By GERMELINA A. LACORTE | Davao Today
DAVAO CITYAfter what happened in Kuala Lumpur, we dont trust the government anymore, Mohaquer Iqbal, the chief negotiator of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said hours after the Supreme Court ruled as unconstitutional the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) that would have given the Moro rebel group authority over the territories making up the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE).
“The government is not sincere, Iqbal said in a Davao gathering of young religious leaders in Asia.
He said that even before the Supreme Court decision, the government has already disbanded the peace panel and unilaterally changed the rule of the peace talks, by declaring to negotiate only with the MILF on conditions of disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation (DDR).
“The talks have collapsed, mainly because the government changed the rule of the game unilaterally,” he said. We will no longer deal with the government but only with international bodies.
But Iqbal said that despite the Supreme Court ruling declaring the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) unconstitutional, the MILF is still open for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Mindanao.
“The peace agreement is dead as far as the government is concerned but the MILF will continue to assert it. If we can’t assert it in the national level, then, we’re going to assert it internationally,” Iqbal said, vowing to elevate the MILF position to the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).
YOUTH FOR PEACE. Young religious leaders from different parts of Asia call for the resumption of peace talks with the MILF in an October 15 torch parade held after the end of their five-day summit in Davao city. (davaotoday.com photo by Jonald Mahinay)
The collapse of the peace talks sent ripples of uncertainties in Mindanao as both parties faced the possibility of renewed fighting.
Iqbal described the situation as “hovering between the negotiated peace settlement and renewed fighting.”
“Both the government and the MILF have only two solutions,” Iqbal said, “It’s either a negotiated settlement or war.”
But he said that forces on the ground are bracing for military attacks after the talks that sought an end to close to four decades of Moro rebellion collapsed. “The MILF will adopt a general defensive position,” Iqbal said. “But if we are attacked, we are prepared to defend ourselves.”
He said that the international monitoring team is scheduled to go home in November, which will be “disastrous” effect on the civilians.
He also said the Moro rebel group also wants the peace process to be included in the national agenda of the government and not just an agenda of the executive branch of the government.
Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo said that the declaration of the MOA-AD unconstitutional has wiped out all the gains of the government and the Moro rebel group after years of negotiations.
He also warned that the possible renewal of the fighting will displace more civilians. “Their order to get Commander Bravo is a declaration of total war,” said Ocampo, “The government, being in a dominant position, should exercise its strength to come up with the peaceful solution to the conflict. Instead, it had carried out aerial and artillery bombardment that only hit civilians,” he said. “The moral responsibility lies in the hands of the government.” (Germelina Lacorte/davaotoday.com)
Peace Process
