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Wednesday, July 09, 2003
Arroyo mulls lifting warrants on MILF chiefs
By She Caguimbal-Torres
MANILA -- President Arroyo on Tuesday said she is open to suspending the arrest warrants for ranking Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leaders especially if it will ensure the resumption and smooth conduct of the peace negotiations.
The catch, however, is that it is still up to the separatist guerillas to work for the suspension or lifting of the warrants.
Arroyo said her government was working to "build confidence in the peace process and we are preparing for the opening of talks" with the MILF, the country's main Muslim separatist group.
"We are open to the suspension of warrants by the court if this is necessary (to) move the peace talks forward," she declared.
Also on Tuesday, the US reaffirmed its commitment to assist in the Philippine government's peace efforts with the MILF.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu welcomed Arroyo's statement and said rebel negotiators were now prepared to resume talks in Malaysia.
"That's a positive development. We welcome that development," Kabalu said, stressing that both sides were now "on the stage of compliance for resumption of peace talks."
"If this will continue I think we will have a good start for the resumption of the talks," he said.
Bogged down
But the MILF must not take too much time on the procedural issues, Arroyo told a conference of bishops and businessmen in Taguig, noting that the group has several lawyers and legal advisers.
"We continue to build confidence in the peace process and we are preparing for the opening of talks. We must avoid being bogged down by these matters," she added.
The MILF had earlier warned that the rebels would not return to the negotiating table unless the arrest warrants against its chief, Salamat Hashim, and other rebel negotiators are lifted.
Malaysia, which has hosted preliminary peace talks, also said it would be difficult to go ahead with formal negotiations with the arrest warrants still in effect. Under the Philippines legal system only the courts can lift the warrants.
The warrants were slapped against the MILF leaders in connection with deadly bombings in Mindanao this year.
Among those with pending warrants of arrest are Salamat Hashim, MILF chairman; Ghadzali Jaafar, vice chairman for political affairs; Al Hadj Murad, vice-chairman for military affairs; Alih Mumbantas, vice chairman for internal affairs; and Kabalu.
Presidential adviser on strategic concerns Renato De Villa earlier Monday said the peace negotiations would be delayed if the MILF failed to act on the issue of the warrant.
Kabalu, however, said it was up to government to move for the lifting of the warrants, saying the MILF had been promised on two occasions that this would be done.
Commenting on Kabalu's claim, Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said he believed the MILF is merely posturing and resorting to "negotiating strategies."
Two areas
Still on the peace process, US Ambassador to the Philippines Francis Ricciardone said in a briefing in Malacaņang late Tuesday afternoon that they would be involved in two areas: the conduct of negotiations and in the development aspect of Mindanao.
"The US role as we see it is in two areas... number one is underwriting (and) number two, if you need a one- or two-word phrase, it's bearing witness and thereby helping lend confidence," he said.
Ricciardone said the US has no plans of replacing Malaysia as third-party intermediary but they are willing to play a support role.
He said they have great respect for Malaysia, which "kept the flames of peace warm, the peace process warm even when there was no process."
He said it was Malaysia who kept the communication lines between the Philippine government and the MILF alive and ensured that they could "get together again."
"(And) we're interested in supporting the Malaysian leadership role in convening the parties," said Ricciardone, who identified the US Institute of Peace as the American agency that would help the Malaysians in the task.
He said the presence of the US should provide the needed "confidence" in the negotiations since the two parties in conflict "don't have much confidence in each other's ability and willingness to keep their word."
US team
Forming the US team will be "very distinguished, eminent, credible Americans to lend support, Americans who have experience in diplomacy, perhaps even an American retired general officer with experience in statesmanship" who could lend weight and experience in resolving the conflict between the two panels.
Ricciardone said the US would also provide assistance for Mindanao's development as President George W. Bush promised.
He said $30 million had already been allocated by the US Congress "to support the peace process in Mindanao," which is in excess of a $74 million grant that has already been provided for the island.
Wendy Chamberlin, assistant administrator for Asia and the Near East of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), said they are prepared provide more grants and assistance once a "real peace agreement" is signed between the government and the MILF.
But she stressed that "aid, as it might be available as a result of these discussions, will only be available if there's peace, if there's an end to violence in the area. These are important matters that we certainly hope all parties will take very seriously."
She said the possible assistance is likely to be similar to the packages that had been granted when the Philippines signed a peace accord with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
At present the USAID has already provided US$70 million worth of development assistance to the Philippines and half of which was spent in Mindanao. With AFP
(July 9, 2003 issue)
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