While Metro Manilans are still talking about the Nov. 29 Manila Peninsula Hotel takeover by “Magdalo” mutiny leaders, I had a different but quite long discussion last week about the Mindanao peace process during a breakfast meeting with key officials from the Australian Embassy in Manila. They invited me to meet with Russel Swinnerton, senior analyst of the Southeast Asian branch of Australia’s Office for National Assessment who flew here to Manila for a short visit.
Swinnerton introduced himself as an “out-of-towner” from Australia. But actually, he has been in Manila in the past when he was still in the active service in the Australian Navy. He was joined in our breakfast meeting by Stephen Scott, deputy head of mission of the Australian Embassy and Mathew Harrison, third secretary of the Australian Embassy. While here, Swinnerton also met with a number of Philippine government officials, members of Congress, leaders of non-government organizations as well as other members of media like me and discussed with them about mutual concerns between the two countries.
As a former naval officer, Swinnerton was Australian Defense Adviser in Kuala Lumpur from 1994-1997. He joined Australia’s Office of National Assessment in March 2007. He covers the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Southeast Asian regional issues, including maritime security developments. On the day before he flew to Manila, Swinnerton told me he saw on TV a breaking news in Australia about the takeover of The Pen by the group of “Magdalo” rebel leaders headed by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV who himself was a former Philippine Navy Lt. Senior Grade. While he would not delve into this latest military adventurism by Trillanes and his group, Swinnerton noted with dismay how these young Filipino military officers have chosen to break the time-honored military tradition of following the chain of command.
The visit here of Swinnerton came two weeks after Australians elected Kevin Rudd as their new Prime Minister. Rudd’s center-left Labor Party was swept to power during their general elections last month. Rudd takes over from former Australian Prime Minister John Howard whose conservative party ruled Australia for almost 11 years. There will be a new Australian Ambassador to the Philippines because the outgoing Ambassador, Tony Hely himself is also on his last few weeks of tour of duty here. Scott, who is the deputy of Hely, would not reveal yet the name of the incoming Ambassador.
Even with the change in the administration in Canberra, Scott gave reassurances that the newly-installed Prime Minister Rudd would keep their government’s commitments to the Philippines, especially in the implementation of the $100 million Australian aid program over the next five years. This is a hefty increase by 40 percent from the previous level of Australian aid to the Philippines, Scott pointed out.
The centerpiece of this Australian aid program is the Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao, or BEAM for short. The BEAM is a five-year Australian aid program being implemented primarily by the Department of Education (Dep-Ed) under the 2007-2011 Medium Term Development Strategy of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
Scott cited a large chunk of the BEAM funding goes to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) although some other provinces outside the ARMM like Davao also gets portions of this Australian aid program. The ARMM provinces include Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi. He noted there is enhanced interest in Australia about the on-going peace process in Mindanao. In fact, after our breakfast meeting, Scott, Swinnerton and their group flew directly to Cotabato City to meet with key leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Shariff Kabunsuan to touch base with them on the status of the on-going peace talks of the MILF with the Philippine government.
The way the government-MILF peace talks were being conducted has been shrouded in great secrecy. This lack of transparency keeps everyone guessing what were being put into this final peace agreement reportedly being stalled by the lone sore point about the provision on ancestral domain. Another ARMM elections will take place in August 2008. But supposedly included in this draft peace pact is a new territorial composition of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity to replace the ARMM.
I was surprised to read news dispatches from Mindanao (not from The STAR) that Mohaqher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator, was quoted as saying they purportedly discussed with the Australian delegation Canberra’s interest in becoming part of the International Monitoring Team (IMT). The IMT is a body created by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between government troopers and the MILF rebels in Mindanao. It is headed by Malaysia and it also includes peace monitors from Brunei Darussalam.
But when I checked about Iqbal’s statements, Scott clarified there was no mention at all about Australia joining the IMT because there is no such policy declaration yet from Canberra. Apparently, there were crossed signals somewhere. What is crystal clear is we have a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement with Australia that is pending ratification at the Philippine Senate. Once this is ratified, then, I would not be surprised if Australia would offer such assistance to join the IMT.
Nonetheless, Scott reiterated the desire of Australia to support capability-building programs and development projects in our country, especially in the search for sustainable and lasting peace in southern Philippines. Geographically, Mindanao is our closest door to Down Under. The Philippines and Australia are strategic partners in the campaign against international terrorism in this part of the world. Hence, it is to the benefit of both our nations to achieve peace in Mindanao to enhance this partnership.