Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos
Deles on Thursday emphasized that the best way to disassociate legitimate
revolutionary movements such as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) from
terrorist groups is to engage them in a peace process.
“Aalalahanin lang natin yun, yun po ang sinabi na ang
pinakamabisang paraan na mai-disconnect mo ang isang revolutionary movement at
ang terorismo is through the peace process (Let us remember that it's said that
the best way to disconnect a revolutionary movement from terrorism is through
the peace process),” Deles said during the third day of the Senate hearing on
the Mamasapano incident.
Deles issued the statement in response to the manifestation
of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano in which he cited a letter of the U.S.
Deles clarified that the U.S.
During the Feb. 10 Senate hearing, the peace adviser noted
that the MILF's "disavowal of terrorism" was an explicit demand of
the Philippine government prior to the resumption of peace talks with the rebel
group in 2003.
According to Deles, this "was monitored by the
Philippine government, by our intelligence, as well as the international
community."
The peace process is part of the government’s national
security policy. The decision on whether or not to pursue peace talks with the
MILF or any other non-state actor is determined by the continuing assessment
and recommendation of the Cabinet Security Cluster.
Deles noted that, throughout the globe, other revolutionary
groups which are now fully integrated in their respective countries through the
peace process have been previously tagged as terrorist groups as well.
“Let me also just mention your honors that IRA (Irish
Republican Army) was labeled as a terrorist movement, ANC (African National
Congress) of [Nelson] Mandela was also a terrorist movement, FARC (Fuerzas
Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) in Colombia where there are negotiations
now ongoing that may lead to an agreement where they will become part of the
government was also a terrorist movement,” Deles said in a bid to explain the
context on the current southern peace efforts.
“Yun po yung ating sinasabi na kailangan titignan lagi ito
in a narrative. Ang evolution ng revolutionary movement ay hindi napapako sa
iisang sandali...at ang gulong ginagawa mo ngayon ay dapat naaangkop doon sa
kalagayan nito ngayon (This is what we've been saying that we should always
look at this [peace process] in a narrative. The evolution of a revolutionary
movement does not stop in a moment... and the movement that happens should be
seen in the context of current realities),” she added.
MILF against terrorism
MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal, who attended the
hearing, said that their organization has a standing policy against all forms
of terrorism.
“We have made a solemn vow to fight terrorism in our areas.
Terrorism is inconsistent with Islam and has no place in the orientation and
principles of the MILF," he said. "Our previous actions bear witness
to our commitment against terrorism. To tag the MILF as a terrorist group is
unfair."
Iqbal also appealed to the Senate to let the investigation
take its course to prove that the MILF is not coddling terrorists.
“The MILF did not harbor [terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir alias]
Marwan or [Abdul Basit] Usman. The MILF has no links with these terrorists and
terrorist organizations. Marwan and Usman were in areas outside the MILF-controlled
areas,” he said.
Senators also agreed that the paramount long-term solution
to prevent the repetition of the Mamasapano tragic incident is to address the
complex problem in Mindanao by passing the
Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
“It's important that we stay the course on the passage of
the Bangsamoro Basic Law,” Senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan, a
former military officer, said.
Honasan said that he understands the public sentiment over
the Mamasapano incident, and the call of some quarters to launch a full-scale
war in retaliation for the death of the 44 police special forces. However, he
cautioned that it is unwise to succumb to emotions and stop the entire peace
process.
“We cannot inflict [a halt to] the peace process. The
long-term cost might be too high to bear,” he advised.
The same point was also raised by another former military
officer, Sen. Antonio "Sonny" Trillanes IV who said that the southern
peace process is very “crucial” especially since the two parties have already
signed a peace agreement and is currently on the implementation stage.
Iqbal expressed the importance of moving forward with the
BBL to ultimately address the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people and make
future Moro armed movements irrelevant.
“Pag napasa ang BBL, wala na pwedeng lumaban sa gobyerno na
may legitimate cause kasi na-address na lahat (When the BBL is passed, there
will be no more rebel group that will fight the government with a legitimate
cause because it would have already been adressed),” he said.
He appealed to the public to understand the Bangsamoro
struggle and noted that the future “Bangsamoro government will give us the
chance to rule ourselves, but still under the government of the Philippines
Iqbal said that once the peace process is completed, the MILF
will become a social movement and no longer a revolutionary organization.
“We are committed to peace. We have been in negotiations
with the Philippine government for 17 long years. Our present partnership with
Pres. Aquino has been durable. There has been no recorded armed hostilities
between the government and the MILF since 2011. We signed the Framework
Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, and
the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law. Each of these agreements is a testament to our
commitment to pursue our objectives through peaceful means,” he said.
Under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the
MILF will undergo a phased decommissioning process or turnover of firearms and
forces parallel to the implementation of the provisions of the agreement such
as the passage of the BBL and other milestones in the roadmap to the creation
of the Bangsamoro political entity.
Part of the objectives of the southern peace process is to
answer the century-old clamor of the Bangsamoro people for their right to
self-determination, and to transform the MILF armed combatants to productive
civilian lives.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=735218
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