MILF submits peace formula

COTABATO City—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has submitted a new proposal to the government, hoping that the stalled peace process can take off again.

Mohagher Iqbal, MILF peace panel chairman, did not provide details of the proposal. But a rebel official told the Inquirer that it involved discussing one at a time four aspects—governance, territory, wealth-sharing and transitional arrangements—instead of tackling a comprehensive compact in its entirety.

The agreements arising from the talks could be compiled to constitute the comprehensive deal, said the official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak on the matter.

Exploratory talks between the government and MILF peace panels have yet to be scheduled. Since their first meeting in February, the panels have been consulting each other every two months.

On August 22, the two sides met in Kuala Lumpur, a facilitator of the talks to end the Moro insurgency in the southern Philippines said. But the rebel negotiators turned down the government’s proposal for “enhanced” autonomy through massive reforms to be undertaken with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The MILF said it would only go back to the negotiating table unless the government revised its proposal.

Iqbal said the rebel group submitted its new proposal to the government through the Malaysian facilitator, Ghafar Tengku Mohamed.

He said its panel was expecting its counterpart to submit a counterproposal on how to restart the talks and come to an agreement.

President Aquino’s adviser on the peace process, Teresita Deles, said the “President wanted a peace deal with the MILF that is acceptable to all stakeholders in southern Philippines and that he is hoping it will come within his term.”

Deles, in a visit here on Wednesday, said the President’s directive remained and was being pursued seriously.

Last month, Malaysian facilitator Ghafar met with MILF and government negotiators in separate backchannel talks meant to restart the negotiations.

Iqbal said the MILF was still awaiting the government’s response so that the talks could proceed again.

The unnamed rebel official said the two panels could meet toward the end of October in keeping their regular schedule and in telling the international community that the peace process was moving forward.

Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chairman for political affairs, told the Inquirer on Wednesday that the MILF would maintain its original position for the creation of a substate as part of a political settlement of the Moro rebellion,

“We are for a peaceful and political solution to the Bangsamoro problem in Mindanao,” Jaafar said.

Once the formal talks resume, he said, the MILF was expecting that the main agenda would be the new proposal and the case of Ameril Umra Kato, former MILF field commander who had been expelled by the group for disobedience and forming his own group.

Jaafar said the MILF central committee had already forwarded a resolution to the Malaysian facilitator on its action against Kato and his armed group, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.