Portent of W A R in Mindanao

Portent of War in Mindanao

 

I shall not venture to give any substantial number of facts except point to some vignettes from the past, existing and current events, statements and discussions about the issue of the government’s peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

 

The only thing that can be proven in the recent events, as I shall strive to discuss as objectively as possible, is that there is a concert of efforts meant to persuade the public that the peace agreement between Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the MILF is unconstitutional, cold-hearted, unnecessary, revolting — among so many other things. There are those that support the effort but the pressure to back out is so strong. As morbid as they can get, the anti-peace movement even want the head of the person placed in charge of the peace talks, retired Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. on the wringer.

 

One of the more enlightening discussions is made by a Mindanawon, or Mindanao-based Patricio D. Diaz, no relations to film actor Romy Diaz. Patricio Diaz writes a column for the Mindanao News (MindaNews) and in his recent analysis he saw several faults pertaining to the peace process between the government and the Muslims. Read his input here.

 

It was also a different fault pointed out by the United States’ non-government organization, The Asia Foundation (TAF) recently, on the occasion of the TAF-sponsored 4th Mindanao Media Summit: the peace talks did not incorporate consultations and greater public participation into the process. Particularly in finalizing the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain claims of the Muslim tribes, that would greatly impact on the situation in all affected areas, more consultations should have been conducted.

 

Country representative of TAF in the Philippines Steven Rood pointed out that Governor Teng Mangudadatu of Sultan Kudarat Province, himself a Muslim leader, even led a protest action in the Isulan, the provincial capital of the province. Rood’s statement…

 

In 1976, originally there was a pact called Tripoli Agreement between the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP).

 

During the presidency of Madam Corazon C. Aquino and that of Fidel V. Ramos, another agreement was formed and in 1996, the more comprehensive document was signed, also in Libya between GRP and the MNLF. Links to the succeeding GRP-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) pertinent documents are also provided by the same source site…

 

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