Pact with MNLF lacking, says OIC

First posted 11:20pm (Mla time) May 19, 2006
By Edwin Fernandez, Julie S. Alipala, Jeoffrey Maitem
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on Page A16 of the May 20, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

COTABATO CITY—The peace agreement between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has not been implemented in full, according to the head of a team sent by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to the country.

The OIC brokered the peace agreement, which the Ramos administration and MNLF chair Nur Misuari signed in 1996. This prescribed the establishment of an expanded Moro region, the integration of MNLF combatants into the military and the police and assistance to rehabilitate war-torn areas in Mindanao, among others.

The expansion of the Moro region failed after a plebiscite was held in August 2001. Only five provinces and one city voted to be included in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) instead of the envisioned 14 provinces and nine cities.

“The treaty has not been fully implemented,” Ambassador Sayed Kassan El-Masry told government and MNLF officials during a dinner hosted by ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan on Thursday evening.

But El-Masry quickly pointed out that both the government and the MNLF failed to come up with mechanisms for the implementation of all the provisions of the peace agreement.

He did not specify which provisions were not implemented but added the matter should be tackled during the RP-MNLF-OIC tripartite meeting to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in July.

“We have to sit down and resolve how to implement the accord fully,” El-Masry said.

Earlier, MNLF secretary general Muslimin Sema gave a rating of four to the implementation of the agreement on a scale of 1-10.

“I would like to maintain our position that the peace agreement has not been implemented religiously,” Sema said in a radio interview here.

National peace adviser Jesus Dureza told the visiting OIC envoys that the Arroyo administration is determined to address the root causes of the peace and order problems in Mindanao.

He said the country’s bid for an observer status in the OIC would galvanize the government’s efforts to help war-torn communities in Mindanao.

El-Masry declined to comment on the Philippines bid for an observer seat in the influential organization.

The MNLF, led by Nur Misuari, continues to represent Philippine Muslims in the 57-nation pan-Islamic grouping that counts oil-rich countries Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and Indonesia as members.

In Panamao, Sulu, acting Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Romero approved the suspension of military operations (Somo) to allow MNLF leaders to attend the scheduled consultation with the OIC team today.

Among those expected to show up is Ustadz Habier Malik, who figured in two of the bloodiest clashes in the island-province in 2005.