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The Philippines will seek another country to head the International
Monitoring Team in Mindanao if Malaysia withdraws its delegation
from the group of ceasefire monitors. The overseeing duty of the
team, headed by Malaysia, expires this August.
Unconfirmed reports said the Philippine
government has already identified another country, which could lead
the monitoring team, as a replacement to Malaysia in case it leaves
Mindanao. However, the government said the reports were not true.
Jesus Dureza, the presidential adviser on the
peace process, said the monitoring team has a very crucial role in
implementing the government’s four-year old ceasefire agreement
with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, but the country cannot be
held hostage by the public announcements of some Malaysian officials
that their team will leave the country in August.
“Just because one country decides they don’t
want to be in the team anymore does not mean our peace process will
stop. We will find other countries that would be willing to head
it,” Dureza said.
“We want Malaysia to stay, but we cannot
impose on their benevolence if they no longer wish to extend their
tour of duty again when their term expires in August.” The 60-man
monitoring team is composed mainly of officers from the Malaysian
Defense Forces and the Royal Malaysia Police; military officers from
Brunei and Libya; and civilian components from Japan and Canada.
The tour of duty of the ceasefire monitors was
extended in August 2007 for another year, but the Malaysian
government has already made public overtures that it might withdraw
its contingent if the peace process continues to lag.
-- Angelo S. Samonte
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