Success of peace talks lies with Congress, MILF says

MANILA, Philippines - The resolution of the decades-old Mindanao problem  lies with Congress as it will decide the fate of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said Thursday.

In an editorial posted on its website luwaran.com, MILF said the smooth passage of a good law could put an end to the restlessness in Mindanao.

“It is Congress, as part of the entity called GPH (government of the Philippines) that the MILF is talking to, now holds the key to solving the Moro question by way of making a good legislation without watering down the contents of the FAB (framework agreement on the Bangsamoro),” the editorial read.

“It is their collective wisdom that we can bank on for the passage of this good legislation.”

The FAB was signed by government and MILF negotiators on Oct. 15, 2012 and seeks to form a new political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

After two months, President Aquino signed Executive Order no. 120 which formed the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, the body tasked to draft the BBL. The draft, which will implement the framework agreement, has to be approved by Congress.

MILF said the statesmanship of every lawmaker could ensure the passage of a good legislation that would put an end to the problem.

Despite the signing of the four annexes of the framework agreement, MILF believes more work has to be done.

“Indeed, the past peace journey had been hard, long, and winding, but the task ahead after the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the four annexes (transitional arrangements and modalities, wealth-sharing, power-sharing, and normalization) are signed is equally daunting,” the group said.

“Real and genuine peace is not yet in our midst. It is still a work in progress.”

MILF said its 17-year peace talks with the government have never been easy and have been marred by impasses, break-ups, walkouts, no show-ups, cancellations, verbal tussles and bloody clashes.
“Frankly, there is no way these negotiations can be done again; human endurance would not allow it, and more importantly, the engagement is now on the final stretch,” it said.

“It is only a matter of time, God willing, before the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro will be signed by the parties.”

Officials previously said the final peace deal with MILF might be signed next month.