MNLF, MILF must talk on autonomous gov’t concept - Palace

Malacañang on Sunday said the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) would have to eventually sit down with its former breakaway group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), to unify their concepts of a Bangsamoro Autonomous Government. “The two of them would have to talk because they will represent the Bangsamoro Autonomous government. There could not be separate Bangsamoro concepts of the MNLF and MILF," Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said. “They’ve got to talk so that they will see how their positions can be put together so that they can have a common position before government." Ermita, in an ambush interview before President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s departure, said any concession granted to the MILF must “hew closely" to the government’s peace agreement with the MNLF, which was signed in 1996. He said the areas covered by autonomy under the expanded Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as embodied in Republic Act 9054 must be included. “After all, we cannot have two ARMMs. We should take a look at the area being considered in this negotiation. Of course, we have to go back to (RA) 9054 and our constitutional process," he said. He said the government could be the mediator in the talks between the MNLF and the MILF. He said it would be easier now because many former MNLF leaders are now government officials engaged in the development of Mindanao. Ermita said the exploratory talks on the ancestral domain between the Philippine government and the MILF are expected to be finalized by mid-January at the latest. This will be followed by talks on disarmament and demobilization. He said the disarmament of the MILF would take time, because the Muslim people do not want to be insulted by making them immediately lay down their arms. This developed as Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said he is still studying and consulting on the proposal to declare a ceasefire with the New People’s Army during the Christmas and New Year holidays. “We have not closed the door. If it’s good for us, why not?" he asked. Esperon also said there has to be a “meaningful ceasefire" with the communists before peace talks with the National Democratic Front could be resumed so that the armed rebels would not be able to take advantage of the suspension of military operations. Ermita said President Arroyo has ordered government negotiators to look into the veracity of reported overtures from the NDF on the possible resumption of peace talks. “Of course, the President is glad they are ones giving the overture or sending the signal that they would like to resume the talks," he said, adding that Mrs Arroyo wanted to reach out to her critics and those fighting her administration. - GMANews.TV