The Daily Tribune
President Aquino and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are dead set on establishing for the MILF a Bangsa Moro substate with great government power and authority and wants this approved through a congressional act to provide his still secret deal with the Moro rebels the cloak of legality and “constitutionality.”
In a press briefing yesterday after the 110th service anniversary of the Philippine National Police at Camp Crame, Aquino refused to disclose details of the secret meeting with MILF chairman Al Haj
Murad held last Thursday in Tokyo, although it could be gleaned that he would be seeking congressional approval for the secret deal forged with the rebel Muslim group, which could lead to an expansion or contraction of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, saying that a plebsicite will be called to get the people to decide on whether they agree to an expanded, or contracted ARMM.
The MILF has made it clear that it wants a substate with the Bangsa Moro people having a national identity, which could well be the secret deal forged with Aquino, and this will likely result in an entity called the Bangsa Moro Authority, patterned after the Palestinian Authority that currently governs in Israeli-controlled territory.
In a statement issued a day after the Tokyo secret meeting, MILF vice chairman Ghazali Jaafar said it wants a nation but not separate from the republic. “It must have power to govern but not above the power of the Philippine government.”
He said the MILF told the President it wants a Bangsamoro state not like the ARMM, which is inutile, explaining that under a sub-state, Mindanao Muslims will have control over major aspects of governance, except national defense, foreign affairs, currency and coinage, as well as postal services.
That Aquino is more than willing to grant the demands of the MILF, including designating Philippine territories it will control and govern, as well as a full police force, was evident when he let out that with the national identity of the Bangsamoro, “it won’t be purely a Muslim bloc, since included in the bloc will be the Lumads and Christians who are in areas that are located in what is called the Bangsamoro complex.”
This so-called BangsaMoro complex is currently made up of Muslim rebel captured territories which the MILF controls, complete with its police force.
Also, the MILF wants 20 to 30 percent revenue sharing, including yields from mineral exploration from Bangsamoro homeland, with the national government under its proposed substate in the ongoing peace negotiations.
MILF vice chairman Jaafar said the revenue sharing is part of the MILF’s quest for a substate different from the existing ARMM which he described as “fake autonomy.”
“We are not demanding for an independent state, what we want is a Bangsamoro State still under the government of the Republic of the Philippines,” said Jaafar.
“We are opting for full autonomy, not the kind of autonomy which is being implemented through the ARMM. We do not like this kind of autonomy and we will not accept this kind of autonomy because this is a fake autonomy, there is no power,” said Jaafar.
Jaafar said that the sub-state being pursued by the MILF is explained in details in the comprehensive compact agreement submitted by the secessionist group to the government.
“In the proposed comprehensive compact agreement, we hope for a percentage of 20 to 30 percent from the revenues and the exploration of mineral resources from our Bangsamoro homeland. There would be 20 to 30 percent sharing with the national government,” said Jaafar.
“We will be the ones giving the national government instead of our begging from the national government” stressed Jaafar.
Prior to the “secret” meeting between Aquino and Murad last Thursday in Tokyo, the MILF called on the government to stop oil exploration on Bangsamoro territories. At present, there are ongoing exploration and studies in the Sulu Sea.
Jaafar said the MILF believes that the establishment of a Bangsamoro substate is the true solution to the decades-long problem in Mindanao.
“Definitely,” replied Jaafar when asked if the MILF thinks that the putting up of a substate will finally address the Mindanao conflict, adding “not only do we think that, but we believe it will solve…This is the answer to the Bangsamoro problem.”
In its proposed compact agreement, Jaafar said the sub-state will be running like a parliamentary where the ruling party elects its chief minister, who will be acting as the head of the BangsaMoro state government, and would be forming the government composed of ministers.
However, Jaafar admitted that the MILF’s comprehensive compact agreement was not discussed in details during the “secret” meeting in Japan.
He said the proposed agreement, particularly the establishment of a substate, would be tackled during the next rounds of formal talks between the government and the MILF peace panels in Kuala Lumpur later this month.
“They did not discuss details in that meeting, only general terms and general issues were discussed,” said Jaafar.
Aquino denied that the talk with the MILF was the reason he called for the postponement of the elections in the ARMM which was supposed to be held this month.
Malacañang rejected demands for the full disclosure of the details of the secret meeting and asserted that whatever transpired should remain confidential for now.
In a press briefing Monday, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the Aquino government is not inclined to disclose the details of the Aquino-Murad meeting so as not jeopardize future talks between the government panel and that of the MILF.
“ We don’t want to release the details primarily because we don’t want or rather the peace panel does not want to negotiate through media. Anybody who is engaged in negotiations, sensitive negotiations, should realize that there’s a level of confidentiality or privacy that has to be respected between the parties. And, if you noticed also, the MILF peace panel has not released any details as well—that is the measure of respect we accord to each other,” Lacierda said.
Lacierda said that administration critics should stop questioning the president’s action and his decision to personally meet Murad because this is a “measure of his resolve to find peace in Mindanao.”
And they don’t even need to worry about the details of the so-called “secret meeting” because this would be divulged anyway as the peace negotiations takes its course.
“The detractors are on the wrong side of history if they would just focus on these details and requiring them to release the details of the meeting. It will come out as we progress with the negotiations and we will inform you of the details of the negotiations as soon as Marvic Leonen has them. But suffice it to say that we’d like to emphasize we will be transparent when we are required to do so but right now negotiations are taking place and both parties respect the privacy of the negotiations,” Lacierda asserted.
And whatever agreement that may come out of the peace negotation would require the approval of Congress, Aquino said in a separate interview shortly after the 110th service anniversary of the Philippine National Police at Camp Crame, Aquino was still stingy in divulging details on his secret meeting with Murad.
“ It will take congressional action,” Aquino said adding that whatever agreement that would concern the people of the ARMM would require a plebiscite before it can even be implemented.
“I’m really hard-pressed to put the details here, at this point, there is still no agreement. I do not want to say that I am boxing this in. The details have to be with with Congress that will take congressional action.”
Aquino also refuted claims that his meeting with Murad was the reason he called for the postponement of the elections in the ARMM which was supposed to be held this month and reiterated that the postponement was to enable his administration to deliver the reforms he wanted to implement in the ARMM, but admitted that the talks with the MILF could help in the process of reforming the systemic corruption in the region.
“ I would like to think that they (MILF) will be cooperative as far as improving the situation especially in the ARMM and in Mindanao in particular in the way they defined this for all Bangsamoro people,” he said.
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