Initialed by two regular members of the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) negotiating panels, the latter (MILF) has no plan to abandon that document, saying backtracking by any of the two parties is a serious drawback to the peace process.
“The peace negotiation is an exercise in futility if there is no stop to this changing of positions by the government negotiating team.”
This was the comment of one member of the MILF peace panel, who requested anonymity, in direct reaction to reported “notes” sent by the government to the MILF peace panel, which he described as an attempt to throw the blame on the MILF for making it appear that the ball is in our court.
“We are not renegotiating the initialed document,” he said, adding, however, that he believes the talks will only prosper if the two parties follow sincerely the matuwid na daan (straight path) policy, which is also the cornerstone of President Aquino administration.
The document was initialed by former Secretary Senen Bacani and Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga of the government and MILF peace panels, respectively. Three more initials were appearing in the document.
During the final stage of the discussion of wealth-sharing, no less than Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and Chairman Mohagher Iqbal, chairs of the government and MILF peace panels, respectively, took the lead in the discussion, which culminated in the initialing of the document last February 27.
The two chairpersons were alternately joined by their respective colleagues, Secretary Senen Bacani and Atty. Armi Bayot, on the government side, and by Professor Abhoud and Atty. Raissa Jajurie, on the MILF side.
The government had their first change of position vis-à-vis the initialed document especially on natural resources and block grant to Bangsamoro government during the 38th GPH-MILF Exploratory Talks last April 9-11. The MILF negotiating team vehemently objected to the changes. Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the MILF peace panel, message was clear and straight-forward: “Except for those that are in harmony with the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB), we don’t accept the changes introduced by government on wealth-sharing,” and added that the MILF is sticking to the initialed document.
The second backtracking is contained in the so-called “notes” recently sent to the MILF through the Malaysian facilitator, Dato Tengku Ab’ Ghafar Bin Tengku Mohamed, who visited the MILF leadership at Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindano last June 7.
Asked to divulge the content of the “notes”, the said MILF peace negotiator refused to be categorical, saying it is a violation of protocol to divulge the content.
“We are bound by the principle of confidentiality of document,” he stressed, adding, however, that the initialed document is diluted severely by the notes coming from government.
“Two change of positions in a row within the span of two months is alarming,” he confessed, without elaborating.
Meanwhile, Khaled Musa, deputy chair of the MILF Committee on Information, disclosed to Luwaran that frustration on the ground is gaining momentum, as a consequence of too much unnecessary delay from government.
He also disclosed the radical elements within the MILF is beginning to be restive and hitting the MILF and its peace panel.
He said more than three months have been consumed since the annex on wealth-sharing was initialed without clear direction for the talks.
He said the government is sitting on it unnecessarily in the guise of due diligent study.
“What is good is that the cause of delay is government,” he consoled himself.
http://www.luwaran.com/
This was the comment of one member of the MILF peace panel, who requested anonymity, in direct reaction to reported “notes” sent by the government to the MILF peace panel, which he described as an attempt to throw the blame on the MILF for making it appear that the ball is in our court.
“We are not renegotiating the initialed document,” he said, adding, however, that he believes the talks will only prosper if the two parties follow sincerely the matuwid na daan (straight path) policy, which is also the cornerstone of President Aquino administration.
The document was initialed by former Secretary Senen Bacani and Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga of the government and MILF peace panels, respectively. Three more initials were appearing in the document.
During the final stage of the discussion of wealth-sharing, no less than Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and Chairman Mohagher Iqbal, chairs of the government and MILF peace panels, respectively, took the lead in the discussion, which culminated in the initialing of the document last February 27.
The two chairpersons were alternately joined by their respective colleagues, Secretary Senen Bacani and Atty. Armi Bayot, on the government side, and by Professor Abhoud and Atty. Raissa Jajurie, on the MILF side.
The government had their first change of position vis-à-vis the initialed document especially on natural resources and block grant to Bangsamoro government during the 38th GPH-MILF Exploratory Talks last April 9-11. The MILF negotiating team vehemently objected to the changes. Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the MILF peace panel, message was clear and straight-forward: “Except for those that are in harmony with the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB), we don’t accept the changes introduced by government on wealth-sharing,” and added that the MILF is sticking to the initialed document.
The second backtracking is contained in the so-called “notes” recently sent to the MILF through the Malaysian facilitator, Dato Tengku Ab’ Ghafar Bin Tengku Mohamed, who visited the MILF leadership at Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindano last June 7.
Asked to divulge the content of the “notes”, the said MILF peace negotiator refused to be categorical, saying it is a violation of protocol to divulge the content.
“We are bound by the principle of confidentiality of document,” he stressed, adding, however, that the initialed document is diluted severely by the notes coming from government.
“Two change of positions in a row within the span of two months is alarming,” he confessed, without elaborating.
Meanwhile, Khaled Musa, deputy chair of the MILF Committee on Information, disclosed to Luwaran that frustration on the ground is gaining momentum, as a consequence of too much unnecessary delay from government.
He also disclosed the radical elements within the MILF is beginning to be restive and hitting the MILF and its peace panel.
He said more than three months have been consumed since the annex on wealth-sharing was initialed without clear direction for the talks.
He said the government is sitting on it unnecessarily in the guise of due diligent study.
“What is good is that the cause of delay is government,” he consoled himself.
http://www.luwaran.com/
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