This is an attempt to shed light on the peace process involving the peace negotiation between the MILF and the GRP which has been marred by series of clashes and "broken agreements", the latest of which is the April 28 armed hostilities that had escalated to many parts of Mindanao.
After the signing of the Jakarta Agreement between the MNLF and the GRP on September 2, 1996, the later invited the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a split organization of the MNLF, for a peace talks. The MILF was not a party to the agreement and did not recognize it. The agreement, they argued, was not along line with the letter and spirit of the infamous Tripoli Agreement. Notwithstanding their refusal to recognize the agreement, the MILF gave it the benefit of the doubt to allow programs to be implemented as mandated by the agreement without interference. Considering that said agreement was not binding to the MILF, the government offered separate peace talks to the former who readily accepted the offer.
In July of 1997, an agreement on the general cessation of hostilities which defined the framework and parameter of the ceasefire as signed between the MILF and the GRP. Committees were organized to help monitor the administrative guidelines and implementation of the agreement.
One of the highlights of the agreement was the verification and recognition of the 13 major camps and 30 satellite camps submitted by the MILF in Mindanao. Verification and recognition here refers to a confidence building measure which will recognize the territories of the MILF while the perace talks are on-going. It did not mean granting belligerency status to the MILF. To this effect the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) composed of MILF and GRP representatives was formed to undertake the activities of verification of the said camps. However, before the activities could be undertaken, a series of clashes between the military troops and MILF forces took place. To help settle conflicts arising from alleged violations of the agreement, the Independent Fact Finding Committee (IFFC) was organized. The IFFC composed of several NGOs was mandated by both panels to investigate violations. Later on the Quick response Team (QRT) which was tasked to respond to hostilities was organized. Both the IFFC and the QART were headed by priest Jun Mercado, also president of the Notre Dame University.
For sometime, the effort to verify and recognize the MILF camps took place. However, the task to continue the verification and recognition of the camps came to halt after the CCCH verified only 7 of the MILF's major camps. Soon after, a series of clashes took place, on alleged violation of the ceasefire agreement. It is important to note that even with the 7 camps verified and recognized, no proper delineation was made. This means to say that each group can easily accuse each other of trespassing or encroaching one's territories as had been the case.
From 1997 up to late 1999, a series of clashes had taken place for the same reasons of violation of the ceasefire agreement. Theses military skirmishes happened notwithstanding the formal opening of the peace talks in October 1999 attended by some national leaders and dignitaries. Until now, the QRT, IFFC and the CCCH could not identify who had violated the ceaefire agreement. Both panels had learned the art of denying and accusing.
In the beginning of the new millenium, heavy fightings occured. It started in North Cotabato in November to December 1999, in Maguindanao from January to February 2000. The war in Lanao Norte erupted in March almost simultaneously with the abduction of some 27 local residents of Basilan by the Abu Sayyaf (now Harakatul Islamia). Towards the end of April, renewed clashes took place in Matanog, Maguindanao. At almost the same time, the Abu Sayyaf kidnapped 23 tourists from Sabah, Malaysia.
From 1997 up to now, hundreds of combatants from both camps had died from the armed hostilities. Damage to properties is big while casualties on civilians is also high. Lives of displaced families had even become more miserable. Nobody exactly knows how many families had been displaced. They are certainly by the thousands.
As the war in Lanao Norte started to subside in April, the AFP started to mass-up their forces at the foot of Camp Abubakar, the largest camp of the MILF at Matanog, Maguindanao. Accordingly, their mission was to clear the Narciso highway of illegal toll collectors which they identified as MILF forces. The MILF who had established checkpoints in some part of the highway was allegedly harrassing passenger vehicles by collecting illegal fees. Alarmed by the presence of the Marines near the perimeter defense of the MILF, the latter also started to mass-up their forces at a shouting distance from the soldiers. The MILF was there to protect the camp from the encroaching military forces.
The situation alarmed the civilian population who started to flee their homes. To prove that the MILF forces were not responsible for the so-called illegal collection, a contigent of the local police and some MILF forces launched an operation to arrest the "collectors". The succeeded to arrest 7 but released them after they promised not to do it again.
In another move to avert the occurrence of hostilities, the MILF and GRP panels held a marathon meeting which lasted nearly midnight that resulted in the signing of an agreemnt to allow the police to man the highway while the two panels are preparing their respective position papers regarding the issue of the highway. However, early in the morning of the following day, the military started to attack MILF positions near the highway prompting the later to respond, thus the beginning of the on-going heavy skirmishes. The soldiers argued that they had a mission and that to clear the highway of illegal collectors was part of their mandate. The hostilities immediately escalated to the nearby municipalities of Buldon, Barira and Parang driving away more civilian population. Those who were caught unaware were trapped in the battlefields or moved further away.
After two days of fierce fighting, the MILF declared indefinite suspension of the peace talks citing among others the utter disregard of the military of the agreement of April 27. They also accused the GRP panels of having no control over the military. This decision of the MILF to suspend the talks drove more civilians to flee for fear of heavy wars ahead. After 8 days of continued fightings which caused more civilians to flee and the escalation of the hostilties in other parts of Mindanao, the MILF declared unilateral cessation of hostilities for 48 hours. The decision to declare uniliteral truce was a reponse to the call of various sectors including the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), some senators and congressmen, peace advocates and the basic sectors in Mindanao for ceasefire, according to the MILF.
The GRP did not respond positively to the call for ceasefire. It ordered the military to continue the miltary operation. The military will only call for a ceasefire for two conditions, namely; the MILF shall lay down their arms and the MILF shall release the hostages claiming that the MILF and the Abu Sayyaf were one and the same group. Lately, they said that ceasefire can only take place after the clearing of the highway of MILF rebels. In a briefing yesterday with the senators, Secretary Mercado said that there is no condition set for the resumption of the talks. But since the MILF initiated the suspension they should also initiate the resumption.
After the MILF 48-hour unilateral truce had elapsed, hostilties resumed in Matanog municipality and other municipalities in North Cotabato which caused the closure again of the Davao-Cotabato highway. Bombings in Davao City, Surigao, Butuan and Mati, Davao Oriental occurred within the 48-hour truce. The military attributed this to the MILF but there is also a suspicion that the bombs were the handiwork of a third party who would like to intensify the conflict into a full blown war. Just today a portion of the Cotabato-General Santos highway is again closed for traffic.
Meantime, on the Abu Sayyaf case, 15 soldiers died in an ambush staged by the Abu Sayyaf. Still 10 of the local residents are being held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf. There are now 4 negotiators sent by Malacanang to Sulu for the release of the foreign hostages of the AS. The 4 included the former Libyan ambassador to the Philippines.
All told, the hostilities are now escalting in 9 municipalities of Maguindanao province, 5 in North Cotabato, 3 in Lanao del Sur, 1 in South Cotabato and the two cities of Cotabato and General Santos. Particularly in General Santos, anti-Muslim sentiments are coming out which forced some Muslim residents of the city to take refuge among their relatives in other places. There are also high indications of the resurgence of vigilante groups being organized by the Christians. The total number of evacuees is conservatively estimated to have reached 75,000 families all over Central and Northern Mindanao. Several civilians including two children died and two women are still missing. There are also reported cases of salvaging. Undetermined number of houses were reported burned. As the areas are still not accessible due to the on-going hostilities and the closure of the highways, the actual casualties and damages to properties could not be accurately accounted for. However, death casualties on both camps are believed to be bigger than any past hostilities since 1997.
What is really the agenda of the government ? A negotiated settlement or surrender of the MILF ? The government is pursuing a multi-folded approach to the MILF problem, namely; peace talks, development project and militarization. The formal peace talks are already set with defined agenda and the government had entered into memorandum of understanding with the chairman of the MILF for the economic development of MILF areas including camp Abubakar. Also, initialy an understanding had been made between the government through its economic flagship secretary Robert Aventajado and the MILF for the resumption of the construction of the MAL-MAR irrigation.
It is also important to note that creating an Islamic state is not in the official agenda. This must give the government the opportunity to vigorously pursue the peace talks rather than massing up forces near the MILF camps. Earlier the military had overran two or three of the major MILF camps. This trend lead many people to believe that the military has its own agenda. After the clearing operation, they are now holding their grounds on these overrun camps. While the military made pronouncement that they are not attacking camp Abubakar why the military operation is farther away from the Narciso highway. Why are their artilleries reasching near the center of the camp ? Lately, the government revealed a military strategy in engaging with the MILF, namely; clear, hold, consolidate and develop.
Other opinion reveals that the reason for the military operation is to instigate the MILF to fight back so that the agreements will become null and void, because the GRP according had signed an agreement to verify and acknowledge the MILF camps which is illegal. Another opinion says that the military would like to project that the administration of Estrada is weak and there there is a need for a military junta. In the news briefing yesterday, the defense department mentioned about the lack of personell and material resources to successfully quell the Moro rebellion. This gave moral and administrative justification for the reactivation of 30,000 para-miliotary units to be stationed in Mindanao. This is mostly likely to happen against the will of the people.
It is also worth to note that the MNLF integrees are now being utilized to fight the Abu Sayyaf and the MILF. Whatever the motive of the government, one thing sure there is a growing sentiments against militarization of Mindanao and the people are suffering much.
As of this day, the clashes continue and no one knows exactly when will a ceasefire and the negotiation be resumed. What we know is the continuing displacemenmt of communities that violates their right to live peacefully.
On your own or with others we know you can do something.
