Stop the hostility

February 20, 2010

Retired AFP Chief now Secretary of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Hermogenes Esperon told peace advocates and Mindanao stakeholders in a forum held in Davao City that while the panels that are negotiating peace have not formally met they have in fact exchange vital documents that tackle the subjects of security, ancestral domain and political issues.

In fact, he said that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has already submitted their counter-proposals and several items have been traced out and already points of consensus had been reached. He said that some legal ramifications are being prudently being evaluated so as not to impinge on the constitution.

As this develops the MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front are now talking as the expected peace agreement between the MILF and the government will impact on the MILF in the sense that most of the territories involved in the current peace talks are also within the territorial jurisdiction of the MILF. Esperon expects that very soon they too will have to meet in a happy compromise to achieve their unity of purpose.

The government legal panel, in addressing the counter-proposal of the MILF, is looking at two solutions and these are either by executive fiat or through the constitutional mandate. The presidential decree we understand but working out a resolution via the constitution would need a charter change or amendment or plebiscite as the case may be.

Right now we do not know what remains to be the contentious issue. It appears that the matter of ancestral domain had been hurdled. The issues on territories have and governance had been harmonized and Esperon expressed optimism that the matter of resources and jurisdiction will no longer hinder the peace process.

Esperon is looking at September as the resumption of the talks which he said will already be the final negotiation stage leading to a peace accord.

What is disturbing however is that elements of the MILF have stepped up hostilities and movements outside the perimeter of territories they are allowed to stay. These actions do not augur well for the peace talks and we hope that peace advocates and the International Monitoring Teams could intervene to stop these adventures.

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Written by admin · Filed Under Columnists, Rina de Jesus