EU willing to join truce monitors in South

MANILA, Philippines - The European Union (EU) has granted the request of the peace panels of the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to participate in the international team monitoring the ongoing ceasefire in Mindanao.

Catherine Ashton, high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy and vice president of the European Commission, said the EU’s participation in the peace process will be finalized once the appropriate terms of reference have been agreed upon with the two parties.

The government and MILF peace panels have requested the EU to assist in the peace process in Mindanao and to lead the humanitarian, rehabilitation and development component of the monitoring team.

“The European Union attaches great importance to helping promote peace and development in Mindanao, and has long been active in providing both development and humanitarian assistance in the conflict-affected areas,” Ashton said.

“I see this as a very important contribution which the EU can make, together with other international partners, to help promote peace, security and prosperity in Mindanao, and to help strengthen the long-term development of the Philippines,” she added.

Since the end of 2008, Ashton said the EU and its member-states have provided more than 14.5 million euros (approximately P820 million at current exchange rates) in humanitarian assistance to help civilians displaced by the conflict in Mindanao.

For his part, EU Ambassador Alistair MacDonald said, “Mindanao has a tremendous potential to be a prosperous and peaceful part of the Philippines, for the benefit of all who live there, whether Moros, Christians or lumads.”

“But this potential can only be realized if the vicious cycle of conflict and poverty can be broken, and if local governance can respond to the needs of the people and provide effective services to all,” he said.

MacDonald said he was delighted that in addition to EU’s long-standing development and humanitarian cooperation with the Philippines, it can now help more directly in the peace process.

Malacañang yesterday welcomed the EU’s readiness to be part of the international monitoring team.

Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza said he recently met with some EU members who have “some good plans and suggestions” to push the peace talks forward and hasten the economic development of Mindanao.

He said the EU also has assisted the Philippines in trying to negotiate with the communist National Democratic Front in the Netherlands.

“We welcome them and anybody who wants to contribute toward a peaceful Mindanao is welcome. Hopefully it will hasten the peace process,” he said.

“They (EU) have experience on handling peace talks. They can provide us with assistance,” he added.

The peace talks between the Philippine government and the MILF broke down in August 2008, leading to an upsurge of violence, which displaced several hundreds of thousands of civilians. Exploratory talks resumed last year.

The international monitoring team was deployed in 2004, and by 2008, it included representatives from Malaysia (the peace talks’ third-party facilitator and the team’s head), Brunei, Japan and Libya.

Norway has also indicated its willingness to participate in the monitoring team, subject to agreement on the terms of reference. – With Paolo Romero and Pia Lee-Brago