MANILA, Philippines - Give peace a chance.
As the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) prepare for the resumption of formal talks next month, Malacañang renewed its appeal yesterday for all stakeholders to give the peace process in Mindanao a chance to succeed.
Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Cerge Remonde said Malacañang was gratified by the announcement of the MILF that it would reciprocate the government’s suspension of offensive military operations (SOMO) against the separatist rebel group.
“We are very happy to hear the news (from the MILF) and we appeal to all concerned that once again, let’s give peace a chance to succeed,” Remonde said over state-radio dzRB.
“It’s always better for people to speak than for guns to fire,” he said.
Remonde also directed his appeal to Cotabato Vice Gov. Emmanuel Piñol, who earlier opposed the SOMO, claiming the MILF would take the opportunity to rearm and consolidate its forces.
The MILF on Friday said they would reciprocate the SOMO but asked the government to allow them time to communicate the official response to its fighters to suspend operations.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said they have ordered their guerrillas to stand down while awaiting the resolution from the central committee that would reciprocate the government’s SOMO.
“The MILF has always been inclined to resolve all security constraints in areas covered by the ceasefire through peaceful negotiations, one that is acceptable and mutually beneficial to the MILF and the government,” Kabalu said.
MILF vice chairman Ghadzali Jaafar welcomed the declaration of the SOMO, hailing the move as a step towards attaining peace in the region.
MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal also welcomed the SOMO and added guerrilla commanders were ordered yesterday to hold fire.
Iqbal, however, said any resumption of peace talks should carry “an international guarantee” that any outcome of the negotiations would be implemented.
Iqbal previously mentioned the participation of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the United Nations, but acknowledged the Philippine government was cool to such a proposal because it may call into question its sovereignty.
“We are very clear to the government: Unless a certain mechanism is in place, we won’t talk to the government anymore because we don’t trust the government anymore,” he told dwIZ radio.
“We cannot go directly to the discussion of the political settlement,” he said, referring to the preliminary peace deal scuttled by the government last year.
The peace talks broke down last year when the MILF went on a rampage in Central Mindanao that left scores dead and hundreds of thousands of persons displaced after the Supreme Court threw out the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) agreement that would have given the rebel group control and autonomy over an expanded area in the region.
In the past year, more than 500 clashes have taken place in the provinces of Central Mindanao, leaving 123 MILF guerrillas killed and 41 soldiers dead, the military said, but the rebels claimed they lost only 20 men.
The MILF disowned the attacks and blamed “renegades” in their ranks for the atrocities.
Chief government negotiator Rafael Seguis said the SOMO would also allow some 300,000 displaced villagers to return to their homes and farms.
Seguis said the government is very concerned over the swelling number of evacuees.
With the declaration of SOMO, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Victor Ibrado said they are under orders to help the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assist the thousands of evacuees to return to their homes.
The problem, however, is that the evacuees are claiming there is nothing left for them to go home to.
Most of the evacuees came from the towns of Datu Piang, Mamapasano, Guindulugan and Talayan, all in Central Mindanao where the bloodiest fighting between government forces and the MILF took place.
The MILF, on the other hand, called on the government for a bilateral effort to work out the safe return of evacuees displaced by the fighting.
Jaafar said they are hoping the evacuees can return to their war-ravaged villages before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan that will start on the third week of August.
Jaafar, however, pointed out that there are still more pressing concerns that have to be bilaterally addressed, such as the full reactivation of ceasefire mechanisms established by preliminary accords the GRP and MILF panels forged in previous negotiations.
Iqbal had pointed out the issue of police action against the MILF commanders who led the attacks in Central Mindanao last year. –With John Unson, Edith Regalado, Jaime Laude, AP