MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang is leaving it up to the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to resolve internal rifts before the resumption of peace negotiations.
“There’s only one MILF so far. We’d rather exert our efforts on peace rather than exert our efforts on war,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said yesterday.
Lacierda noted the efforts of the MILF to contain the factions within its group.
One of the commanders, Adzme Kasim, has been ordered by the MILF leadership to halt attacks against rival rebel commander Abunawas Ebad from the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). The BIFF is led by Ameril Umbra Kato, a radical commander opposed to peace talks with the government.
Clashes between the two groups left 14 combatants dead and thousands of villagers displaced. The two rebel commanders were contesting ownership of a 15-acre farmland in Datu Piang.
Lacierda said the government is talking to the mainstream MILF.
According to Lacierda, the BIFF is a small force compared to the delegation sent by the MILF that met with President Aquino in Tokyo last Aug. 3.
“I remember (government peace panel chief Marvic) Leonen saying (in Tokyo) that this particular MILF commander has the biggest command, and being present in Japan shows the support of the MILF,” Lacierda stressed, apparently referring to MILF chairman Al Haj Murad.
Lacierda said the Aquino administration is going in the right direction negotiating with the MILF, not with breakaway groups.
“We believe that he (Murad) has the majority support of the MILF,” he said.
Lacierda said suggestions for the US to intervene in the peace negotiations will likewise be no longer necessary.
“The Philippine panel is capable of negotiating the peace process, the peace discussion without any help from any third party,” he said.
“Again, the third party facilitator is Malaysia which is one of the monitoring groups that is there to observe. We are pretty confident that our own government can handle the peace negotiation.”
Lacierda said the government is confident that the MILF will ultimately settle its problems with the BIFF.
“We remain hopeful that the MILF will be able to resolve this internal situation and that by doing so the peace process can move forward,” he said.
Lacierda said he also expects Leonen to raise the issue when both panels resume peace talks in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 22.
Leonen has expressed concern over the infighting within MILF, hoping that its leaders could show that they can control their men before this results in failure of the talks.
“It will be good for us also to raise the implications and the consequences of being considered a lost command. I don’t know what are the implications, I don’t know what are the consequences but it will be good for the peace panel, the GPH to express that,” Lacierda said. – With Edith Regalado, Roel Pareño