NDF belittles Bangsamoro peace pact

PRESIDENT Aquino, in an unprecedented move, meets with leaders of the MILF in Tokyo in August, paving the way for the peace talks to move at a much faster pace. FILE PHOTO FROM OPAPP

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The National Democratic Front, the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has expressed skepticism about the latest breakthrough in the peace negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“The government is hoping to have peace in the area (Mindanao), but to us, this is not going to happen,” said Jorge Madlos alias Ka Oris, the spokesperson for the NDF in Mindanao.

Madlos told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a telephone interview on Tuesday that the euphoria brought by the signing of the Annex on Normalization of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro was not something to look forward to.

“You must not lose sight of the real cause of the struggle of the Moro people, which should be set free from the feudal system of the ruling class, the imperialist masters and the aspiration of the real autonomy,” Madlos said.

He said majority of the Moro people remain landless, and a peace agreement will not address this main concern.

“Their natural wealth, including the Liguasan Marsh and their plains, will surely be up for plunder by the domestic and multinational corporations, who will continue to treat the Moro people as a second class people,” Madlos said.

Based on experience in the case of the peace accord between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front, Madlos said, only “the few MILF hierarchy and not the majority of the Moro people… stand to benefit from the peace deal.”

Madlos instead encouraged the MILF to “coordinate” with the NDF for a common struggle.

“Either they participate directly with the revolutionary government or other resistance group will closely coordinate with the NDF,” Madlos said, adding that the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, an MILF breakaway group, can cooperate with their forces.

The NDF has been engaged in on-and-off peace talks with the government for two decades now.

Madlos said the communist movement was not closing the door to a peace agreement, “but government forces keep on attacking us.”

“We don’t expect seriousness and sincerity on the part of the government,” Madlos said.

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