MILF: Editorial--Spoilage has many ugly faces

Editorial posted to the MILF Website (Mar 8-15): Editorial--Spoilage has many ugly faces

Not everybody is happy about the impending success of the peace talks. Some say against it openly, others have revolting hearts and keep it within themselves. However, when the opportunity presents itself, they grab it and take no time to conspire to bring it down.

Spoilage has many ugly faces and odd ways. Even the not weird intention can turn into spoilage after many players of varying agenda plotted together to promote their selfish or vested interests or simply to destroy the peace process. Once hell is let loose, it is difficult to contain the consequences.

Clearly, MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari is riding high on the current Sabah stand-off. Perchance, this is one way to show his great displeasure over the signing of the Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro (FAB) and the impending success of the ongoing peace negotiation.

Did Misuari take part in the sending of the so-called Royal Army of Sulu to Sabah? We do not know. But what is true and on the record is that he declared on several occasions especially during their Summit Conference in Davao City early last year that he is spearheading a move to claim Sabah from Malaysia. He is like a bank manager that after he or she is out of office, he asked people to hold up the bank he once served. Did he forget that the GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement of 1996 of which he was one of the main signatories nowhere is mentioned about Sabah? People really have short memories.

In the ongoing GPH-MILF peace negotiation, Sabah is simply not part of the agenda. One cannot discuss something which is not arrayed for discussion.

For this reason, the MILF has not come out with an official statement on the stand-off except to say: “no comment”. We believe this is the best or most appropriate position the MILF can take. The issue is so sensitive that any statement even done objectively or made in the higher interest of the Bangsamoro people can boomerang and put the MILF in bad light, which is very hard or nearer to impossible to defend. It is like plugging the holes of a decaying wooden boat submerged in water: one hole plugged creates more holes because of the pressure of water.

Perhaps, the only way to upscale or concretize the MILF position is to call for the settlement of the problem by peaceful means. The call for pacific means is based on a universal principle. By this way, we are not putting forth a decision that A is right, B is wrong, or C is half-right and half-wrong. That would be part of the whole process.

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