The pull-out of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) led by the Malaysian Government has created several reactions or statements from various sectors.
 
The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) has declared it was surprised of the pronouncement by Malaysia regarding IMT’s “phased pull-out” but it “respects and accepts their latest decision.” The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has asserted that Kuala Lumpur “is doing the right thing”.
 
Let it noted however that said pull-out is not at all a surprise. The Malaysian Government has been sincere and honest in mediating the GRP-MILF Peace Talks. And we value and treasure this very much. Nevertheless it must have already been fed up by the way the Philippine Government has been “playing around” with the peace talks.
 
Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno has said government should not give in to MILF’s demand for a Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) without a plebiscite, and Armed Forces Vice Chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Romero said peace talks would not continue without disarming the MILF.
 
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has said in his television program “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” (From the masses, For the masses) that he thinks the government is just playing around in the talks with the MILF.
 
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita had once told a group of non-government workers from Mindanao that the Arroyo administration policy vis-à-vis the GRP-MILF Peace Talks is ‘paikutin lang’ (to play around).”
 
Secretary Jesus Dureza, the presidential adviser on the peace process, assessed the impasse as “among the most serious to stall the rocky talks, a big hump” upon which the Philippine government has no “magic formula” while “looking for a way out”.
 
To recall, when GRP-MILF Peace Talks was in full swing, the Bangsamoro was so hopeful that finally a just and lasting peace will shine again in their homeland. United States Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney even visited the MILF camp and expressed support to the peace process.
 
However, the IMT pull-out has again pushed the prospects of restoring peace in Mindanao—which has been a long yearning of both the native inhabitants and migrants in this land—to uncertainty.
 
This is not amazing because the government’s record or performance in peace talks is not fulfilling. GRP forged a peace accord with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1996 but a decade later the MNLF has not been satisfied with the implementation and cried for tripartite review of said accord. GRP also engaged peace talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF) but the latter withdrew because while the peace talks was ongoing, military offensives were launched by the GRP against the New People’s Army (NPA). And now the MILF suffers the same situation.
 

Ahead of Malaysia ’s pull-out from IMT, GRP has now been busy in flexing its arms: spreading propaganda and boosting its military capacity. The military wanted an “emergency procurement” for nearly 1.6 billion pesos worth of artillery and explosives; procurement of thousands of rockets, howitzers and mortars as part of its “regular build-up”. Furthermore, the Department of Defense has been asked to scrap bidding procedure for said weapons in favor of an “emergency procurement.” What GRP has been doing sends a strong message of preparation for large-scale war— an undisputed threat to national security! God forbid!

Given all these scenarios, the Bangsamoro people could only hope that— if only Manila has the strong political will and creativity to pursue peace talks and implement agreement, it can adopt the experience of other countries without invoking constitutional process. For at the onset of the GRP-MILF peace talks, the consensus between the two parties was clear: GRP will not refer to Constitution and MILF will not demand for independence.

We therefore urge Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to exercise her full power both as President of the Republic of the Philippines and as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to uphold the primacy of the peace talks over military solution to address the centuries-old Mindanao problem!

The civilian is at all times superior over the military as demonstrated by her positions. Military actions and circumventing peace talks are inutile as proven in history. They can only produce superficial peace because they are not based on justice. Justice delayed is justice denied.

Let neither the forthcoming ARMM elections nor the pushing for Constitutional Change impede the resumption of GRP-MILF the talks and signing of a peace agreement, or be a stumbling block in honest review of the government-MNLF final peace accord.

We appeal to the MILF and MNLF to exercise extra patience in dealing with the GRP in peace talks.

Likewise, we call on both the local and international community to help us Mindanaoans to attain the kind of peace that we want, not what others want for us! Be with us in pushing the talks forward!

(Sgd.) TEMOGEN TULAWIE

Chairperson, CBCS Sulu Region

(Sgd.) MAGUID MARUHOM

Chairperson, CBCS Sibugay Region

(Sgd.) NATHAN INSUNG

Chairperson, CBCS Basilan Region

(Sgd.) MUNIB KAHAL

Chairperson, CBCS Zamboanga Region

(Sgd.) RAHIB KUDTO

Chairperson, CBCS Kutawato Region

(Sgd.) SALIC IBRAHIM

Chairperson, CBCS Ranaw Region

(Sgd.) OSCAR SULAIMAN

Chairperson, CBCS Rajah Buayan Region

(Sgd.) SAMMY BUAT

Chairperson, CBCS Dabaw Region

(Sgd.) SAMMY P. MAULANA

Secretary General, CBCS

--------------

Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society, Inc. (CBCS)

KFI Compound, F. Tamse St, Poblacion IV

9600, Cotabato City

Tel / Fax No.: +63 (064) 421-5420

Website: www.cbcsi.org

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