ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / May 29, 2012) – Philippine negotiators and Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels continued peace talks in Malaysia on Tuesday with both sides hoping to sign an accord that would end bloody fighting in Mindanao.
The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group which is fighting for self-determination in Mindanao.
Presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles expressed optimism the talks would yield positive results. “The government peace panel goes to Kuala Lumpur having undergone intensive preparations for the substantive agenda which are on the table. These are difficult issues which may test the will and patience of the two parties,” she said in a statement.
“We pray for the two panels to be able to bridge the gaps between the parties’ positions and expand common grounds towards the peace our people have long desired and which our country badly needs to achieve lasting progress,” Deles added.
Chief Philippine peace negotiators Marvic Leonen and his MILF counterpart Mohagher Iqbal held an executive session Monday with the Malaysian facilitator Tengku Dato’ Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed.
Details of the negotiations were not immediately known, but a press statement released by the government peace panel said the three-day talks would center on details on power-sharing, wealth-sharing, governance, geographical areas, among others.
Both sides have signed last month the Decision Points on Principles, a landmark document which contains 10 points that will serve as a guide on the substantive issues of the negotiations.
Also in the signed document is the proposal to create a new Muslim autonomous region that would replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) comprising of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao and Maguindanao provinces.
The five governors of the ARMM – the governors of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao – Sakur Tan, of Sulu province; Jum Akbar, of Basilan; Esmael Mangudadatu, of Maguindanao; Sadikul Sahali, of Tawi-Tawi; and Mamintal Adiong, Jr. of Lanao del Sur – also attended the peace talks as observers, along with representatives of the International Contact Group.
The ICG, which has been created to complement the work of the Malaysian facilitator, particularly to aid in maintaining a level of comfort and mutual trust between the Philippines and the MILF, is comprised of four countries Britain, Japan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia; and international nongovernmental organizations The Asia Foundation, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and Conciliation Resources, and Muhammadiyah.
“We are here to provide support,” Tan said. “There will always be one of us sitting there as an observer.”
“We want to show everybody including the MILF that the five executives of the ARMM are one in supporting the peace efforts of the government with the MILF,” he added. (Mindanao Examiner)
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