GPH peace panel chair downplays speculations on Mindanao peace process

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 26): GPH peace panel chair downplays speculations on Mindanao peace process

The chair of the government peace panel talking peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Tuesday dismissed speculations regarding the postponement of the scheduled 37th exploratory talks on Monday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"In fact, we will have our meeting with the members of the Transition Commission," Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, chief government negotiator told DXMS Radyo Bida here via her mobile phone Tuesday.

She said there was nothing wrong with the rescheduling of the talks since both sides remained focused on the completion of the annexes of the Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro (FAB). The meeting with Transition Commission is scheduled next month.

"There is nothing to worry about, we are on tract and we remained focused,” Ferrer said, responding to reports that spread through text messages that the postponement, the first under President Aquino's term is sending a message that should worry the Bangsamoro.

Ferrer said while the formal talks did not push through as scheduled on Monday, an executive meeting between members of the two panels was held during which vital issues on the peace process was discussed.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), said both sides also discussed the composition of the third party monitoring team, and the Independent Commission on Policing (ICP), and the first ever formal meeting of TransCom members next month.

Also discussed during the executive meeting was the proposed terms of reference for the Task Force Sajahatra Bangsamoro.

President Aquino's peace adviser Teresita Deles said the GPH and MILF panels also agreed to meet in the second week of April 2013 for the 37th round of Formal Peace Talks.

President Benigno Aquino III earlier asked for the postponement of the supposed March 25-27 peace talks in Malaysia.

“The President has requested that the 37th round of formal exploratory talks that was originally scheduled to begin March 25, be reset to April. The President deems it necessary to have more time for review and consultations on the draft annexes,” OPPAP’s statement said.

Ferrer said she relayed the President's request for the re-scheduling of the talks to the MILF peace panel and Malaysian facilitator during Monday’s executive meeting in Malaysia.

Simultaneous with the supposed holding of the 37th exploratory talks was the conduct of a series of peace rallies by Mindanao peace advocates in Pikit, North Cotabato, Cotabato City and Marawi City.

Malaysia, a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), had been helping the peace process as third party facilitator since 2003.

Aside from hosting the formal talks, Malaysia also had been sending peace monitors and leads the International Monitoring Team (IMT).

According to Ferrer, the President is within his self-imposed projection that a peace deal is signed in March or April.

Mohaqher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator and incoming chair of the Transition Commission, has said the 37th round of formal peace negotiations should have been the last and it will be followed by the signing of the accord.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=510821