Tuesday, September 02, 2008 Government won't abandon peace talks with MILF
THE government has vowed to continue negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), but this time prioritizing and focusing on disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) before tackling any other agenda.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Presidential peace adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. both hoped that the MILF would not push through with its threat to withdraw from the negotiations after they have reportedly lost trust in the Arroyo government.
The rebel group said they would only return to the negotiating table if there is already a new administration or if the current government revives and signs the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD).
Ermita, in an interview at the kick-off ceremonies for the Peace Awareness Month at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City, said such statements will not help move the peace process forward.
"All pronouncements from both sides should be still moving towards the attainment of peace in Mindanao, especially now that we are here launching the peace month; so we must encourage talks that would still lead to peace that we've seeking for," he said.
Esperon, in a separate interview, echoed Ermita's call saying unnecessary "attitudes" should be overcome along with some of the obstacles to peace like the recent attacks in parts of Mindanao.
He added that the road to peace is really long and difficult, which the MILF, particularly their chief negotiator Mohager Iqbal, who wrote a book entitled "The Long Road to Peace," is well aware of.
"The road to peace can get long and difficult, but we will never be discouraged. There are threats now to pull out from the talks, we will address that to the best way we can because we know that it is only through the peace process that we can address many of the problems in Mindanao which are not necessarily Mindanao problems but national problems," he said.
Esperon said despite these difficulties, the "government is not abandoning the peace talks with the MILF;" but it is increasing its dialogues with the communities and stakeholders in Mindanao to get their inputs on the peace efforts.
"And if we go into negotiation with the MILF, the matter of DDR will immediately be tabled," he added
He said this means that while disarmament is not a precondition or an imposition on the MILF, it would be the immediate agenda that would be tackled in the talks.
"After discussing up front the DDR, we can go into addressing other matters including the aspirations of the group," he added referring to the desire of the Bangasmoro people to have their own territory which was contained in the MOA-AD. (JMR/Sunnex)
