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Friday, July 18, 2008
Gov't, MILF agree to expand Muslim territory
MANILA -- Government and Muslim rebel negotiators have agreed to expand the autonomous region and hand over some state-controlled resources in Mindanao, officials said Thursday.
Hermogenes Esperon, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's top adviser on the peace process, said secret talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have been held in Malaysia, which has brokered the peace negotiations and led an international truce team in Mindanao.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
Esperon said the two sides resolved a sticking point in the critical issue of ancestral domain.
He also said negotiators would meet again on July 24 to set a date for the signing of a memorandum of agreement.
Formal peace talks will resume afterward.
They agreed to expand the territory of the autonomous region in Mindanao with the addition of 712 predominantly Muslim villages, subject to a plebiscite six months after the deal is signed, Esperon told a news conference.
The agreement also calls for Muslim control of forest and mineral resources up to 9.3 miles (15 kilometers) from the shoreline, with resources beyond that point but still within Philippine territory to be shared, with 75 percent going to the autonomous region, Esperon said.
Arroyo lauded the breakthrough, telling DZBB radio that it was reached because of a mutual desire for peace.
"When peace comes to Mindanao, speedy and just progress will also come," she added.
Esperon said there should be some unification between the MILF and the older Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) that signed a peace pact with the government in 1996.
MNLF controls the current Muslim autonomous region encompassing five provinces and one city.
The rebel forces warned last Friday that a five-year-old truce could collapse unless the two sides resumed formal talks.
US and Philippine officials hope a peace pact can transform the Mindanao into a booming economic hub instead of combat zones that are a breeding ground for terrorism.
The peace talks foundered in December when the rebels' negotiators walked away from a meeting to protest Manila's position on the constitution.
With an estimated 11,000 fighters, the rebel group is the largest Muslim group battling for self-rule in Mindanao. It has been active for decades. (AP)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (July 18, 2008 issue)
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