We hope this gets resolved]," she said on government-run dzRB radio. “From our end, I know our men and women are working very hard to settle the issue so we can move forward, maging minor issue siya para di maantala ang ating peace talks [to make it a minor issue so as not to delay our peace talks]." Over the weekend, the MILF said it has “completely ruled out" any peace talks with the government unless the issue of facilitator is finally settled. “We have requested the Malaysian government to retain Datuk Othman bin Abd’ Razak as facilitator and this still stands," MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said in an article posted Saturday on the MILF website. On the other hand, Iqbal also said the MILF wants the release of its political detainees as a confidence-building measure of sorts. Iqbal disputed reports quoting government negotiators that the government and the MILF may resume talks in January 2011. An article posted on the website of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process has chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen saying that the government was eyeing exploratory talks with the MILF in January, perhaps in Kuala Lumpur. Leonen said the government was “eager to start the talks and accomplish political negotiated settlement within the soonest possible time," pointing out that President Benigno Aquino III wanted to get “an acceptance of a politically negotiated settlement by the middle of the [six-year] term." But Iqbal insisted the talks cannot resume without a facilitator. “Without a facilitator, how would the talks resume?" he asked, adding characterizing the Malaysian facilitator as being biased for the MILF was certainly not doing the peace process any good. MILF wants release of political detainees Iqbal also said that if the government can release 43 health workers arrested last February on suspicion of being communist rebels, then it should release MILF political detainees without delay. He particularly referred to the cases of engineer Edward Guerra and Commander Aguilar Saligan. “The release is a good confidence-building measure for the Aquino administration, which is steadily losing moral ascendancy in the present talks due to calibrated alibis not to start talks in July," he added. Iqbal said that the MILF also wants a stop to the arrest of their officials and members. Meanwhile, a member of the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) accused the military of engaging in another witch-hunt. The MILF member, who declined to be named, pointed to the arrest of four suspects in the bombing incidents which occurred last Nov. 15 and Dec. 18 in Carmen, North Cotabato. He named those arrested by authorities as Tahir Gandalibo, Fata Dagloc, Abel Hassan, and Bony Panawidan. “Better for the military to coordinate with us through their CCCH so as not to injure further the ailing peace process," he said. – MRT/KBK, GMANews.TV