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THE government on Friday admitted that there could be an effect on
the ceasefire with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front if the mandate
of the International Monitoring Team will not be extended.
This was according to Philippine Government
chief negotiator Rodolfo Garcia who said there could be an
effect on the truce between the government and MILF but it can be
prevented if both parties will be able to come up with a mechanism
on the ceasefire.
“There could be an effect [on the ceasefire
with the expiration of the term of the IMT] but the joint ceasefire
committee is still there, it could still be effective in addressing
the problems on the grounds,” Garcia said.
The MILF raised concern regarding the effect of
the expiration of the IMT mandate to the existing truce with the
government in Mindanao.
Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief peace negotiator said the
ceasefire might collapse after August 31, 2008 if the peace panels
of the GRP and MILF failed to meet and inject a new lease on the
life of the International Monitoring Team (IMT).
Iqbal explained the mandate of the IMT could
only be extended, during a meeting of the panels adding the peace
panels must meet before August 31, which is the deadline of the
IMT’s mandate.
Garcia said the government is working well on
schedule, in fact; they have completed the legal review of the
consensus points that will be presented to the president for
clearance.
“I think the GRP and the MILF panels could sit
down again so that we can [discuss] these recommendations coming
from us, of course with the Malaysian facilitator there,” he
added.
Garcia admitted that there are three
unsettled issues that the MILF had submitted and this include the
concept of the operations of the Bangsamoro people for freedom, the
resources issues regarding the jurisdiction and control and
institution building.
“These are the remaining issues which we have
not responded to, we took it as a wise move to study the entire
consensus points and find out how this could be enabled or how it
could be implemented,” Garcia explained.
The monitoring team is composed of 41 officers
from the Malaysian Defense Forces, the Royal Malaysia Police, and
the Prime Minister’s Department and is also supported by 10
military officers from Brunei Darussalam and 5 from Libya. Canada
and Japan also have members on the team.
-- Jefferson Antiporda
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