OSLO, NORWAY (opapp.gov.ph/21 June) – Government of the Philippines (GPH) peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer today confirmed that the next round of formal exploratory talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will resume in July.

 

“The panel chairs have already agreed on a date early next month to further discuss the annexes on wealth sharing, power sharing and normalization,” said Ferrer who met informally with MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal in this Norwegian capital.

 

Coronel-Ferrer, together with Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles, attended the Oslo Forum 2013 organized by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue last June 18 and 19. Iqbal, Malaysian Third-Party Facilitator Tengku Datu Abdul Ghafar Tengku bin Mohamed, MILF peace panel member Maulana Alonto and MILF consultant Raissa Jajurie were also present in the event. 

 

The forum provided a venue for senior third-party conflict mediators and other key peace process actors to share experiences, identify challenges, and reflect on their own and others’ peace process practices. 

 

According to Coronel-Ferrer, she also handed over to her counterpart the government’s full proposals on the wealth sharing annex for the MILF to study and consider. 

 

Both panels are completing the remaining annexes on wealth sharing, power sharing, and normalization that, together with the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, will comprise the GPH-MILF comprehensive agreement. The annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities (TAM) was already signed by the parties in February.

 

Ferrer and Deles are also attending the two-day High-level Seminar on Gender and Inclusive Mediation Processes which began yesterday, also in Oslo. The seminar intends to “generate more consultative processes by promoting women’s effective participation and building inclusive, gender-sensitive mediation capacity at international, regional and national levels.” It was organized by the United Nations Department of Political Affairs, Crisis Management Initiative, and the Peace Research Institute Oslo.

 

Due diligence on remaining issues

In a radio interview, GPH panel member Senen Bacani expressed optimism that a comprehensive agreement will be signed in a month or two. He said that there are only a few remaining issues on the annexes but added that these are the most difficult issues hence the need for due diligence “so that when the comprehensive agreement will finally be signed, it will pass legal and constitutional scrutiny.”

 

Bacani also said that they want to make sure that the comprehensive agreement will not follow the fate of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain which was declared unconstitutional in 2008.

 

The panel member added that the GPH continues its consultations with the House of Representatives and the Senate including the newly-elected legislators to ensure that they are updated on the peace negotiations and garner support among the legislators.

 

“Konting pasensya na lang po dahil natagalan lang ng konti dito sa due diligence work, wala po kasi kaming control sa mga schedule ng iba-ibang tao. Inaasahan ko po na baka isa o dalawang buwan na lang matapos na natin itong comprehensive agreement (We need a little patience and understanding for these delays as we have no control over the schedules of other people, but I am very hopeful that we will finish this comprehensive agreement in a month or two),” Bacani stated.

 

“What is important is that we continue to be committed to settle these issues, and once and for all complete the comprehensive agreement so that the Bangsamoro Transition Commission can also start drafting the Bangsamoro Basic Law,” he added.