What Went Before: MILF-PH government peace deal
PRESIDENT Aquino poses for a photo with Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, after their meeting in Tokyo in August. MALACANANG FILE PHOTO
On July 2010, President Benigno Aquino III assembled a new panel to resume peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), with Marvic Leonen, dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law, as chair. A month later, the President announced that Malaysia would remain as facilitator of the talks.
On Aug. 4, 2011, Mr. Aquino and MILF chair Murad Ebrahim held a secret meeting in Tokyo to hasten the talks. The meeting is a first since peace talks began in 1997. Exploratory talks began in Kuala Lumpur within the same month.
But on Oct. 18, despite the existing ceasefire, MILF forces clashed with the military in Al-Barka, Basilan province, leaving 19 soldiers and six rebels dead. Clashes between the two sides broke out again in Zamboanga Sibugay province on Oct. 21, and in Basilan and Lanao de Norte provinces on Oct. 23.
On Oct. 24, the President declared “all-out justice” instead of an all-out war for the slain soldiers. The Philippine Air Force started an air and ground operation against “rogue elements” of the MILF in Basilan and Zamboanga Sibugay.
Formal peace talks were resumed on Dec. 5, 2011, in Kuala Lumpur.
In April 2012, the government and the MILF panels agreed to create a new autonomous political entity to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
On Oct. 15, 2012, the framework agreement was signed in Malacañang. The framework document, the annexes and an introductory text constitute the comprehensive agreement. The two sides still needed to work on the four annexes: Transitional mechanisms, power-sharing, wealth-sharing and normalization.
On Dec. 17, 2012, the President signed and issued Executive Order No. 120 creating the Transition Commission (Transcom) that would draft a proposed law creating the envisioned Bangsamoro autonomous government. Once drafted, the Bangsamoro basic law would be certified urgent by the President and submitted to Congress.
On Feb. 11, 2013, Mr. Aquino paid his first visit to the MILF stronghold in Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat town, Maguindanao province, for the launch of Sajahatra Bangsamoro, a social development program for the MILF and Moro communities.
On Feb. 25, Malacañang announced the 15 members of the Transcom, composed of eight representatives from the MILF and seven from the government.
On Feb. 27, the two panels signed the first annex—transitional arrangements and modalities—that outlined a transition process consisting of eight components beginning with the creation of the Transcom and ending with an exit document terminating the peace negotiations, “if and only when all agreements have been fully implemented.”
On July 13, the second annex which tackles wealth-sharing was signed by both parties. Under the annex, 100 percent of the revenue from the exploration, development and use of nonmetallic minerals would go to Bangsamoro. For metallic minerals, 75 percent of the revenue would go to Bangsamoro and 25 percent to the government. Earnings from fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas, coal and uranium would be divided equally.
Further, Bangsamoro would get 75 percent of national taxes collected from the territory, up from the current 70 percent in the ARMM.
On Dec. 8, 2013, the government and MILF panels signed the annex on power-sharing, the third of four annexes. It outlined the powers that would be reserved for the national government, those that would be held by the autonomous Bangsamoro region and those shared by both.
On Jan 25, 2014, the government and the MILF peace panels signed the normalization annex, the last of four documents that make up the comprehensive peace agreement.
On Feb. 8, the office of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) was inaugurated in Cotabato City. The BTC has been commissioned to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which will become the foundation of a future Bangsamoro entity.
(Source: Inquirer Archives)
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