MANILA: After an initial optimism that the Philippine President Benigno Aquino III’s administration could finally sign a peace accord with the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), there are now some doubts that this could be achieved in the short term.
Although the next round of talks are scheduled in Kuala Lumpur from April 27 to 28, a serious internal squabble within the top hierarchy of the MILF could derail the resumption of the negotiation and, if not resolved, could trigger more bloodshed in southern Philippines.
The root cause of the MILF problem is Ameril Ombra Kato, a hardline Moro commander, who has since bolted from the MILF command with thousands of his armed followers and formed the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). He vowed to wage a separate armed struggle against the government.
In a recent interview at Camp Darapanan in Maguindanao, the stronghold of the main Muslim rebel group in Mindanao, MILF chieftain Al-Haj Murad confirmed that the 70-year-old Ombra Kato, former chief of the MILF’s 105th Base Command, had left the movement seven months ago.
After the botched signing of the Aug. 5, 2008 Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD), Kato and his men attacked Christian communities in Central Mindanao in the dead of the night, killing scores of innocent civilians, including children and women. The MOA-AD would have granted expanded autonomy to Muslim Filipinos, including rights to what they claim to be their ancestral lands.
After the massacre, government forces pursued Kato but he sought sanctuary in MILF camps, which were off-limits to military forces because of existing ceasefire agreement.
Kato has also been blamed for aggressive attacks against military forces and residents, particularly Christians.
Kato has been vocal about his all-out war plan against the government and insists that the government should revive the provisions of the MOA-AD, which the Supreme Court has found unconstitutional. He claims that the Aquino government is not offering anything beneficial to the Muslims in Mindanao.
Because of Kato’s intransigence, some sectors have now expressed grave concerns about the outcome of the talks between the Philippine government and the MILF.
The Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) has said that the problem with Kato has complicated the already difficult negotiations between the two sides after they were scuttled in 2008 with the scrapping of the MOA-AD.
The ICG said that there are now serious doubts on whether the 11,000-strong MILF can deliver on any accord that might emerge from the negotiations, especially in maintaining peace and security in the area.
Members of a minority bloc in the House of Representatives have even urged the government to rethink its move to pursue negotiations with the MILF because it appears that its leadership cannot control some of its armed factions.
In a joint statement, the House opposition groups said any peace agreement that may be forged with the MILF would be useless if the rebel group’s leaders could not control their more militant factions who may not honor the pact comes out from the negotiations.
The minority bloc also urged the Aquino administration to be careful in dealing with the communist National Democratic Front as its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), continues to commit atrocities despite the resumption of the peace talks.
“We are greatly disturbed by the breakaway of a rogue MILF unit and continuing NPA attacks and ploys to release captured insurgents,” Dimaporo said.
“If rebel leaders cannot control their units, then the government must reassess the wisdom of resuming negotiations, which may just allow enemies of the Republic to strengthen their positions,” the opposition statement said. By Alito L. Malino, XINHUA News Agency
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