Moro groups slam claim that hostilities will follow peace deal signing

From the Business World (Jan 24): Moro groups slam claim that hostilities will follow peace deal signing

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Moro groups in Mindanao slammed a statement by Absalom Cerveza, spokesman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)-Nur Misuari faction, who made a claim on radio that fighting could break out in Mindanao if the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) reach a peace agreement in Kuala Lumpur.

Alih S. Aiyub of the Bishop-Ulama Conference dismissed Mr. Cerveza’s claim, saying that "on the contrary, I see light at the end of the tunnel," referring to the developments in the ongoing talks between the government and the MILF.

Ali T. Yacub, president of the Golden Crescent Consortium of Peace Builders and Affiliates, advised Mr. Cerveza to contribute to the peace process rather than propagate hatred.

"No, we don’t share his view. Mr. Cerveza should be a peace advocate and a peace builder," he said. "The MNLF leadership is just conducting a propaganda [sic]," said Edmund Gumbahali, president of Panglima Hawani Foundation, which is based in Jolo, Sulu.

In a radio interview on Thursday, Mr. Cerveza claimed that huge numbers of MILF fighters are against the ongoing talks between the government and the MILF, saying that the disgruntled members could join the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters -- an MILF splinter group.

Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice-chairman for political affairs, also dismissed Mr. Cerveza’s statement, saying that the entire MILF is committed to abide with the agreements of the peace talks. "It’s not true. All MILF members support the ongoing peace talks," he said in a phone interview with BusinessWorld.

Meanwhile, Lilia Macrohon-Nuño, this city’s second district representative to Congress, believes the final peace agreement between the government and the MILF will bring lasting peace and will benefit not just her city but the rest of Mindanao.

Ms. Nuño is among the members of the House of Representatives invited to witness the ongoing 43rd Formal Exploratory Talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which seeks to complete the remaining Annex on Normalization of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the addendum on Bangsamoro waters. The negotiations started on Wednesday and are expected to end on Sunday.

The framework agreement’s Annexes on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities, Revenue Sharing and Wealth Generation, and Power Sharing were approved by the government and the MILF in separate occasions last year.

"I am very happy I was invited because I have seen how the peace panel has been working. I see that this will bring lasting peace to Mindanao," Ms. Macrohon-Nuño said. For decades, the city government has been critical of the MILF and has been firmly against its inclusion in a referendum that would create a Bangsamoro state.

As lawmakers, Ms. Nuño said witnessing the negotiations is beneficial in helping them respond to the Bangsamoro Basic Law. While she stressed that Zamboanga City is outside the proposed Bangsamoro territory, the city could benefit from the peace agreement since it is located near the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi.

 The three island provinces are part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which includes the mainland provinces of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao.

The Bangsamoro framework agreement, which the GPH and the MILF signed on Oct. 15, 2012, envisions the creation of a Bangsamoro government that will replace the current autonomous Muslim region in 2016.

"Whatever the gains of the island-provinces [from the peace agreement], Zamboanga City will also benefit from them," Ms. Nuño said.

Zamboanga City, which opted not to be part of the ARMM in the 2001 plebiscite, serves as the trading and financial hub of western Mindanao which includes the Zamboanga Peninsula and the ARMM provinces.

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=Moro-groups-slam-claim-that-hostilities-will-follow-peace-deal-signing&id=82506