By Joyce Pangco Panares
Manila Standard Today
Manila Standard Today
The leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Tuesday urged the government to postpone the awarding of oil exploration contracts in the Liguasan Marsh in the Cotabato basin and in Sulu until wealth-sharing arrangements are ironed out.
Negotiators from both sides are scheduled to meet next month in Kuala Lumpur to discuss wealth-sharing, power-sharing and the decommissioning of MILF fighters.
“Our appeal is very reasonable and sound,” said MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim in a statement posted on the group’s Web site.
“As a principle, we are not against exploitation of our natural resources including oil and gas provided that they redound to the benefit of our people and should be done in the proper time and conditions,” Murad said.
The areas are covered by the Department of Energy’s Petroleum and Energy Contracting Round 4 that was launched last year.
Three contracts are currently up for bidding: Area 11 covering 600,000 hectares in Cotabato, Area 12 covering 456,000 hectares in Cotabato, and Area 15 covering 482,000 hectares in Sulu Sea.
In his statement, Murad said that, based on available data, the resources in the Cotabato basin were estimated to be 158 million barrels of oil.
He said 10 wildcat wells had already been drilled in the three areas.
Area 11 in Cotabato received two bids from Forum Pacific and Helios Mining and Energy, which were both accepted.
Area 12, also in Cotabato, received a bid from three companies of which two—Dil Moro Energy Corp. and Min Energy Pty. Ltd—were accepted.
Area 15 in the Sulu Sea drew the most bids and three were chosen: Philodrill Corp. and Philex Petroleum Corp.; Mitra Energy Ltd. (with Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Co. and Tap Oil) and Forum Pacific.
Earlier, Gapul Hadjirul, the political director of the rival Moro National Liberation Front faction led by Nur Misuari, claimed that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak offered 2 billion ringgits for the right to search for oil in Mindanao.
Hadjirul claimed Najib made the offer to Murad for the MILF to accede to Malaysia’s mineral exploration venture in the country’s southern region.
“Malaysia had offered 2 billion ringgits for the exploration of our oil basin at the Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao, which the United States supports,” Hajirul said.
But the MNLF official did not give details of the alleged deal.
On Tuesday, Hadjirul said that even without the Palace admission of the oil exploration deals in the Liguasan Marsh, Murad’s statement was proof enough of foreign interference in internal affairs.
“The Philippine government is trading the sovereignty of Mindanao in the interest of foreigners including Malaysians,” Hadjirul said.
He also criticized MILF political affairs director Gadjali Jaafar for dismissing the MNLF claim.
“Now who is lying? He is a liar, “Hadjirul said.
He also urged the Aquino administration to stop transacting business with the Malaysians in Mindanao.
“Why should they allow Malaysia to interfere with our internal affairs? Let the people of Mindanao govern it,” Hadjirul said.
He warned that Malaysia’s interference would intensify the conflict in the region.
Emmanuel Fontanilla, legal counsel of the MNLF, said the oil exploration deals represented “a creeping invasion” by the Malaysians.
He said “the framework agreement was a misrepresentation of the true aspirations of Mindanao’s inhabitants composed of Christians, Muslims, Lumads and other indigenous people.”
Fontanilla slammed the government for treating the MILF as “the representation of the entire Mindanao” when the people were never consulted about the framework agreement.
The Liguasan Marsh is about 200,000 hectares of dry and wet basins bound by the Mindanao River in south-central Mindanao, North Cotabato and South Cotabato provinces. It is reported to be rich in oil and gas deposits, and is home to 112,000 Maguindanaon families whose primary means of livelihood is fishing. With Francisco Tuyay
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