Still on that long road to peace in Mindanao

The road to peace is no doubt very long and arduous one, if not hazardous. This is why I viewed with much skepticism the announcement by President Aquino that he has hatched a deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) via the same controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain in the year 2008, which was editorialized by the Philippine STAR last Tuesday, Oct. 9.

Even the United Nations (UN) showed keen interest in this yet-to-be-signed peace accord. In truth, we can no longer trust the UN to broker any peace anywhere in the world. Perhaps you may ask why can’t we trust the UN? Look at the establishment of the Jewish State, which was marked on May 14, 1948 given as a British mandate. It may have given the wandering Jews a State, but totally forgot the Palestinian people living in the same area. It only resulted in the Six-Day war between the Israelis and its Muslim neighbors, which today is still considered a major threat to world peace.

If the UN couldn’t broker any peace agreements in the Middle East, the same is true in the Korean Peninsula. The Korean conflict which began on June 25, 1950 and ended in a stalemate and an armistice on July 27, 1953 which created a Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) continuing up to this day… thanks to an inutile UN. So even if the UN gets itself involved in the peace process in Mindanao, I’m certain that they won’t be of any help.

As last Tuesday’s editorial entitled “The Long Road to Peace” clearly stated, “Forging a peace agreement is good for a government. The tricky part is in the implementation. The last time a preliminary deal was agreed upon by the government with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front, in the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain in 2008, there was such a loud outcry against certain provisions particularly on territory to be controlled by the group. The MOA ended up in the trash bin.”

The editorial continues, “What will happen to the ARMM is unclear. The region was created in line with the original peace agreement signed by the government under Fidel Ramos with the Moro National Liberation Front led by Nur Misuari. That agreement has not been fully implemented, according to a protest still pending with the Organization of Islamic Conference. In plebiscites held in Mindanao, several provinces refused to join the autonomous Muslim region. Will these provinces be included in the Bangsamoro deal?”

No doubt, this peace deal is quite tricky; it is akin to walking on glass. This is not to mention that there could be some “trickery” involved in this deal. Anyway as I’ve already said my piece on this issue; so allow me to reprint an email from Joe Nacilla, my most avid reader who responded to our Oct. 9 article. “Dear Bobit, I am very happy reading your October 9, 2012 column. Finally, the Philippine government has ended its negotiation and the peace deal in Mindanao is expected to be signed on October 15, 2012 with the MILF. It sounds surreal, and created suspicions and doubts. Will it not fizzle out with policy blunders, bureaucratic hurdles and disinformation?

Let us admit the statement of P-Noy that ARMM created in 1986 and recognized by his mother ex-President Cory was a failed experiment and must be changed to MILF’s “Bangsamoro State” headed by Murad. Under what authority is Murad the sole representative of the Muslim voice? What guarantees that after signing the peace accord there is no splinter group to emerge then demand for separate settlement?

MILF is itself a breakaway of MNLF who created the ARMM. Who prodded P-Noy to recognize MILF and Murad to be the same level with P-Noy, forcing to go to Japan and give P5M which according to palace sycophants to be used for establishment of the Bangsamoro management and leadership institute to train future Bangsamoro leaders? Does it mean that the P5M, after one year and 26 days is already train and ready to sign the peace accord?

We really don’t know if we are moving forward, backward, sideward or continue the same situation because we know only of press releases of P-Noy’s companion in the one-on-one dialogue. Before the signing of the peace deal agreement, the details must first be published in papers of general circulation, so that people of Mindanao can participate on what they are talking about.

As to ANCAR the Police will fight strongly for the revival because this is another way of corruption. Your column of February 27, 2000, explained in detail how ANCAR operate. I reacted on February 20, 2001, explaining my own experience. I suggest re-printing said columns if you still have the copy, to remind people suffering from information and education gaps. Joe Nacilla Las Pinas City” Thanks for this letter Joe. Perhaps another question to ask is why is Malaysia trying to broker this peace? They are certainly not neutral when it comes to peace in Mindanao because of our possible claim to Sabah.

*    *    *

For e-mail responses to this article, write to [email protected] or [email protected]. His columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.