Thursday, April 24, 2008 Gov't ready to seek extension of IMT's stay in RP
THE Philippine government is prepared to ask for an extension on the stay of the members of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) in the country in case their term ends before a final peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is signed, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said.
"Yes, yes" Ermita said in a briefing in Malacañang when asked if the Philippine government is prepared to seek an extension of the IMT in case their term expires in August.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim has been quoted by Malaysian media as saying they might not renew the term of their IMT personnel if there are no concrete developments in the peace negotiations in the Philippines.
Presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza and chief government negotiator with the MILF Rodolfo Garcia denied of any pullout but acknowledged a possible reduction in Malaysian personnel in the IMT in the future.
Brunei Darussalam is reportedly considering a pullout of their own contingent if Malaysia pushes through with its plan. Dureza refused to comment on the Brueni report.
Ermita said there is no formal communication from Malaysia or anywhere else on the reported withdrawal or even a possible reduction of IMT members.
He said the IMT, aside from being a provision in the security agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF, is helpful in maintaining the ceasefire in Mindanao.
"It is to the interest of everyone that we have the ceasefire, maintain it through the IMT and though the ad hoc joint working group. So I said interest not only of the Philippine government, it is in the interest of the MILF and also in the interest of Malaysia," he said.
He said Malaysia, which aside from being the third party facilitator of the peace negotiations, also has the biggest contingent in the IMT and other nearby countries that has common border with the Philippines like Indonesia has a stake in the peace efforts in Mindanao because any development in the security front could affect their countries.
He acknowledged that the negotiations at present is at a standstill which he said stemmed from the MILF's reaction to the government's reminder and insistence that the Philippine Constitution would serve as the term of reference and guide of the government panel in the talks.
Ermita said despite the delay in formal resumption of talks, the Philippine government continues to be in touch with Malaysia with he last meeting with Kuala Lumpur occurring on April 15 between Dureza and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Najib Razak.
He said Malaysia understood the side of the Philippines in invoking the Constitution.
"We are trying to straighten that out. But just remember, we cannot move on with any negotiations or talks with anybody on any matter especially international bodies or groups fighting against government unless it is within our Constitution, and we will go by that," he said.
Ermita reiterated that the Philippines remains committed to pursing the peace talks and he assured that it would resume.
"I am very sure we will still be resuming our negotiations," he said a day after Dureza himself said that the government is prepared to push through with the peace talks with the MILF even if Malaysia in the future eventually decides to pull out or reduce its personnel in the IMT.
"The Malaysian government has been very helpful in our peace process. But we cannot impose further on their benevolence if that is their decision. Our peace efforts will continue with the help of all countries wiling to help," Dureza said.
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) downplayed the possible impact of a possible pullout of Malaysian peacekeepers who are involved in the monitoring of the ceasefire agreement with the MILF.
AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. doubted if hostilities will erupt between government and MILF forces as a result, noting that the people of Mindanao do not want violence.
Earlier, Garcia said the planned pullout of the Malaysian peacekeepers might have an adverse effect on the truce, which resulted in lesser incidence of fighting between the two sides.
Malaysian officials have said that they plan to pull out their representatives in the IMT this September. The Malaysian-led IMT is also composed of representatives from Brunei, Libya, Japan and Canada.
"My sense from the commanders in the area is that the people, that means including the MILF, as well as local residents as so desirous of peace in the area," said Esperon on whether violence will arise from the pullout.
"So if we would make that (pullout of the Malaysians) as a basis for predicting any violence then we would say that the people in the area have greater preference for peace rather than for violence," the military chief added.
But Esperon said the reported pullout of the Malaysians are still speculative, noting that there is still no formal communication to the Philippine government to that effect. "We have not been official notified about that," he said.
"So until then, unless we get earlier official notifications that they would indeed be terminated then everything is purely speculative and for that matter if there are any pronouncements on their side then it is for their own reasons," he said.
"But at this point, we would like to acknowledge certainly that the International Monitoring Team which is composed of Malaysia, Brunei, Libya, Canada have indeed been a great help in so far as preserving the ceasefire and the ongoing peace process," he also said. (JMR/VR/Sunnex)
