We are members of civil society, government and academe from Mindanao, Luzon, Visayas and National Capital Region, with individuals working for global peace affiliates, who are SERIOUSLY concerned with the possible withdrawal of Malaysian international monitors in the Southern Philippines and the lack of progress in the peace talks between Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP)- Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) .
(Should you want to endorse this statement, please email your full name and organization’s name to “imt-appeal at iidnet.org.)
We are members of civil society, government and academe from Mindanao, Luzon, Visayas and National Capital Region, with individuals working for global peace affiliates, who are SERIOUSLY concerned with the possible withdrawal of Malaysian international monitors in the Southern Philippines and the lack of progress in the peace talks between Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP)- Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) .
These can have grave repercussions and dangerous implications to the peace process and to the lives of thousands of residents in communities who are still reeling from from the impact of decades of sporadic violence while undergoing rehabilitation efforts .
In the midst of challenges besetting Government compounded by the problem of rice supply, it is imperative that the country’s peace and order especially in the South be SERIOUSLY ADDRESSED.
It is vital to maintain a policy of the primacy of the peace process, which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself pronounced and issued as the Commander-in- Chief on 12 November 2003. Government must be held accountable in its acceptance of official development assistance (ODA) that is geared towards development of the impoverished region in the South, where the conflict-affected areas are situated.
Since GRP-MILF peace talks started in 1997 and Malaysia led the IMT in early 2000, the number of armed incidents between the military and the MILF have dramatically decreased. Thus, foreign monitors must stay to help the peace. They ensure that any gains in the peace process can be complied with and even sustained with support from the donor community. Reneging on a peace process may bode negatively for development aid from the country’s biggest donors, the United States, Japan and Canada, who are all closely monitoring the peace process. Further, peace in the Southern Philippines contributes to a stable Southeast Asian region.
We challenge the notion of subsuming the peace process under a national or internal security framework. We advocate for upholding international standards of human security which upholds the dignity of the individual.
We are concerned that resolving the agenda items in the peace negotiations has taken a backseat, leading the Malaysian monitors to doubt the sincerity of the peace process
We appeal to Government to exercise political will in resolving the substantive items in the peace talks on territorial delineation of the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) and legal processes to recognize such. We urge the GRP to reinforce its commitment to “think out of the box” and IRON instead of skirting the thorny issues in the processes to recognize the BJE , whose resolution would affect more than 3 million lives in the Southern Philippines.
We also call on the GRP to encourage the Malaysian monitors to stay. We recall President Gloria Arroyo’s recognition of the vital role of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) in peacekeeping. In a March 2007 statement, PGMA said “The best course of action to ensure that the hostilities do not escalate and are not exploited by lawless elements is for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to work closely with the established mechanisms of the peace process – the joint ceasefire committees, the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group and the International Monitoring Team – to keep combatants in place; and increase vigilance against those intent at breaking the peace, at agitating the people, at pitting the Government against the MILF and communities against each other.”
We stand in solidarity with the Mindanawans, particularly the Bangsamoro in their quest for social justice.
We appeal to the Government, the Office of the President, the security and defense sector to pursue a genuine resolution to the impasse in the peace talks.
- Ed Garcia, International Alert
- Rep. Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel, AKBAYAN
- Rep. Mujiv Hataman. ANAK Mindanao
- Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, Liberal Party
- Former Rep. Mario Aguja, Professor, Mindanao State University-General Santos
- Former Rep. Loretta Ann Rosales, Asian Parliamentarian
- Teresita Quintos-Deles, INCITEGov
- Prof. Roland Simbulan, University of the Philippines
- Gus Miclat, Initiatives for International Dialogue
- Teresita Ang See, Citizen’s Action Against Crime
- Guiamel Alim, Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society
- Yasmin Busran-Lao, Nisa Ul Haqq Fi Bangsamoro
- Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Sulong CARHRIL
- Karen Tanada, Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute
- Raissa Jajurie, SALIGAN Mindanao
- Jennifer Santiago-Oreta, Ateneo De Manila University
- Cesar Villanueva, Pax Christi Pilipinas
- Byron Bocar, AKBAYAN
- Saleh Ampaso Bucay, Secretary General, Federation of Maranao Associations in Saudi (FEMAS)
- Amina Rasul, Convenor, Phil. Council for Islam and Democracy
- Prof. Muner Bajunaid, Project Coordinator, EMPOWERING THE ULAMA; Former Chancellor, Mindanao State University-General Santos
- Sixdon Macasaet, CODE-NGO
- Emily Marohombsar, Former President, Mindanao State University System; GRP Panel Member, GRP MILF Talks
- Dr. Susana Salvador-Anayatin, Chief, Technical Mangement Service, Consultant for Peace and Development, Department of Trade and Industry, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
- Eric John A. Matela, Director for Post Conflict & Rural Services, Mindanao Land Foundation (MinLand)
- Teresita Deles, InciteGov
- Samira Gutos, Chairperson, Young Moro Professionals Network-Mindanao
- Hassan Hatab, Chairman, Bangsamoro Center for Popular Awareness and Empowerment
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