The declaring bitter truth is that Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leaders want to establish an independent state made up of the majority of the Filipino Muslims (who see the Philippine Republic as their country) and the minority of militant Muslims here who, like the MILF leaders, despise our Republic. A less painful resolution of the conflict between the government and the various MILF bands and the MILF leaders (who seem incapable of enforcing discipline among their commanders and followers) is the formation of an autonomous Bangsamoro state, or two or several Bangsamoro states, within a new federal system of the Philippine Republic. These Bangsamoro states will have allegiance to the Philippine Republic as the mother juridical entity and to the Constitution of the Philippines. They and their Muslim populations will have all the freedoms, rights and responsibilities to achieve their highest political, civic, economic and spiritual potential—short of declaring themselves independent of the Philippine Republic.

Every non-Muslim Filipino that we have spoken to, even those in the military who have engaged in battles with MILF armies and have lost comrades in arms in these battles, agree to see the Moros happily and prosperously given their autonomous states within a Philippine federal republic.

And many of the Muslim Filipinos, some of whom may not actually want to become “citizens” of the future Bangsamoro state or states, also wish to see that arrangement become a reality.

The GRP and MILF panels in July signed an agreement to resume peace negotiations. They also agreed to have the talks, the Mindanao peace process, and the actual peace situation, monitored by an International Contact Group (ICG) to be made up of diplomatic representatives of Muslim countries assigned by the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The ICG is also to have non-Muslim countries that have been actively involved in Philippine government efforts to promote the economic and social development of Mindanao’s Muslim provinces. Foremost of these are the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan.

All of a sudden, news broke on Monday that the MILF had called on America to be involved in the peace talks. That MILF’s Chairman Ebrahim Murad, the Vice Chairman Ghazali Jaafar, chief of the panel dealing with the Philippine government’s negotiators Mohagher Iqbal, and five others had met secretly with the US Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires Leslie Bassett in the Moro rebels’ Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat.

The US Embassy spokesman, Rebecca Thompson, texted The Manila Times on Monday with the message that Washington continues to support a negotiated settlement between the Philippines and the MILF.

But there is reason to wonder what the Americans are up to. One suspects that, although the latest news is that the Philippine government, Malacañang in particular, is supposed to “welcome the American participation in the Mindanao peace process,” the government was not privy to the preparations of the MILF-US Embassy meeting and is not really privy to the reason for the meeting.

One can glean this from the words of Foreign Affairs Department Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, who is the government’s chief negotiator vis-à-vis the MILF (and Commander Mohagher Iqbal’s counterpart). He claimed to have been told of the meeting before it was held. We suspect he was told indeed but not consulted about it. In other words, the US diplomats had decided to give the MILF rebel group the status of equals of the Philippine Republic by having a meeting with the MILF leaders without asking the host government’s permission.

The US Embassy spokesman told Agence France-Presse that Charge d’Affaires Basset “met with various leaders and officials in Cotabato as part of a familiarization visit.” Of course, the MILF chairman, vice chairman and cadres of the separatist rebel group are “leaders.” Even the Philippine military forces in charge of Cotabato did not know who the American diplomats were meeting.

Undersceretary Seguis is still asking questions. What exactly do the MILF leaders want America’s role to be? Do they want the Americans to support their (the MILF’s) Malaysian friends in acting as peace broker?
With considerable opinion in Philippine circles now seeing Malaysia’s role as questionable, does the MILF feel adding America’s weight behind that of the Malaysians will buttress their favored position in the peace talks.

One cannot help but remember that the United States, in a way, betrayed the Philippines in Sabah, which belongs to the Philippines and which was leased from the Sultan of Sulu by the British and was transferred to Malaysia after a US and British-supported referendum that the Philippines bitterly objected to.

Mindanao is not just an important and large piece of real estate. To us Filipinos it is an integral part of our homeland. But it is also an internationally strategic location in our region—from which the safety of the seas can be assured for international shipping and trade and for the geopolitical strength of the big powers, including our old friend, former colonial master and current source of aid, loans aid and jobs for overseas Filipino workers.

Here’s a legitimate fear:

If American interests will be advanced by having our Mindanao promised land fragmented through the creation of new Muslim states more dependably pro-American than the Philippine Republic—with its fractious and noisy democrats in the media, the legislature and youth organizations and its corrupt would-be dictators—Washington is most likely not going to think twice about balkanizing southern Philippines.

If our government officials had been more worthy of respect, less known to be venal and more seen to be patriotic men and women who care for their own people’s good, maybe powerful friends like the Americans will go out of their way to preserve the Philippine Republic.

But we have for the past many years exhibited all the weaknesses and the vices of a failed state.

And foreign countries, like cruel animals of the jungle, will not bother to save the dying.

Internationalizing our domestic problems, like peace and development in Mindanao, can be a goods thing.
If the officials of our republic were credible and awesome towers of moral strength and brilliance.

With the inferior moral and intellectual qualities of our leaders, having the Mindanao peace process controlled by foreign friends who don’t have good reasons to respect our leaders, we should brace ourselves for the balkanization of Mindanao.