Gov’t, MILF panels reach ‘consensus’

Moro rebels while inside their camp in remote village of Mamasapano town in Maguindanao Abaya. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The peace panels of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front ended their latest round of negotiations in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, saying they  “reached consensus” on some issues regarding power-sharing and wealth-sharing.

In a joint-statement, both panels also condemned the recent  “senseless attacks” of the so-called Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement (BIFF-BIFM), as well as the violent acts of lawless elements in several areas in Mindanao.

The BIFF, a breakaway faction of the MILF, attacked military and police patrols in the vicinity of the Mindanao State University in Marawi City last week as well as in Maguindanao province. The MILF has been waging a secessionist war in southern Philippines for the past four decades.

In their joint statement, the government and MILF panels said the recent BIFF-BIFM attacks were attempts to try to derail the peace process in Mindanao.

“The GPH and the MILF denounce these aggressions or dirty spoiling by groups who will do everything to derail the peace process,” the joint statement said.

“The Parties will work together to ensure that these spoilers will not succeed as the Parties continue to push forward to bring a just and lasting peace to our peoples and communities,” it added.

“In this round of talks, the parties organized their respective Technical Working Groups (TWGs) on Power-Sharing and Wealth-Sharing. Both TWGs discussed and reached consensus on some issues on power sharing, revenue generation and wealth sharing arrangements,” the joint statement said.

“The Parties note the progress in the discussion on a framework agreement. The Parties agreed to meet again in late August 2012,” it added.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process described the talks as the “last stretch of the negotiations.” Both sides were already discussing substantial issues, it was added.

The Aquino administration has promised to divulge to the public the details of any agreement with the MILF before it is signed.

Both panels thanked President Benigno Aquino, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Rajak, and the MILF Central Committee headed by MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim for their support for the peace process.

They also thanked the members of the International Contact Group (ICG), namely Japan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Center  for Humanitarian Dialogue, Conciliation Resources, Muhammadiyah, and The Asia Foundation for their support.

“Our negotiations are proceeding with undeniable momentum,” government panel head Marvic Leonen said when the latest round of negotiations began.

“As we mentioned during the last round of talks, our principals will be confronted with issues that will require difficult decisions. And I am sure that our principals will be willing to make them and communicate them through us so that we can both work on these concerns,” Leonen said.

MILF panel chair Mohagher Iqbal urged his counterpart to “persevere,” saying that he “expects every sort of obstacle and complication…(as the) bargaining becomes more intense in the final stage.”

In 2008, peace talks between the two sides broke down after the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional any agreement that would repartition provinces in Mindanao to make way for a new Bangsamoro homeland.