Liberation Front (MILF) is running out of
patience over delays in the peace talks between them and the
Philippine government.
Resentment grew as Malaysia began pulling out
its troops from the multinational International Monitoring Team
which helps oversee the ceasefire between the Philippine military
and the Moros. Most Mindanao observers credit the IMT for the
dramatic reduction of clashes between the two sides.
Talks between the government and the MILF began
in 1997, but formal meetings opened in January 2000. Negotiations
for a Moro homeland started in 2004 when Malaysia facilitated the
talks but got snagged over the issue of ancestral domain—the
territory that includes provinces, towns and cities—being claimed
by guerrillas.
Ancestral domain
The government is addressing the issue but
insists that any resolution should meet the test of
constitutionality. The demand for a Bangsamoro and the territories
under it could not be met without amending the Constitution,
government representatives to the peace panel said.
Resistance also comes from a large Christian
population and the Lumad (numerous indigenous groups) people living
in the contested domain.
The MILF representatives said that the Arroyo
government—like its predecessors—is procrastinating on the issue
until the time comes to turn the problem over to the next
administration.
The International Court of Justice
They said that short of resuming the war, they
will raise the issue to the International Court of Justice in The
Hague.
The MILF took up the flag after the Moro
National Liberation Front and the Fidel V. Ramos government signed a
peace agreement in 1996 that led to the creation of the Autonomous
Region for Muslim Mindanao under warrior-turned-statesman Nur
Misuari.
The partisans continued the campaign for an
independent homeland in the governments of Ramos, Joseph Estrada and
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The struggle has cost thousands of lives,
produced a long list of missing persons, displaced thousands of
families, kicked thousands of children out of school and destroyed
billions of pesos worth of houses, properties, businesses and
livelihoods.
Will it pass the Constitution?
It has been costly for the government that must
spend scarce resources on the military and on rebuilding. The
government casualties and the toll on the orphans and widows are
enormous. Casualties have grown owing to collateral damage and
isolated massacres.
In 2003, Manila and the MILF once more agreed to
a ceasefire and to start talks for peace. Occasional clashes flared
but both sides exercised restraint. The rebels also walked the extra
mile to help government fight the Abu Sayyaf terrorists.
The two sides however could not get to agree on
the question of ancestral domain. The Moros claimed there had been
agreements on earlier drafts but Manila had a way of delaying a
decision. First, the government questioned the scope of the claimed
territory which, the MILF said, should include the current ARMM.
Next, the Palace raised the test of constitutionalism.
Federalism as a solution
Lately, Malacanang seems to be agreeing with
Resolution No. 10 in the Senate, which would create 11 federated
states under a federal government. The resolution proposes three
states for Mindanao, all would grant the Moros great autonomy.
The peace talks were postponed in December and
have not resumed since. The government is not prepared to resume
discussions unless it could offer a more substantial package. The
Moros insisted Manila should resume the talks because precious time
has passed, the guerrillas are getting impatient and their
grassroots followers are looking for results.
Manila is in a bind over the issue. Either it
asks the MILF for more time to review the ancestral domain claims or
ask—with MILF consent—for a neutral mediator, a foreign country
with a record for helping solve similar conflicts—to help
conciliate the dispute.
Linchpin to national stability
The dominant voices from the MILF camp are
increasingly becoming bellicose. MILF leader Muhammad Ameen over the
weekend warned about a renewal of war if peace talks fail. “We are
firm in our demand for self-determination,” added Eid Kabalu, the
front spokesman.
An outbreak of war will be costly to the
government. Resources that are better spent for development will
have to be invested in quelling the rebellion. War will slow down
growth that the Arroyo government has strove hard to achieve. The
military, also facing the New People’s Army throughout the
country, will be fighting on two fronts. Would war on the MILF spark
Moro nationalism? The Muslims have dispersed in the islands, north
to south. Foreign terrorists will want to have a foothold here.
Much of the world has invested in the Southern
Philippines. A great deal of official development assistance is
pouring into Mindanao. Pledges of bigger help are on the way once
peace is restored. Interest is great because of Mindanao’s
potential for agriculture, business. trade and investments. Peace in
the South also augurs well for regional stability. Mindanao is our
last frontier. It is the linchpin to national stability that
deserves the utmost priority.
