Gov’t won’t budge to MILF

The government will stand by the peace proposal it has offered the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) even after the MILF negotiating panel reportedly recommended its rejection by the rebel group’s central committee.

“The government rejects the MILF’s rejection of our proposal,” said Marvic Leonen, the chair of the government peace panel in a statement Thursday night.

“The government proposal is the most principled, realistic and practical approach to resolving the decades-old armed conflict in the south,” he said.

Leonen said it was now up for the MILF to decide “if it wants to move forward to achieve a negotiated settlement to the Bangsamoro problem.’’

Leonen stressed that the “3 for 1” proposal—or three components for one solution to the Muslim insurgency in Mindanao—was crafted within the bounds of the Constitution, which allows a lot of flexibility.

The Kuala Lumpur talks concluded one day early when the MILF panel rejected the government proposal.