MILF cautions against too much optimism about peace talks

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has asked the public against expecting too much about the short-term prospects of its negotiations for a permanent settle of the Mindanao problem with the government.

“In negotiation, nothing is agreed until it is agreed, and signed by the parties,” the MILF said in a statement.

“The MILF does not share the uninhibited optimism of those who believe or say a peace pact with the government is in the pocket already. It is too early to say,” it added.

The MILF was reacting to earlier reports, especially in a Middle East newspaper, that President Benigno Aquino had already agreed to a sub-state arrangement.

In his opening statement during the February talks, MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal disclosed that Aquino was amenable to a ministerial form of government in a future Moro self-governance entity provided its functionaries were directly elected by the people.

Since agreeing to the Malaysia-facilitated negotiations, the MILF has formally dropped its demand for independence and settled for wider political powers under an autonomous setup.

A joint statement after the 25th round of talks last month made no mention of any agreement being reached on substantive issues such as power-sharing, wealth-sharing, territory, and transitional mechanism.

“Perhaps, the best consolation is that all issues are already laid on the table, discussed fully, and can be ready for decision,” the rebel group said.

“But decision in this instance can be two ways, one for agreement and the other for disagreement. That is why we cannot be too over-confident, because everything can still happen,” it added.

Government had earlier targeted a conclusion of the 15-year-long negotiations within the first quarter of this year. Aquino himself wanted to have a peace agreement implemented by 2013.

During the recent tripartite review of the 1996 peace pact with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Bandung, Indonesia, presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Quintos-Deles told the diplomats from Organization of Islamic Cooperation (formerly Organization of the Islamic Conference) that “there have been major movements” in the peace talks with the MILF.

“We have firm basis to hope that a peace agreement with the MILF may be attained within the year,” Deles said.

“Such achievement, together with the completion of the Implementation of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement … ushers in the hope for the most comprehensive, responsive and enduring resolution of the conflict in Southern Philippines,” she added.

However, Deles admitted that the government was “proceeding with tempered optimism.”

“Despite best efforts from both sides of the table, some things can still be hard to predict, some things can still go wrong. But we will persevere because we know that the status quo is not an option,” she said.