MILF 'defends' Malaysian peace facilitator from claims of bias

MANILA, Philippines — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) angrily defended Malaysia on Saturday from claims that it was "blatantly" biased in favor of the MILF in peace efforts with the Arroyo government. MILF peace panel senior member lawyer Lanang Ali said the claims that the Malaysian facilitator is "blatantly pro-MILF" is also an insult to the MILF. “It is unfair and highly ridiculous to say that the Malaysian facilitator ‘is blatantly pro-MILF’. This is also an insult to the MILF that it can be dictated on," Ali said in an article on the MILF website (www.luwaran.net). He was referring supposed "reports" that cited “highly placed sources" as saying Malaysian facilitator Datuk Othman bin Abdul Razak was “biased to the MILF." The reports claimed Razak advised the MILF peace Panel "to demand a 95-5 sharing of profit from exploitation of natural resources under their proposed territory." “We have never adopted a 95% share of this profit, never in our mind; that is against good negotiation strategy," Ali said. He recalled that the starting position of the government on this issue is 70-30, while the original position of the MILF was 85-15, never 90-10 or 95-5. Ali said whatever is the final text of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) was the result of “fair and square deal" across the negotiating table over an extended period of three years and eight months. He cited his counterparts from the government from Secretary Silvestre Afable Jr. to Secretary Rodolfo Garcia as good negotiators, who knew what they want and how to get it. “Do you think they are not equal to us? If the sources think otherwise, they are unjust to their co-workers in government," Ali said. He noted the final version of the agreement provided for a 75-25 sharing of profits. Ali also noted the source in the "reports" claimed Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, the new head of the Philippine negotiating panel, has asked for Datuk Othman’s replacement. Even National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzalez had also earlier asked him replaced. But Malaysia has rejected both requests. Malaysia has been brokering the talks between the Philippine government and the MILF since 2001 when President Arroyo asked for Malaysia’s help in ending the 11-year conflict. - GMANews.TV