ILIGAN CITY, Lanao del Norte, Philippines — The respective peace panels of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have enlisted the services of two Moro women in the ongoing negotiations.
During the opening rites in Kuala Lumpur Monday morning, chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen welcomed lawyer Raissa Jajurie, who was named member of the MILF peace panel, into the talks.
Both panels resumed talks after a three-month hiatus.
Leonen, who was once a civil society leader, referred to Jajurie as “one of my mentors.”
A Tausug, Jajurie has long been into human rights and alternative development lawyering. In 2010, she was drafted as part of the MILF’s board of consultants along with another woman, Maguindanaoan academic Bai Cabaybay Abubakar.
Leonen also introduced Yasmin Busran-Lao as part of the government panel’s secretariat.
Busran-Lao, a Maranao, is also a veteran in civil society work and known in the peace movement. She is currently a consultant of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).
Busran-Lao ran for senator under the Liberal Party ticket in 2010.
“She (Busran-Lao) will be assisting us aggressively in building our position in the peace talks,” said Leonen in his opening statement, a copy of which was provided to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Leonen acknowledged the efforts of Malaysian facilitator Tengku Dato Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed in doing back-channel talks between the parties after the negotiations stalled when the MILF rejected an enhanced autonomy offer by government.
For the back-channel talks, Ghafar personally traveled to the Philippines to meet the negotiators on both sides.
“He has ably, actively and accurately communicated the sentiments of both sides and because of that facilitation, we were able to come together in Kuala Lumpur last Nov. 3 for informal talks,” Leonen stressed.
“We also would like to thank the good facilitator for hosting that memorable discussion. We credit that discussion for allowing the parties to be frank and candid with each other,” he added.