MANILA, Philippines -- Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile is still baffled as to how former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson could help in government’s peace efforts with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Enrile asked this question on Monday when officials of the National Security Council appeared at the Senate finance sub-committee to defend the agency’s proposed budget of P61 million for 2009.
“I am more curious about the role being played by Governor Singson. He’s doing back channeling, for what, to pacify the MILF, to tell them not to become unruly or what? To find out what they are thinking?” Enrile asked, addressing his questions to NSC deputy director Milo Ibrado.
Singson, who was recently appointed as deputy adviser of the National Security Council, was not at the hearing.
“Pardon me for being pessimistic about this but the way I see it, I don’t think we can solve that Mindanao problem unless we can come to an agreement or a minimum condition that they have to disarm themselves,” Enrile said.
“For as long as we allow them to hold their guns and maintain their army within the Republic, there’s a danger to the people and the communities nearest to them and to the nation,” he pointed out.
He lamented that the continued deadlock in the peace process has become more advantageous to the Moro rebels than to the government.
“Can we really expect these people to surrender their firearms and so under what terms?” the senator further asked.
“I ask this question because time is in their favor and against us. The longer this thing will protract, the stronger they will become because the perception of the people is that the government of the Philippines is inutile,” he said.
Meanwhile, opposition Senator Rodolfo Biazon wondered why the NSC has not convened itself, considering the many issues such as the aborted signing of the memorandum of agreement-ancestral domain (MOA-AD) between the government and the MILF, which the Council should have addressed.
“This is issue in Mindanao is a National Security Council matter. I’d declare that,” Biazon said.
Ibrado admitted that it had been more than a year ago now since the Council was last convened.
