The Philippine government is “very close” to concluding the 14-year
peace talks with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), officials
negotiating with the rebels said.
They are confident that a new
“political entity” would be established in Mindanao before President Benigno
Aquino steps down in 2016, chief negotiator Marvic Leonen told journalists late
Monday.
The new political entity will
replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the regional
government that has jurisdiction over the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur,
Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
The new entity will definitely be
called “either the ARMM or BJE (Bangsamoro Juridical Entity),” Leonen said.
A “framework agreement” with the
MILF would be signed within the year, said Teresita Deles, the presidential
peace adviser on the peace process.
“I tell you that something
(positive) will happen this year. From the signing of the framework agreement,
something will happen immediately,” Deles said.
“We are obviously optimistic.
It’s highly probable. I think both sides are looking at the possibility of
having… an agreement within the year,” Leonen said.
He said the framework agreement
would contain the “entire roadmap for the peace process” which would be
evaluated and approved by the members of both the government and MILF
negotiating panels.
The initial agreement may be
followed by annexes, “and after that, (we could have) the entire thing. The
parties can look at the final annexes and at the entire thing and if they
decide, then we can have a comprehensive peace agreement,” he said.
But rebel negotiator Mohagher
Iqbal told the Associated Press yesterday that the MILF does not see a final
accord until three years later and the Muslims would not end their insurgency
until a final agreement is signed.
He said the initial accord would
contain general agreements on key issues, including the extent of power,
revenues and territory to be granted to a Muslim-administered region.
He said a transition commission
would be established after the signing to work out the details of the initial
pact, which hopefully would lead to a final accord as early as three years
later.
Iqbal said the MILF would not lay
down its firearms until a final accord is concluded, adding both sides still
need to negotiate whether the rebels should be integrated into the military or
police or turned into a force that would secure a Muslim-administered region.
The insurgents could run in
democratic elections to get a chance at leading the autonomous region, he said.
Leonen said the creation of the
new political structure in Mindanao would not affect the elections in ARMM in
2013 and 2016.
With a report from AP
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