MILF awaiting new gov’t proposal

DAVAO CITY — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is waiting for the government to make its move to resolve the contentious issue of ancestral domain in the peace negotiations.

"We are just waiting when government could present its new proposal," MILF peace panel member Michael Mastura said.

According to Mastura, the MILF will wait for the government peace panel to take the initiative since they usually impose deadlines on submission of proposals.

Malaysian-brokered talks between the government and the MILF hit a snag early September over the issue of ancestral domain.

The government has rejected the MILF demand to expand the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) without holding a referendum.

The government panel had asked for an extension to Nov. 15 of the original Oct. 30 deadline it imposed for a new proposal.

"We have nothing to do with the deadlines (the) government (panel) has been giving itself. It is a unilateral act on the part of government. It is a self-imposed deadline. It is government that is imposing the deadline on itself," Mastura pointed out.

Mastura said the MILF would have to wait for the new proposal from the government to break the impasse.

"We will just wait and see," MILF chairman of the Ad Hoc Joint committee Abdul Dataya added.

MILF chairman Al Haj Murad had blamed the government for the stalled talks and warned that negotiations could collapse if the government does not take them seriously.

Mastura also said the MILF could not wait forever for the government to submit the proposal.

"We also have our options," he said but refused to elaborate.

Government chief negotiator Silvestre Afable III earlier disclosed they are working on a new proposal, which includes the deletion of the phrase "subjected to constitutional processes."

"We are working on how it can be done in such a way that there shall be no more mention of the term," Afable said.

During talks held Sept. 6-7 in Kuala Lumpur, MILF negotiators rejected a government offer to include some areas in southern Mindanao on condition that they are subject "to constitutional processes," meaning a referendum.

The MILF is demanding that some 1,000 parcels of land in southern Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago be set aside as "ancestral domain" under special control of the minority Muslims.

The government, however, said it could only give 600 parcels, a move that would be subject to approval by Congress under the provisions of the 1987 Constitution.