MILF urged not to fuel fears peace talks would fail

COTABATO CITY, Philippines—The government’s chief negotiator asked the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Monday not to  not to fuel apprehensions that the peace talks will fail.

“Instead of trying to fuel people’s apprehensions, we urge the MILF to work with government and meet our timetable for a peace agreement this year,” Marvic Leonen said in a statement e-mailed to the Inquirer.

MILF officials had complained earlier that talks were not going anywhere.

Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF political affairs chief, said the rebels were becoming impatient because “it appears we are going in circles.”

“We want a peaceful resolution to the Mindanao conflict and we look at the Aquino government as the hope that we’ve been waiting for. But then, it seems frustration has crept in lately among MILF peace negotiators because of the delaying tactics,” he said.

Jaafar said the non-committal of the government  panel on several issues, including one that concerns territory, has been delaying the peace agreement. He said the discussions were revolving around the same issues without any concrete solution in sight.

“The negotiation tactic that the government is employing is courting a dangerous ground. There is now the question of sincerity on the side of the national leadership,” he said.

Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator, told the Inquirer that the talks with the Aquino administration have been going on for more nearly two years now but there has been no progress.

“They are not serious. The government says there will be signing of the agreement in the first quarter of the year but until now there is no clear future for the negotiations,” he said.

In his statement, Leonen said that on the contrary, the government has “laid a very pragmatic proposal that will ensure real and genuine autonomy for the Bangsamoro.”

He did not say what the proposal was,  but the MILF has stated it wants to govern an expanded territory and share wealth and power with the national government.