Palace: No link between May polls, delays in peace talks with MILF

Secretary Edwin Lacierda. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang quashed speculations, on Monday, that it has been pushing back the signing of a comprehensive deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front until after the elections to see if the administration would have the majority number of lawmakers needed to approve the Bangsamoro Law.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda called the configuration of the next Congress after the May 13 elections irrelevant to the talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to craft a final agreement.

President Aquino’s goal has always been for both camps to craft a “doable’’ agreement, Lacierda said.

“We don’t talk about who will be the next congressman in the next election because obviously everybody has an investment in the peace process. We expect the peace dividends would far outweigh whatever problems, obstacles that we will be having,’’ he said in a briefing.

Lacierda described as speculative the views of former presidential adviser on the peace process Jesus Dureza that any signing of the deal ahead of the vote would be a big gamble on the administration’s part since this would in effect be “giving concession’’ to the rebels.

“That’s all speculation on his part. He does not know the details of the goings-on of the peace process,’’ he said.

Originally set in December 2012, the signing of the comprehensive agreement was put off for March this year, and later on April.

Talks on the framework agreement’s annexes of power-sharing, wealth-sharing and normalization were postponed in late March for April. The annex on transitional arrangements and modalities was signed in February.