Government intervention

MANILA, Philippines - The peace negotiation between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the government is presently in the state of suspended animation. The MILF has declared that it has disbanded its negotiating panel presumably in anticipation for the reconstitution of the government panel following the assumption of the Aquino administration. The move of the MILF is just proper as the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process had already been replaced and no one can tell as to what policies and priorities and where the direction of the new administration will be.

In the meantime however, the government cannot renege on its duty to prevent clashes and this includes clans’ conflicts which are brewing in Datu Blah Sinsuat town in Maguindanao. The dispute is quite serious as it involves agrarian interest between the warring clans. The presence and intervention of the government peace keeping force therefore is exigent however this is objected to by the MILF alleging that the military is siding with the Moro National Liberation Front with which one of the protagonists is identified with. The leader of the other side of the clans’ conflict is an MILF battalion commander. We therefore understand the posturing of the MILF as one of its field commander is personally involved in the conflict.

But the dispute is such that it can go out of hand. Without government intervention this conflict can escalate into a full-blown war pitting our brother Muslims against each other. When this happens this will become a monstrous problem not of the MILF or the MNLF but of the government. Containment therefore is being resorted to by the peacekeeping forces. We find the MILF claim that the military is taking side as something ridiculous. Be that as it may the fact remains that there has been no casualty reported on the other side and that alone is what matters at this point.

This clash between clans among the Bangsa Moro people is what argues against the original secessionist agenda of the Fronts. There are deep animosities and diversities which have to be addressed and this can only be resolved in an atmosphere of peace, openness and trust. That is why we have the peace negotiations and even an enduring ceasefire. Having gone this far, the MILF ought to give due credence to the government peace keeping forces as they are not there to divide but to intervene so that the agrarian conflicts is resolved.

The International Monitoring Forces are keeping an eye on possible ceasefire violations. What the MILF and the MNLF must do is to have their own peace talks and guard against the intrusion of radical terrorist elements who are capable of stirring divisive intrigues to promote their own agenda. We have seen how they influence Muslims with their fundamentalist concept of Islam only to victimized them later with their viciousness and shameful un-Islamic bestiality.