Palace to MILF: Match government action on peace

Malacañang challenged the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to match government efforts to revive the peace talks as a show of good faith.

The MILF, on the other hand, called on Malacañang to give authority to the members of the GRP panel in the effort to revive its peace overtures.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the MILF should move forward to break the stalemate and mirror government’s efforts to forge a peace deal.

Ermita made the statement after the MILF rebuffed the appointment of the new members of the GRP panel and insisted on implementation of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) that was earlier declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

“Everybody knows that we have to go by the rule of law and there was no agreement signed and they should not make it appear that there is an agreement,” Ermita said.

“We hope that the MILF will be reasonable and they would be receptive to talks and not create stumbling blocks such as this,” he said.

Ermita said the government would not engage in any negotiations that would have no constitutional basis.

On Tuesday, President Arroyo appointed the new members of the GRP panel that include Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, General Santos City Mayor Adelberto Antonino, and former sectoral representative Ronald Adamat.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis would head the GRP panel.

The President also announced yesterday the appointment of lawyer-businessman Tomas Cabili Jr. to the GRP.

Cabili is the son of the late senator Tomas Cabili based in Iligan City.

Ermita said Cabili was chosen to represent the Christian communities in Mindanao.

Cabili could help resolve the issues on the possible expansion of the autonomous Muslim region to accommodate the desire of the MILF for a Bangsamoro homeland, he said.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said Malacañang should open the extent of discretionary powers and authority of the new members of the GRP panel to stave off any possible backlash in the negotiations.

“For us in the MILF, the mandate of the government peace panel that would negotiate with the MILF is of utmost importance. What can we gain from negotiating with a panel that does not have full mandate to negotiate?” Kabalu pointed out.

Officials said the government just wanted to be careful in its appointments of the GRP panel and make sure that the members are respected and accepted by stakeholders in the Mindanao peace process.

Presidential Spokesman Jesus Dureza said the GRP panel was tasked by the President to conduct dialogues in tandem with ongoing dialogues on the ground and prepare for negotiations with the MILF.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno added the latest appointments to the GRP panel should encourage or challenge the MILF to return to the negotiating table.

Puno said Mrs. Arroyo even sought advice from the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) on how to revive the peace talks with the MILF. 

While there are efforts to revive the peace talks, Ermita said the government would not increase troops in central Mindanao despite fresh attacks attributed to extremist elements in the MILF.

“There is no all-out war anyway. We are preparing for the resumption of talks and redeployment of troops is not the answer. As of now we are satisfied with deployment of Armed Forces in Mindanao,” Ermita said. – With John Unson, Pia Lee-Brago