MILF seeks suspension of oil exploration in Moro areas

MANILA -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has urged the government to postpone the awarding of oil exploration contracts in Mindanao while negotiations on wealth-sharing as part of the framework agreement between the two parties have been ongoing.

MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said his group's appeal was "very reasonable and sound."

"As a principle, we are not against exploitation of our natural resources, including oil and gas, provided that they redound to the benefits of our people and should be done in the proper time and conditions," he said.

Under the Department of Energy's Petroleum and Energy Contracting Round 4, there are at least two areas up for bidding: Area 11 in Cotabato, which is around 600,000 hectares, and Area 12, also in Cotabato, which is about 456,000 hectares.

The Liguasan Marsh in the Cotabato Basin has an area of 14,000 square kilometers.

The MILF cited that the resources in the basin are estimated to be 158 million bbl. oil equivalents, including a discovered resource of five million bbl. oil equivalent (or 29 billion cubic feet gas). The total number of wildcat wells drilled is 10.

The government and the MILF will resume the formal talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by November to discuss the annexes on wealth and power-sharing, and normalization.

Both parties hope to complete the annexes by December for the signing of the comprehensive agreement.

The framework agreement, signed by the Philippine government and MILF last October 15, is seen to serve as blueprint of peace in Mindanao.

Also called a roadmap to a final peace settlement that is expected by 2016, the deal grants minority Muslims in southern Philippines broad autonomy in exchange for ending more than 40 years of violence that has killed tens of thousands of people and crippled development. (SDR/Sunnex)