Sunday, June 17, 2007 Palace negotiator with Moro rebel group quits
MALACANANG announced Saturday that government peace negotiator Silvestre Afable Jr., chairman of the panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), resigned from his post.
Presidential adviser on the peace process Jesus Dureza said Fr. Eliseo Mercado Jr. OMI, a peace advocate from Mindanao, would take over Afable’s position.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said Afable, despite his resignation, would stay on as adviser of the panel.
Both Bunye and Dureza were both mum however on the reasons behind Afable’s quitting or if the abduction of father Giancarlo Bossi by alleged member of the MILF had anything to do with it.
Bunye however said Afable’s resignation came at a time when the government is already ‘closer than ever to finally ending decades of conflict in the south and launching a new era of peace and progress for Muslim Mindanao.”
Executive secretary Eduardo Ermita earlier said informal talks are on going in Malaysia in anticipation of the resumption of the formal talks, which is expected following the conclusion of the mid-term elections last may 14.
Ermita even expressed confidence that contentious issues, particularly the one on ancestral domain, would be ironed out in the informal talks in time for the formal negotiations.
Bunye said Afable had talked to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo about his resignation and had discussed the matter thoroughly with her.
“Secretary afable has spoken with the President about relinquishing his post as chairman of the government panel in the MILF talks, after three years of a largely unbroken ceasefire and significant advances towards a final peace agreement,” he said.
Bunye said Afable is now ready to hand over his post to his successor as the search for his replacement starts.
Dureza however revealed that Father Mercado would take over the chairmanship of the GRP panel, confident that the change in panel leadership would not affect the talks.
"The assumption of Fr. Mercado as the new panel chair will ensure a seamless transition and a continuity in government efforts to move forward the peace process with the MILF,” he said.
He described father Mercado, former president of Notre Dame University in Cotabato, as an experienced peace-builder in Mindanao.
Father Mercado, who used to be a member Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD) and was the convenor of the Kusog Mindanaw.
He also chaired the National Movement for Free Elections-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) in 2005. (JMR/Sunnex)
