Gov’t not losing hope in talks with MILF, says Palace

The government is not giving up on peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), saying the "thorny" issue on ancestral domain is "not insurmountable."

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the government was doing everything to have a final peace agreement with the MILF before yearend and that the MILF’s statement that it was ready to go to war again was uncalled for.

"Many countries are looking at us... We are not losing hope," Ermita said, adding the impasse in the negotiations could be resolved through continuous coordination with the MILF.

Ermita explained the deadlock in negotiations was caused by the MILF’s "demand" that 613 Muslim-dominated barangays in Mindanao be included in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) without undergoing the required plebiscite or other constitutional processes.

"That is the reason why we have an impasse. But it’s not insurmountable," he said.

Ermita said the report of the government peace panel listed numerous ways of overcoming the impasse and that the recent claim of the MILF that it was ready to go to war over the issue "to enforce their will on us" was unreasonable.

"That (claim of the MILF that it is ready for a new war) should not be a reason for anyone to see or, for that matter, even make such a statement, if it is true, that they will go back to the battlefield to enforce their will on us. Hindi naman ganon (That is not the situation)," Ermita said.

He added that such an unreasonable statement from the MILF had given the impression that the peace talks bogged down when, in fact, they have not.

"So we should not be pulled into a situation where we will make a statement as though the peace process has totally collapsed. The peace process has not collapsed," Ermita said.

"We are assisted by the international monitoring team composed of (observers from) Malaysia, Brunei, Libya, Bangladesh and even Japan and Sweden, which has volunteered to be a member of the IMT for the purpose of ensuring that the ceasefire is upheld," Ermita said. "There is no basis to say that, with the impasse, there could be a return to war. Not yet, anyway."

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said there might be an impasse, but the peace talks are still the "best means to resolve the issue of territory."

"Peace in Mindanao stands firm in the agenda of President Arroyo and this is supported by the people and the world," Bunye said. "There is an impasse in the negotiation and our peace panel is working with all stakeholders to strike a way forward."

"Both sides agree that peace talks are still the best means to resolve the issue of territory and the government is taking a prudent position. The situation on the ground is stable and we should not be incited by headlines," he added.

According to Bunye, the peace process has come a long way and is supported by the capacity and will of both sides to resolve the impasse.

"Communication lines are open and the government is not on a war footing except in the fight against terrorists. Our negotiators remain focused on ironing out a consensus that is best for the interest of the people," he said.

Visiting Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) president Sadako Ogata expressed hope that the peace talks between the government and the MILF would lead to a permanent settlement of the conflict in the area during a visit to Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao Monday.

Ogata also met with Mrs. Arroyo in Malacañang and was conferred the Order of Lakandula with the Rank of Maringal na Pinuno (Grand Officer).

Mrs. Arroyo said the conferment of the order on the JICA official was in recognition of Ogata’s "important part of our development and peace process."

Ogata and other JICA officials arrived in Manila after a trip to Mindanao early this week.

Both the government and MILF are trying to "find a way to get the talks back on track," Silvestre Afable, chairman of the government negotiating panel, told a peace forum in Manila.

"We seek to affirm in the negotiations unique cultural and historical rights, while exploring new formulas for self determination," Afable said. — With Jaime Laude, AFP