MILF consults constituency in Saranggani and South Cotabato
October
27, 2009 – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) consulted its
constituencies in the provinces of Saranggani and South Cotabato last
week.
Jun Mantawil, Chairman of the Secretariat of the MILF
Peace Negotiating Panel, and Toks Ebrahim, Chairman of the MILF
Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) or
popularly known as Ceasefire Committee, led the consultation.
The consultation was focused on the formation of the International Contact Group (ICG) for the peace process between the government and the MILF, the status of the ceasefire agreement (SOMO, SOMA) between the two parties and the resolution of the initialed but unsigned GRP – MILF Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD).
Participants representing the leadership of the political committees, MILF military base commands and other civil committees expressed common dismay and disgust on the peace process over the arrest and detention of Commander Aguilar at the Headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) at Camp Crame in Quezon City, Philippines.
Commander Aguilar, the highest military commander of the MILF in the province was arrested by joint operatives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the PNP last June 20, 2009 in General Santos City by virtue of an arrest warrant on charges wherein Aguilar are innocent of.
Scores of participants hit that the existing ceasefire mechanisms on the ground less the are “weak and toothless,” as depicted in the arrest and detention of Base Commander Aguilar, other cases of arrests against MILF members in Saranggani and unabated misbehavior of elements of 73rd Infantry Battalion – AFP by harassing Moro civilians residing in several municipalities in Saranggani.
“Without the Malaysia-led International Monitoring Team (IMT) the ceasefire mechanisms are weak and apparently could not do anything and prove reliable anymore,” participants chided.
Toks Ebrahim assailed the 73rd IB for putting up a check point on the eve prior to the consultation.
“Putting up of check point is not the kind of cooperation that we are expecting from the AFP after the MILF-CCCH had properly coordinated the conduct of the peaceful consultation. That was plain and simple harassment and a manifestation of non-cooperation by the military to our peace programs,” Ebrahim said.
“It is important to rebuild trust and confidence on the peace process at this point in time and the only way to do it is to constitute the organization and operation of the ICG and the mechanism for the protection of civilians and their human rights particularly during prevailing military operations and armed confrontations,” a youth organization representative from Maitum said.
One political committee officer recalled that the root cause of the problem was the immoral and illegal annexation of the Bangsamoro homeland to the territory of the Philippines when granted independence by the United States of America in 1946.
He espoused that the problem was political and therefore its ultimate solution is also a negotiated political settlement between the government and the MILF.
The political officer, however, commended President Arroyo for her desire to forge a comprehensive peace deal with the MILF that will justly and enduringly resolve the conflict in Mindanao.
During the discussions, a point was emphasized saying that military option should not be made part of the total peace process paradigm as desired end-sate of the peace process could never be achieve with the capitulation or surrender of any party.
Participants lauded the international and diplomatic community as well as donor entities for their unwavering strides to push forward the ongoing peace process between the government and MILF.
They also appealed to replicate the consultations updates on the peace process in the municipalities of Maasim, Kiamba and Maitum in the province of Saranggani, and in Pulomolok, South Cotabato.
