MANILA, Philippines -- War is imminent if the government will pursue the signing of the memorandum of agreement over ancestral domain with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, warned people opposed to the agreement.

“This is a serious, grave, and tragic event...there are a number of undisciplined military commanders and ethnic cleansing could happen,” former Senator Ernesto Maceda told a media forum at the Club Filipino in Greenhills Wednesday.

Maceda said people should look at the long term implications of the MOA.

“We have an MILF force of about 11,000, mostly headed by undisciplined commanders. Now fast track it five years when you have now a state belonging to the MILF in whatever form it is. The military force of the MILF will now have legal status...Five years from now, we will have an MILF security force that is probably well-armed,” he added.

North Cotabato Congressman Ben Piñol said that as early as now, violence has been erupting in Mindanao and the military has neglected protecting the people.

"Ang temperament dun mainit, nasasaktan ang mga tao [The temperament there right now is volatile. The people are hurt]. They are enraged by the way they handled the problem in Mindanao," he said.

Piñol also said that civilians were taking up arms to defend themselves.

“But there was never an order giving offensive against the MILF,” he added.

Maceda also countered the claim by the MILF that the MOA was binding despite of the temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court.

“The initials only served to check the accuracy of the document. It is no way considered a final signature,” he said.

Piñol said that the real problem of Mindanao would not be solved by a simple peace treaty.

“Yang peace agreement na yan [That peace agreement] has nothing to do with solving the problems in Mindanao. It would never give lasting peace to Mindanao. [The problem of peace] in Mindanao, lagnat lang yan [that is only fever],” he said.

Piñol said the real problem in Mindanao was poverty, which he called an “infection” that caused the problem of peace in the region.

“It's not about territory. It's not about land areas. It's about addressing the real problem that is poverty,” he said.

United Opposition spokesperson Adel Tamano also said people should not blame the MILF for the conflict in Mindanao, but rather blame the government.

“Blame the government because they don't understand how precious the peace process is for the Moros. To [the government] it's simply politics. But for the Moros, who have, for centuries had the determination, they know the stakes are very high,” Tamano said.

Maceda said the problem was that the government rushed the MOA "para lang maihabol sa SONA [so that it could be included in the SONA]," referring to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address last July 28.

“This MOA is supposed to be entered into to assure peace in the area. But as things are turning out, the rallies and the statements of the bishops, this will cost trouble. War is coming,” he said.