GOVERNMENT AND Moro negotiators yesterday began crucial talks in Kuala Lumpur to settle contentious provisions that will give teeth to a peace plan inked last October. “In this round of talks we aim to settle the few remaining issues across the four annexes that together with the framework agreement will comprise the comprehensive agreement,” chief negotiator for the government Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said in an opening statement.
The Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed in Malacañang required the drawing up of annexes on key concerns. “These issues pertain to jurisdiction over natural resources; transportation and communication; the extent of territorial waters; taxing powers; timetables for decommissioning and demilitarization; policing structures; the transition authority, among others,” Ms. Ferrer said.
An agreement on the remaining issues will round up the comprehensive peace deal to end the long-standing conflict in Mindanao. “To get any farther toward these goals, we first have to produce a comprehensive agreement that will measure up to the core needs of the Bangsamoro advocates, on the one hand, and at the same time stand the scrutiny of the skeptics and all those who will coexist with each other under the Bangsamoro government,” Ms. Ferrer said. She reiterated that the peace deal could be signed within the first quarter.
TRANSITION LEADERSHIP
Meanwhile, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday said it wants to immediately settle the issue on leadership of the transition body. Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF peace panel secretariat, said the leadership of the body -- which will oversee the change in governance to the Bangsamoro from the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) -- is among major contentious points during the last negotiations.
The previous talks failed to finalize key annexes that will complete the peace plan. Both panels were at odds on the leadership of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority that will temporarily replace the ARMM. The MILF wants to lead the body, while the government is pushing the inclusion of other Moro groups. Aside from membership in the authority, he said the MILF also wants to settle the provision on power sharing, but admitted that “the remaining unsettled issues are very hard to resolve.”
As this developed, both parties are expected to renew the tour of duty of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) led by Malaysian forces. “I am sure the IMT’s tour of duty will be extended,” Mr. Mantawil told BusinessWorld. IMT is the peace-keeping force that also groups Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Libya and Norway. Two representatives from the European Union and four others from nongovernmental groups are involved in the civilian protection component.
For his part, MILF Chairman Murad Ebrahim said he is positive the comprehensive agreement will be achieved at the soonest. “Indeed, the MILF is very optimistic that the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro will be a successful negotiated political solution given the strong commitment of both the GPH (government of the Philippines) and MILF, the Malaysian government being the third-party facilitator and the overwhelming commitment of support from the international community and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,” Mr. Murad said during the three-day “Malay Archipelago Seminar -- Islam in Southeast Asia: Challenges and Hopes” held last weekend in Kuala Lumpur.
The peace plan, he noted, will be beneficial to both sides with the “facilitation” of Malaysia. “The MILF, the Bangsamoro and even the Filipino people could not thank enough Malaysia for its role and contribution in the success of the GPH-MILF peace process,” he said.
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