POLITICS MINDANAO
Showing posts with label gph. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gph. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
MILF says PNoy’s SONA sent positive signals for conclusion of peace process
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Friday, July 20, 2012
GPH, MILF peace talks at crucial stage (Feature)
By Ben Cal
MANILA,
July 20 (PNA) -– The ongoing peace talks between the government and the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have made progress, moving closer
to a turning point for the signing of a peace accord even as the MILF
chief negotiator said the final discussions on details are always
difficult because “the devils are waiting in ambush.”
“We are aware that we are now approaching the cusp of history,” said Dean Marvic Leonen, the government’s chief negotiator, in his closing statement at the 29th exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur last Wednesday.
“For a centuries-old conflict (since the Spanish occupation) and years of negotiations, we definitely will face the hardest questions and confront our principals with the hardest decisions yet ever to be made in these negotiations,” said Leonen who earlier stated that the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF “are at the door of an agreement” to end the Mindanao conflict for good.
He said the negotiations have accomplished “something which the GPH and the MILF have never achieved before in these talks,” adding that “these agreements may be in principle, some in detail.”
However, he was quick to add that the government remains guardedly optimistic.
“For the GPH, there are still many issues to be resolved, including the mechanisms that will ensure the delivery of all these commitments made through broad acceptance by all our critical sectors,” Leonen said.
Looking forward
Leonen said the government looks forward to the day when both sides are “able to sign the first of a series of agreements.”
“The GPH believes that we are at the door of something new, and that something new would be to sign an agreement. And then to go on to the next phase of our relationship – to actually implement and be able to achieve the just and lasting peace that our people so richly deserve,” he added.
The panel chair likewise stressed that the future of communities affected by conflict “depends a lot on the words that we craft, the goodwill that we have won, the patience that we can muster.”
“We are confident that even our working relationship that we have seen so far, that we will be true to ourselves and our principles, as well as the beliefs of our principals. That we can see a way forward,” he said.
Difficult negotiation
On the part of the MILF, its chief negotiator, Mohagher Iqbal, agreed that the parties “have achieved something” and congratulated everyone for enduring three days of hard discussions.
Iqbal said that in the final stages of the negotiations, they are always difficult because “the devils are in the details.”
“We can easily agree on principles, on general framework, on general concepts. But when we discuss the details, the devils are waiting in ambush. So, it is not very difficult to understand why the last stretch of our negotiation is so difficult,” Iqbal said.
“Just wait, because the real matters are yet in the offing and I think finally it would be disclosed to everyone, to the public, to the people back in Mindanao,” he said.
The 29th exploratory talks successfully concluded last Wednesday with both sides confident in their discussions on mechanisms towards realizing the new autonomous political entity (NPE) that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The NPE is one of the 10 common standpoints indicated in the Decision Points on Principles signed by the two peace panels last April.
During the latest negotiations, the two sides continued discussions on substantive issues, which include power-sharing and other related matters. They agreed to meet again in August.
Meanwhile, Malaysian facilitator Tengku Dato’ Ghafar Tengku bin Mohamed also expressed optimism that the GPH and the MILF are “closer to the vision of the Final Peace Agreement.”
“However, we feel there is a lot of work to be done” but “one thing is - we are moving very fast. I think that is important. The spirit of the whole Final Agreement is understood by both parties,” Tengku said.
Next round in August
The panels are set to hold their next round of formal exploratory talks next month.
“We expect the next meetings not to be less in terms of its intensity,” Leonen said, adding that the next round will be more difficult.
On the other hand, Iqbal expressed the hope that both sides “will be able to achieve many things on our way to resolve the Moro question in Mindanao.”
Talks between the government and the MILF, a breakaway group of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) that signed a peace agreement with the government during the Ramos presidency, started in 1997.
During the past 15 years, the negotiations dragged on, marked by intermittent fighting, the biggest of which flared up in the summer of 2000 and another one in 2008 following the aborted signing of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-Ad) which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
“We are aware that we are now approaching the cusp of history,” said Dean Marvic Leonen, the government’s chief negotiator, in his closing statement at the 29th exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur last Wednesday.
“For a centuries-old conflict (since the Spanish occupation) and years of negotiations, we definitely will face the hardest questions and confront our principals with the hardest decisions yet ever to be made in these negotiations,” said Leonen who earlier stated that the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF “are at the door of an agreement” to end the Mindanao conflict for good.
He said the negotiations have accomplished “something which the GPH and the MILF have never achieved before in these talks,” adding that “these agreements may be in principle, some in detail.”
However, he was quick to add that the government remains guardedly optimistic.
“For the GPH, there are still many issues to be resolved, including the mechanisms that will ensure the delivery of all these commitments made through broad acceptance by all our critical sectors,” Leonen said.
Looking forward
Leonen said the government looks forward to the day when both sides are “able to sign the first of a series of agreements.”
“The GPH believes that we are at the door of something new, and that something new would be to sign an agreement. And then to go on to the next phase of our relationship – to actually implement and be able to achieve the just and lasting peace that our people so richly deserve,” he added.
The panel chair likewise stressed that the future of communities affected by conflict “depends a lot on the words that we craft, the goodwill that we have won, the patience that we can muster.”
“We are confident that even our working relationship that we have seen so far, that we will be true to ourselves and our principles, as well as the beliefs of our principals. That we can see a way forward,” he said.
Difficult negotiation
On the part of the MILF, its chief negotiator, Mohagher Iqbal, agreed that the parties “have achieved something” and congratulated everyone for enduring three days of hard discussions.
Iqbal said that in the final stages of the negotiations, they are always difficult because “the devils are in the details.”
“We can easily agree on principles, on general framework, on general concepts. But when we discuss the details, the devils are waiting in ambush. So, it is not very difficult to understand why the last stretch of our negotiation is so difficult,” Iqbal said.
“Just wait, because the real matters are yet in the offing and I think finally it would be disclosed to everyone, to the public, to the people back in Mindanao,” he said.
The 29th exploratory talks successfully concluded last Wednesday with both sides confident in their discussions on mechanisms towards realizing the new autonomous political entity (NPE) that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The NPE is one of the 10 common standpoints indicated in the Decision Points on Principles signed by the two peace panels last April.
During the latest negotiations, the two sides continued discussions on substantive issues, which include power-sharing and other related matters. They agreed to meet again in August.
Meanwhile, Malaysian facilitator Tengku Dato’ Ghafar Tengku bin Mohamed also expressed optimism that the GPH and the MILF are “closer to the vision of the Final Peace Agreement.”
“However, we feel there is a lot of work to be done” but “one thing is - we are moving very fast. I think that is important. The spirit of the whole Final Agreement is understood by both parties,” Tengku said.
Next round in August
The panels are set to hold their next round of formal exploratory talks next month.
“We expect the next meetings not to be less in terms of its intensity,” Leonen said, adding that the next round will be more difficult.
On the other hand, Iqbal expressed the hope that both sides “will be able to achieve many things on our way to resolve the Moro question in Mindanao.”
Talks between the government and the MILF, a breakaway group of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) that signed a peace agreement with the government during the Ramos presidency, started in 1997.
During the past 15 years, the negotiations dragged on, marked by intermittent fighting, the biggest of which flared up in the summer of 2000 and another one in 2008 following the aborted signing of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-Ad) which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
However,
during the period back-channeling talks continued and formal
exploratory negotiations resumed in December 2009 to date with the hope
of finally finding a genuine and lasting solution to the Mindanao armed
conflict. (PNA)
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Former GPH chair optimistic of outcome of talks with MILF rebels
MANILA, July 19 (PNA) – Silvestre Afable, former chair of the government peace panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is optimistic of the outcome of the exploratory peace talks between the government and the Moro rebels.
"Yes, I’m optimistic,” Afable said when reached by phone by the
Philippines News Agency shortly before the 29th exploratory talk ended
Wednesday night.
The closed door negotiation which started Monday was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which is the third party facilitator.
Afable was the chairman of the government peace panel during the initial stages of the talks in early 2000.
He expressed the hope that the current negotiations will result in the signing of a peace agreement to end the long-drawn Mindanao conflict that started in 1973 or almost four decades.
The conflict which was initiated by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), forerunner of the MILF, had killed over 150,000, wounded many more and displaced tens of thousands over the years.
In 1996, the Ramos administration signed a peace agreement with the MNLF that ended the fighting in southern Philippines but it was only briefly because the MILF opposed the peace accord.
The MILF continued their struggle for an independent state as fighting broke out again, the biggest of which was in 2000 when then President Joseph Estrada declared an all-out war against the MILF after the latter launched a series of attacks in Central Philippines.
But the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) crushed the MILF uprising, capturing practically all 49 MILF camps.
When Estrada was ousted in the so-called EDSA 2 revolt in 2001, talks between the government and the MILF resumed during the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
However, fighting erupted anew in Central Mindanao in 2008 following the aborted signing of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) which was declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Despite the fighting, the government and the MILF continued their backdoor negotiations as exploratory talks resumed again in the latter part of 2009 and continued by President Benigno S. Aquino III when he assumed the presidency on June 30, 2010.
The President went of his way by meeting with MILF chair Al Haj Murad in Tokyo last year with high hopes to fast track the peace negotiations between the government and the MILF.
The closed door negotiation which started Monday was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which is the third party facilitator.
Afable was the chairman of the government peace panel during the initial stages of the talks in early 2000.
He expressed the hope that the current negotiations will result in the signing of a peace agreement to end the long-drawn Mindanao conflict that started in 1973 or almost four decades.
The conflict which was initiated by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), forerunner of the MILF, had killed over 150,000, wounded many more and displaced tens of thousands over the years.
In 1996, the Ramos administration signed a peace agreement with the MNLF that ended the fighting in southern Philippines but it was only briefly because the MILF opposed the peace accord.
The MILF continued their struggle for an independent state as fighting broke out again, the biggest of which was in 2000 when then President Joseph Estrada declared an all-out war against the MILF after the latter launched a series of attacks in Central Philippines.
But the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) crushed the MILF uprising, capturing practically all 49 MILF camps.
When Estrada was ousted in the so-called EDSA 2 revolt in 2001, talks between the government and the MILF resumed during the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
However, fighting erupted anew in Central Mindanao in 2008 following the aborted signing of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) which was declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Despite the fighting, the government and the MILF continued their backdoor negotiations as exploratory talks resumed again in the latter part of 2009 and continued by President Benigno S. Aquino III when he assumed the presidency on June 30, 2010.
The President went of his way by meeting with MILF chair Al Haj Murad in Tokyo last year with high hopes to fast track the peace negotiations between the government and the MILF.
The
negotiations continued up to the present with both sides expressing
confidence to reach a final settlement of the Mindanao conflict. (PNA)
Joint Statement of GPH-MILF on the 29th Formal Exploratory Talks
MANILA,
July 18 (PNA) -- The 29th round of Exploratory Talks between the
Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) successfully ended Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia with both sides expressing confidence in wrapping up
discussions on mechanisms towards the realization of a new political
entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(ARMM) as contained in the April 2012 GPH-MILF Decision Points on
Principles.
Both Parties continued discussions on power-sharing and other related matters, and other related matters, and agreed to meet again in August 2012.
They (GPH and MILF) expressed their appreciation to Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino III for his commitment to a just and lasting peace in Mindanao, to Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak for his continued support in the facilitation of the GPH-MILF Peace Talks, and to the MILF Central Committee headed by Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim for its continued commitment to the peaceful resolution of the Bangsamoro Question.
Both Parties also extend their gratitude to the members of the International Contact Group (ICG), namely: Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Conciliation Resources, Muhammadiyah, and The Asia Foundation.
Both Parties continued discussions on power-sharing and other related matters, and other related matters, and agreed to meet again in August 2012.
They (GPH and MILF) expressed their appreciation to Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino III for his commitment to a just and lasting peace in Mindanao, to Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak for his continued support in the facilitation of the GPH-MILF Peace Talks, and to the MILF Central Committee headed by Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim for its continued commitment to the peaceful resolution of the Bangsamoro Question.
Both Parties also extend their gratitude to the members of the International Contact Group (ICG), namely: Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Conciliation Resources, Muhammadiyah, and The Asia Foundation.
Done this 18th day of July 2012 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (PNA)
Friday, July 6, 2012
MILF general consultations to boost ongoing peace process, says Palace
MANILA,
July 6 (PNA) -- Malacanang said it hopes that the Bangsamoro general
assembly to be conducted by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) this
weekend will eventually pave the way for the signing of a peace
agreement with the Aquino government.
The MILF is holding its general assembly starting July 7 to 9 in
Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao. The MILF said that at
least 500,000 to one million people will be attending the general
assembly.
Representatives from the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and other international organizations are expected to participate.
“We view this as a positive development for the MILF to consolidate its support for the peace agreement. And so it’s something that we welcome. Secretary Ging Deles and the negotiating panel will be there in Camp Darapanan to attend,” Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a media briefing in Malacanang on Friday.
Asked by reporters if the Aquino administration expects the meeting to fast-track the signing of a peace agreement with the MILF, Lacierda said: “We certainly would hope so and as we have always stated, we are cautiously optimistic that a peace agreement will be signed within this administration.”
During the last general assembly held in 2005, some 900,000 MILF followers went to Camp Darapanan to know the progress of the peace talks then.
The goals of the MILF consultative assembly is to rally supporters behind its negotiating positions, to keep restive rebel commanders in line and check their loyalties, and to show its force and influence in Mindanao to the general public.
The MILF has been battling the government for over 30 years to achieve self-rule in Mindanao. Upon assuming office, the President initiated renewed peace efforts with the MILF hoping that under his term a peace deal would be signed.
Representatives from the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and other international organizations are expected to participate.
“We view this as a positive development for the MILF to consolidate its support for the peace agreement. And so it’s something that we welcome. Secretary Ging Deles and the negotiating panel will be there in Camp Darapanan to attend,” Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a media briefing in Malacanang on Friday.
Asked by reporters if the Aquino administration expects the meeting to fast-track the signing of a peace agreement with the MILF, Lacierda said: “We certainly would hope so and as we have always stated, we are cautiously optimistic that a peace agreement will be signed within this administration.”
During the last general assembly held in 2005, some 900,000 MILF followers went to Camp Darapanan to know the progress of the peace talks then.
The goals of the MILF consultative assembly is to rally supporters behind its negotiating positions, to keep restive rebel commanders in line and check their loyalties, and to show its force and influence in Mindanao to the general public.
The MILF has been battling the government for over 30 years to achieve self-rule in Mindanao. Upon assuming office, the President initiated renewed peace efforts with the MILF hoping that under his term a peace deal would be signed.
Analysts have estimated that the conflict has resulted in some 50,000 to 60,000 deaths for the past 30 years. (PNA)
Deles, Leonen to grace MILF assembly in Maguindanao
CAMP
SIONGCO, Maguindanao, July 6 (PNA) -- Presidential peace adviser
Secretary Teresita Deles and chief government negotiator Atty. Marvic
Leonen will be joining the biggest Bangsamoro gathering in Mindanao
beginning Saturday.
Ghadzali Jaafar, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) vice chair
for political affairs, said Deles and Leonen have confirmed their
participation in the two-day gathering of Moro community leaders who
will be consulted on the progress of the GPh-MILF peace process.
"Both peace advocates have confirmed their participation and we are very glad," Jaafar said.
MILF, the gathering organizer, said the Bangsamoro Leaders' Assembly to be held at Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, is expecting more than 500,000 individuals from all over the country.
Major General Rey Ardo, chief of the 6th Infantry Division, said he will personally attend the assembly on two reasons.
"I will attend because I was invited and I would like to show that the military is supportive of the government's peace initiatives, the gathering being part of the peace process," Ardo told reporters.
Soldiers were deployed around the vicinity of Camp Darapanan, the MILF stronghold, to secure participants coming in to the venue from as far as Metro Manila, Baguio, Visayas and Mindanao.
Also invited are officials and diplomats of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chair Nur Misuari.
On the second day of the assembly, a close-door plenary will be held while MILF chair Ebrahim Mohammad Al Haj will hold a news conference.
About 100 local, national and foreign journalists have signified their intention to attend, Jaafar said.
Mohaqher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator, said non-Muslims were also invited and many have confirmed their attendance.
"Both peace advocates have confirmed their participation and we are very glad," Jaafar said.
MILF, the gathering organizer, said the Bangsamoro Leaders' Assembly to be held at Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, is expecting more than 500,000 individuals from all over the country.
Major General Rey Ardo, chief of the 6th Infantry Division, said he will personally attend the assembly on two reasons.
"I will attend because I was invited and I would like to show that the military is supportive of the government's peace initiatives, the gathering being part of the peace process," Ardo told reporters.
Soldiers were deployed around the vicinity of Camp Darapanan, the MILF stronghold, to secure participants coming in to the venue from as far as Metro Manila, Baguio, Visayas and Mindanao.
Also invited are officials and diplomats of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chair Nur Misuari.
On the second day of the assembly, a close-door plenary will be held while MILF chair Ebrahim Mohammad Al Haj will hold a news conference.
About 100 local, national and foreign journalists have signified their intention to attend, Jaafar said.
Mohaqher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator, said non-Muslims were also invited and many have confirmed their attendance.
After
the opening program, Deles and Leonen will hold a news conference
Saturday at the 6th ID headquarters here before proceeding to Manila.
(PNA)
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