Extended peace talks yield no deal with MILF

From the Daily Tribune (Jul 13): Extended peace talks yield no deal with MILF

Despite an extension of the peace talks earlier sought by the government chief negotiator, Miriam Coronel Ferrer, the negotiations centering on the wealth-sharing annex between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) panel and the Government of the Philippines (GRP) panel yesterday again ended without reaching any agreement between the two panels, for the second time in as many days.

The two panels cut off the talks after 5 p.m Friday, without signing any agreement.

MILF peace panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal described  the talks Thursday as “fuitless” and “too rigid.”

Iqbal was also quoted as having said that the MILF will not settle for a 50-50 sharing of the energy resources revenues with the government, insisting on the earlier agreed upon wealth sharing at 75-25, favoring the MILF.

Another extension was again agreed upon by the two parties to be held today in Kuala Lumpur. It is doubted that the MILF will give in to a smaller wealth sharing annex for the MILF “political entity.”

President Aquino resuscitated the near collapse of the peace negotiations with the MILF by sending last Thursday, his spokesman, Edwin Lacierda and Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) Secretary Teresita Deles  in Kuala Lumpur, as Aquino’s emissaries.

Apparently, from early reports, their presence hardly made a difference to the MILF peace panel members.

Presidential deputy spokesman Abigail Valte yesterday also denied that  there was a walk out from the negotiating table by the panelists of the MILF.

Reports said the MILF negotiators  left the venue of the talks at the Palace of the Golden Horses in a huff. That should describe a walk out.

“I have a clarification. We received word from Kuala Lumpur that the talks are still ongoing between the government and the MILF,” Valte said earlier.

Valte added that  the government negotiators had appealed to the MILF panelists for an extension of the negotiations because nothing had been accomplished on the agenda to finalize the crucial annexes.

“According to Chairman Ferrer, the government had requested for an extension of the talks and it is ongoing now, that the other panel allowed. So, we have no update yet. They are still talking as we speak,” Valte said.

Valte said the reason behind the immediate dispatch of Lacierda and Deles to Kuala Lumpur by Aquino was to convey the serious intention of the administration to have a conclusion in the negotiation.

“The presence of both secretaries is a manifestation of the continuing commitment of the President as well as the support of the Cabinet for both panels and for us to fulfill the aspirations of the Framework Agreement.

“It is an affirmation of the support, not just of the peace panel, not just of the OPAPP, but also of the President and his Cabinet,” Valte said.

It didn’t seem that the presence of Lacierda and Deles helped the negotiations to reach an agrrement, or to issue a joint communique at the very least.

Valte neither confirmed nor denied that the peace negotiations had been affected by the violence  in Maguindanao where a firefight ensued that resulted in several internally displaced persons who  were temporarily given food and shelter by the provincial government of Maguindanao a few days before the Ramadan.

“They had not mentioned about it. But in relation to the operations that were launched by the AFP, (Armed Forces of the Philippines) again that had to stop because of the limited duration and we have the mechanism that will properly address those incidents,” Valte said.

Valte said  she had asked Lacierda and Deles about the reported walk out of the MILF.

“I asked Secretary Lacierda and Secretary Deles, who said it was not true that the MILF panel had  walked-out. In fact, the meeting yesterday was adjourned properly,” Valte said.

On the matter of wealth sharing, Valte said the government panel is aware of the “bounds of their mandate”.

“I will defer to comment on that for now,” Valte said.

Valte added that  Aquino has been updated on what has been going on in Kuala Lumpur.

“I do not want to preempt the talks that are ongoing.

Valte said the instruction of Aquino to Lacierda and Deles was only “to convey really the message that we are firm in our commitment to the peace process” adding that ”I understand that they had the opportunity to meet with some members of the monitoring team, the contact group. I also understand that they had an opportunity to speak to the third party facilitator”.

But as of press time, Deles and Lacierda had not sent news from Kuala Lumpur to Malacañang reporters on the peace process which has again been extended.

Deles said in a text message also early Friday that talks are “still ongoing today.”

Deles described the talks as “tough but no one walked out.”

Another source in KL privy to the talks said the MILF panel left the venue room “hungry and frustrated.”

MILF sources said early Friday morning that they would show up at the State Room of the Palace of the Golden Horses in Kuala Lumpur, venue of the talks, at 9 a.m.

The decision to return to the table was apparently made late Thursday night after a member of the government peace panel met with the MILF to convince the latter to attend the Friday session.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/headlines/item/16601-extended-peace-talks-yield-no-deal-with-milf