MILF: Editorial--Break not the partnership

Editorial posted to the MILF Website (Dec 16-22): Break not the partnership

The signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) officially marked the starting point of partnership between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which they must seriously nurse, care, and nurture if they want to succeed in their peace-making in Mindanao.

This partnership should not be interrupted, let alone be broken, until all their agreements shall have been fully implemented, hopefully in time for the May elections in 2016 when the first election in the new Bangsamoro autonomous political entity will be held. After all, the MILF is good only up to this election, after which, it is everybody’s game. Once the MILF is in the saddle of power, it either converts itself into a political party or organizes a political party and joins the political fray. If it wins in the election, well and good, and if it loses, it is again well and good, because that is how the game is going to be played. There will be no remorse or rancor.

But between now and 2016, any effort to disrupt this partnership, even if it is designed for the best intention, is an effort not in the right direction. At worse, it is suspect; and surely no amount of justification could justify it, because the consequence of such scheme would be to break the momentum of the partnership and let hell loose, even if it is not intended, so that those adversely affected by the new power alignment within the Bangsamoro are given the chance to consolidate and fight in preparation for the first regional election in the Bangsamoro government. And again, if they are put in power they will spread (and enjoy) vices and corruption amidst the suffering of our people.
With this odd situation, the MILF’s ability to account for its share of the responsibility to implement all the agreements would be extremely difficult, because it has no control over the chaotic situation. This grim scenario, we firmly believe, is totally not the one imagined or intended for the Bangsamoro by President Benigno Aquino III. We could see in him the sincerity, commitment, and determination to settle this bloody mess before he steps down from office in 2016.

The MILF is not hungry for power or positions in government; otherwise, we could have accepted the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which has been offered to us at least four times. Our aim here is solely to solve the Bangsamoro Question by putting in place and in order, in reiteration, in partnership with the government, a new polity in the Bangsamoro where the playing field in politics is level, where accountability is not only in laws and before men, but most solemnly, where men and women fear committing a crime or corruption, because his or her conscience is watching. If this partnership is disrupted anytime before 2016, which groups or leaders in the Bangsamoro who have the tenacity, vision, dedication in sincerely putting in place a system and polity that are solely for the higher interest of our people? We are not saying, there are none, but anyone who wants to find those kinds of leaders will only find a handful of them (in the open).

http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2999:break-not-the-partnership&catid=344:gggg