Wednesday, May 21, 2008 MILF: Dureza or Esperon, what's the difference?
THE Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said the changing of the guards at the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp) would have no great significance on the peace process.
In a report by www.luwaran.com, the MILF said former Opapp Secretary Jesus Dureza and incumbent Opapp head Hermogenes Esperon "both belong to the same banana and make no difference in the peace process."
Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the MILF peace panel and of its committee on information, said personalities involved in the peace talks are secondary to the policy of the government and whether it is determined or sincere in forging a peaceful negotiated settlement to the Mindanao problem.
"It is the policy of government that matters in the outcome of peace talks not personalities," he said.
Iqbal described the appointment of Esperon as indicative of the growing militarization of the Arroyo administration, including the peace process.
He dismissed fears that the MILF is not comfortable facing military men across the negotiating table, citing the names of former government negotiators who were military men like General Fortunato Abat, General Orlando Soriano, General Edgardo Batenga, and General Rodolfo Garcia, the current government chief peace negotiator. (BOT)
