Razon: Talks with MILF to resume next month

The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will resume peace negotiations anytime next month, newly installed Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Avelino Razon Jr. said yesterday.

Razon, who formally assumed the post from Hermogenes Esperon Jr. in a simple turnover ceremony yesterday, stressed though the resumption of peace talks with the separatist group will be within the parameters of the Constitution.

“We have to conform with our Constitution. Second, with authentic community dialogues. We will get the sentiments of the public and there is a component of demobilization, disarmament and reintegration,” he said.

“We are looking at this February. The new government peace panel headed by Ambassador Rafael Seguis will talk face to face, negotiate and dialogue with its counterpart in the MILF,” he added.

Razon said any agreement to be forged with the MILF will be based on the Constitution to avoid what happened to the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain which the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional in August last year.

Razon said Seguis is now in Kuala Lumpur to seek the assistance of Malaysia as facilitator of the peace talks.

With the new composition of the government peace panel, he said there is no longer a need to create a new group to rewrite the ancestral domain deal.

Razon stressed that disarmament is a necessary ingredient of the peace negotiations with the MILF.

“Hostilities have to be removed to achieve lasting peace in Mindanao and other parts of the country,” he said, adding that the ceasefire with the main MILF group is still holding.

Razon said though that military and police operations against MILF leaders behind bloody attacks on civilian communities in Sarangani, North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte following the scrapping of the ancestral domain deal last year would continue.

“We have to continue enforcing the law against lawless elements (and) MILF elements that sow terror on the community,” he said, referring to wanted MILF commanders Ameril Ombra Kato, Abdurahman Macapaar alias Bravo and Aleem Solayman Pangalian. 

“What we need to clarify is that the operations of the (police and military are) targeted not against the major body of the MILF who adhere to the secession of hostilities and the ceasefire,” he said.

Razon said the government is also hoping for the support of the International Monitoring Team (IMT), consisting of Brunei, Japan and Libya. Malaysia had led the team but pulled out its peace monitors late last year due to slow progress in the peace talks.

“One IMT will be for security and the other is for development. Malaysia is still our facilitator. But we can ask Malaysia to continue being (a member) of the IMT… That is what Ambassador Seguis is doing right now,” Razon said.

Razon said the government would also talk peace with the National Democratic Front, the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.

“We are very optimistic that we could go back to the negotiating table with the NDF,” he said. Secretary Nieves Confesor heads the panel negotiating with the NDF.

For his part, Esperon, the new chief of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), said he will continue to help in the peace process.

“When it comes to peace, I will always be there. The PMS is also a very welcome position because it is the other half of what I call peace and development twins,” he said.