PEACE

MILF doubts resumption of peace talks, calls for release of jailed members 

A senior official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has expressed his doubt about the resumption of peace talks with the government by January in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, even as he has called for the release of all MILF members in prison.

Earlier, President Benigno Aquino’s peace adviser, Teresita Deles, announced the resumption of talks by January 2011.

But in a statement issued Sunday, rebel chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal doubted whether that would happen. “Without a facilitator, how would the talks resume? The government's continued character assassination of the Malaysian facilitator is not doing any good to the peace process,” he said.

“We have requested the Malaysian government to retain Datuk Othman bin Abd’ Razak as facilitator and this still stands. It is not in the MILF’s mind to meet in January if the facilitator issue is not settled,” said Iqbal in a press statement.

The MILF said some members of their organization had become upset over the slow movement of the peace talks.

In 2008, some rebel commanders led deadly attacks, killing 60 civilians, following the aborted signing of peace deal that would give the rebels their own homeland in the south.

The attacks prompted the government to suspend peace talks with the MILF and ordered a massive assault. The fighting has affected more than 600,000 people.

The MILF has been fighting government troops for decades in a bid to establish a self-rule Muslim state in the south of the predominantly Catholic country.

Efforts are being made by both sides to revive the talks under the Aquino administration.

On Sunday, Iqbal also demanded the release of all their political prisoners, including engineer Eduard Guerra, who was captured by police and military on September 22 at the Davao International Airport while en route to Geneva.

Iqbal said that if the government could release the “Morong 43,” who were tagged by the military as members of the New People’s Army, it could also release MILF political detainees.

“The release is a good confidence-building measure for the Aquino administration, which is steadily losing moral ascendancy in the present talks due to calibrated alibis not to start talks in July,” he added.

By Jeoffrey Maitem
Inquirer Mindanao

AFP chief defends new internal peace and security plan 

Soldiers will remain “warriors” under “Bayanihan,” the new internal peace and security plan (IPSP) to be implemented, effective Jan. 1, 2011, despite the government’s new tack of “winning the peace rather than simply defeating the enemy.”

This was stressed by Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Ricardo David in an interview Friday as he defended the soldier’s role in counter-insurgency operations despite the ongoing peace process.

But David stressed that soldiers would be more conscious of human rights in performing their duties as defenders of the state.

He dismissed reports that some ground commanders found the IPSP too tame as it would weaken the “warrior image” of the soldiers.

David presented the IPSP to President Benigno Aquino III, their commander-in-chief, during the AFP’s 75th founding anniversary earlier this week.

“Under the new IPSP, they are warriors but they are warriors who must have a knowledge of the human rights which is very important,” David explained.

“They must not forget that the first and foremost duty of a soldier is to defend his nation so we will give them more teeth in winning the peace but they should not violate human rights in the performance of their duties,” he stressed.

He said the theme of the AFP’s 75th anniversary, “Kadakilaan, Kagitingan, Alay ng Kawal sa Inang Bayan,” further reinforced this new role of soldiers.

The IPSP also outlines the AFP’s full support for peace negotiations and developmental projects.

David said it was important for commanders of the major services and the unified area commands to explain to their officers and men the IPSP.

“I hope that the commanders, particularly the unified commanders and the service commanders, must be able to disseminate and execute this, and to have seminars in order to discuss the provisions or the requirements of the internal security plan,” he said.

AFP spokesman Brigadier General Jose Mabanta has admitted the “differing opinions” of ground commanders on the new IPSP.

Mabanta blamed this on the lack of information among their personnel, adding that an information campaign would be conducted soon in order to orient the soldiers about the IPSP.

He said the IPSP will be implemented up to the end of Mr. Aquino’s term in 2016.

By Cynthia Balana
Philippine Daily Inquirer

No opposition to new security plan within military ranks, says AFP chief 

Armed Forces Chief General Ricardo David on Thursday downplayed speculations that there is opposition within the military ranks on the new Internal Peace and Security Plan “Bayanihan” earlier unveiled by President Benigno Aquino III.

In a chance interview during the turnover ceremony for the National Capital Region Command, David said that there was no truth in earlier media reports about a dispute within the AFP regarding the five-year internal security plan since it would limit the military’s mandate over anti-insurgency efforts.

“Hindi totoo yun kasi kung mago-oppose sila dapat sabihin nila sa akin kung bakit sila nago-oppose (That is not true because those who oppose should have told me why they do),” David said.

He added that the military’s main mandate is to defend the nation against terror groups.

“So they must not forget this, the first and foremost duty of a soldier is to defend his nation,” David said.

“Ang role ng soldier sa society is being the protector of the people, hindi natin nakukwan yun, that is uncompromising,” he added.

The “Bayanihan,” which will be implemented on Jan. 1, 2011, to 2016, is a product of a series of consultations conducted by the AFP, government offices, nongovernment organizations and civil society organizations.

Its main objective is to attain peace in the war-torn islands of Mindanao by defeating terror groups like the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah and creating political settlements, which are in accordance with the Constitution with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Katherine Evangelista INQUIRER.net