MILF wary over MNLF’s participation in overseeing peace pact

MANILA, Philippines - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) expressed reservations on the resolution of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) seeking to form a mechanism that would involve the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in overseeing the Bangsamoro framework agreement.

An MILF statement quoted a source from the MILF Central Committee as saying that the group has “strong reservation” on Resolution 10, which was issued after the 39th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Djibouti.

The statement was posted on the MILF website luwaran.com, which contains the official statements of the group on different issues.

Resolution 10 calls upon the OIC secretary-general to hold a session to contain any impact that may result from the Bangsamoro framework agreement between the MILF and the government and link it with the 1996 peace deal with the MNLF.

The same resolution calls on the OIC secretary-general to “develop a mechanism between MNLF, MILF and GPH (Government of the Philippines) to oversee the implementation of these two agreements.”

The luwaran.com statement said the MILF Central Committee source had described the mechanism as “unnecessary” since “it will only complicate the gains of the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement.”

The statement said the source had requested anonymity “for lack of formal authority to speak on the matter.”

“He (MILF Central Committee source) explained that while the MILF welcomes the inputs coming from the MNLF but this should be done through the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum, which the OIC also sponsors,” the MILF statement read.

The MILF noted that it has fully agreed to the creation of the forum but the MNLF has not approved it yet.

The MNLF is a group that sought to establish an Islamic state in the south.

The government and the MNLF signed a peace agreement in 1996 that led to the creation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in 1996.

The MILF broke away from the MNLF due to policy differences but agreed to talk peace with the government. 

Last month, the government and the MILF signed a framework agreement that aims to create a Bangsamoro region that would replace the ARMM, which President Aquino called “a failed experiment.”

The new region will cover Isabela City in Basilan, Cotabato City, six towns in Lanao del Norte, and some areas in North Cotabato, in addition to the ARMM provinces Basilan, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. The details of the agreement are being threshed out.

MNLF founder Nur Misuari, however, said the framework could lead to war and violates various agreements like the Tripoli Agreement of 1976, the Jeddah Accord and the 1996 final peace agreement.

He claimed that he has tens of thousands of followers, including some 17,000 MILF fighters who bolted the group to join the MNLF.

Misuari returned recently after attending the OIC Conference of Foreign Ministers in Djibouti and hailed the OIC resolution that urged the government to link the Bangsamoro framework agreement with the 1976 Tripoli agreement.

MNLF spokesman Emmanuel Fontanilla told The STAR that Misuari is happy to report that the OIC has approved a resolution reiterating its support to the peace agreement forged by MNLF with the government in Tripoli, Libya in 1976.

Fontanilla said the OIC has officially transmitted the 14-point resolution to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

He said Saudi Arabia has agreed to host a meeting of government representatives and MNLF leaders in the first week of December.

He said they see no conflict with the peace agreement between the government and the MNLF’s rival MILF to establish a Bangsamoro region, provided that the accord would respect the Tripoli agreement that created the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

“The resolution of the OIC is very specific on full implementation of the agreement it brokered in the past and the 57 Islamic states would be closely watching developments in the Southern Philippines,” he said.

Fontanilla said the OIC resolution has commended Libya and Indonesia for supporting the peace efforts in Mindanao.

He said the OIC has reaffirmed its support to the peace agreement.

The OIC also urged the full implementation of Tripoli agreement.

The OIC commended the holding of the second coordination meeting in December 2011 of leaders of the MNLF and MILF to continue their joint coordination and work to achieve peace and development for the people of Bangsamoro and calls for the continuation of dialogue to form the proposed Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF) and requests the OIC secretary-general to present a progress report to the next session.

The Bangsamoro Framework Agreement between the government and the MILF was signed last Oct. 15.

The OIC urged all parties to improve the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement by linking it to the Tripoli peace agreement and abiding with the area of the autonomous region as stipulated in the accord.

– With Perseus Echeminada