Exploring ways to resume talks

From news reports, the Aug. 22 resumption of peace talks between Manila and Islamic separatists ended abruptly. Minor issues were first ironed out on the Kuala Lumpur negotiation table. After which, the Government of the Philippines (GPH) presented to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) its proposal for “Genuine Autonomy”. At once the MILF panel rejected it. The document contradicted their dream of a sub-state, as detailed in a “Final Working Draft for a Comprehensive Compact,” earlier circulated in Mindanao. The MILF negotiators said they would recommend to their central committee the formal rejection of the GPH stand. GPH panel chairman Marvic Leonen, meanwhile, said a peace settlement, if any, should not violate the Constitution. No date was set for further meetings.

Does this mean that peace talks under President Noynoy Aquino’s administration have collapsed?

Not at all, says Leonen unperturbed. Now more than ever the negotiations should proceed, since the GPH and MILF already know each other’s stand. For Leonen, the GPH’s “Genuine Autonomy” and the MILF’s “Sub-State” are starting points for deeper discussions, not end posts for hard lines. He has written his MILF counterpart Mohagher Iqbal to suggest ways for them to advance.

Leonen has a point. There may be wide gaps between the positions of both sides, but there are also points of convergence. Foremost of these are the very points in the GPH’s “three (strategies) for one (settlement)”, to wit:

• Socioeconomic field. Massive development programs shall be implemented by the GPH and MILF hand-in-hand. But this time, Leonen says, the GPH must fulfill its financial commitments and not renege as in the past. Precisely due to undelivered promises, the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao and the 1996 peace accord with the Moro National Liberation Front became “failed experiments”. Not anymore. (As a show of goodwill the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, to which Leonen reports, released P5 million to the MILF, as promised by the Arroyo admin three years ago. This would be used to organize a Bangsamoro Leadership Management Institute.)

• Political field. A preparatory Bangsamoro Commission would be formed to implement the peace agreement, including disarmament. One-third of members would come from the GPH, another third from the MILF, and both sides would nominate the last third consisting of Lumad (Mindanao tribes). This shall answer MNLF chairman Nur Misuari’s nagging question of how there can be a second peace agreement covering the same people and territory. The MILF’s “Final Working Draft for a Comprehensive Compact” contains a similar but permanent body to oversee peace and order, trade, agriculture, agrarian reform, coastal shipping, environment and natural resources, public health, and education. The MILF proposal relinquishes defense, security, foreign affairs, currency, Customs and postal services to the GPH.

• Cultural field. Bangsamoro history and culture shall be rewritten and popularized. Inaccuracies shall be corrected, and racial, religious and ethnic prejudices removed. Understanding and tolerance shall be promoted.

Another point of convergence is how to treat MILF breakaway commanders. Foremost of them is the fundamentalist Ameril Umbra Kato in Maguindanao and North Cotabato, who has about 500 fully armed followers. Iqbal has admitted that the MILF can no longer control Kato, who has formed a separate Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement. Philippine Armed Forces intend to quell his band, which has been skirmishing with other MILF units due to rido (clan disputes over land).

President Aquino has said he is optimistic about the talks despite the abrupt end of the Kuala Lumpur resumption. Like Leonen, he views as normal the occasional spikes of temper during grueling negotiations. They will be proven right if Iqbal responds favorably to Leonen’s letter.

* * *

It took nine years of studies, negotiations and bureaucratic snags for the Solar Power Project in Masbate province to take off. With the help of a soft loan from the French government, construction finally commenced in 2009. It took only a year to finish and turn it over to the state-owned National Power Corp. At that point in 2010, it was 100-percent operational, servicing over 10,000 families in the island’s remotest barrios.

But a year hence, the electric generation capacity reportedly has dropped to 70 percent. At the rate things are going, it is projected to slump further to only 30 percent in another three years, by 2014.

Is it true that the reason for this is Napocor’s failure to implement the necessary preventive maintenance and procure replacement parts? Is it also true that the consumed electricity was never billed to and collected from the beneficiaries, but only conveniently passed on to consumers elsewhere, like the Meralco franchise area?

* * *

Gotcha will be off for two weeks starting Friday, Sept. 9.

* * *

Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ, (882-AM).

* * *

E-mail: [email protected]