MILF seeks third party intervention over peace talks stalemate

MANILA, Philippines – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has requested for a third-party facilitator to intervene in settling the stalemate in the peace negotiations between the Moro group and the Philippine government, MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said Tuesday.

Iqbal said the MILF wrote a letter to the Malaysian facilitator several days ago asking for third party intervention before they meet for another round of negotiations.

“Instead nag meeting immediately on September and 13 as proposed by the other side, we instead proposed for the facilitator to come and try to narrow the gap between the two parties’ positions,” Iqbal said, explaining the contents of their letter to the Malaysian facilitators.

Iqbal added that the MILF negotiating panel would recommend to the central leadership the junking of the government’s peace proposal but the negotiator refused to reveal any more information. He said that the decision would be conveyed through the facilitator.

Iqbal said they stood by their belief that lasting peace in Mindanao would not be possible unless there would be an amendment to the Constitution that would give way to the establishment of a Bangsamoro substate, which the MILF wanted. The government initially rejected the Bangsamoro substate proposal, saying that it would require constitutional amendments.

“Kailangan yun [Constitutional amendment is needed], we have to very clear on this, the government must be clear also, kasi wala na kaming option to secede e so dapat ang gobyerno [because we don’t have an option to secede so the government], they will, might find it to accommodate the agreement and the only way to do that is to tinker with their Constitution,” Iqbal said.

Last week, Malaysia appointed Tengku Abdul Ghaffar Mohammad as the new facilitator of the ongoing peace negotiations between the MILF and the government. Ghaffar, a former Malaysian security official took over Othman Razak who stepped down after the government questioned his impartiality in the negotiation process.