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By Angelo S. Samonte, Reporter
Malacañang denied causing the impasse in the
peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),
which resulted in the decision of Malaysia to withdraw from the
International Monitoring Team (IMT).
Jess Dureza, presidential adviser on the peace
process, said the government is merely observing due diligence in
completing the proposed draft of the agreement on ancestral domain
to ensure that it can be implemented according to the 1987
Constitution.
Despite the scheduled pullout of the monitoring
team, Dureza thanked the Malaysians, who comprise the largest
contingent of the group, for supporting the peace process.
Meanwhile, the MILF cautioned the government
against making hasty calls to replace the monitoring contingents
that are leaving.
In a statement posted on its website, the MILF
peace panel secretariat head, Jun Mantawil, said making such calls
betrays a bid to downplay the impact of the departure.
“The question is, why is Malaysia
withdrawing?” asked Mantawil, as he urged government to examine
itself instead of attempting to put up a “smokescreen” over why
the Malaysians decided to withdraw.
He chided government negotiating panel chairman,
Rodolfo Garcia, for saying Manila will invite other countries to
join the IMT to replace the monitors from Malaysia and Brunei.
Mantawil noted that inviting other countries to
join the monitoring team is a bilateral decision and can only be
done when the two panels meet under the facilitation of Malaysia. It
was reported last week that the Philippine government plans to ask
Indonesia to replace Malaysia.
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