Retired military Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino, former head of Western Mindanao Command and convenor for the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy, shares his thoughts on Zamboanga City crisis. 

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatulahhi wa barakatuh!

If a Mediation Team is given due course, the priority efforts must be to reach out to Misuari and key MNLF leaders to establish immediate communication, facilitate the calming down of heightened emotions and clarify the government's intent as far as the Tripartite Review is concerned.  I dealt with them for quite a time in the renewed MNLF peace process for the full implementation 1996 FPA. The Tripartite Review is the only venue that gives them hope that the FPA will be fully implemented and the means where they can officially ventilate their position on the current ARMM issues and concerns, including the ongoing GPH-MILF Peace Process.  As I pointed out last Thursday[1], the MNLF has so much expectation out of the Tripartite Review.  By denying them this venue, they have no other recourse but look for other means to ventilate their position.

In order to gain attention, thus far this has lead to the declaration of an independent Bangsamoro Republik, a series of peace rallies and, recently, the sudden resort to violence. Is this a case of no other recourse but violence because their peaceful posturings were ignored by the government? The violent Zamboanga City standoff could have been nipped on the bud if only third party mediation was allowed by the government.  

In February 2007, Ustadz Malik hostaged  me  because of the continued failure of the Tripartite Review to take off after more than one (1) year that it was announced by the government. He told me that he is tired of fighting and that  it is his only hope that the remaining issues will be resolved so that they can return to a peaceful life.

I had a lengthy conversation with Chairman Misuari in Beachside Inn, Bongao just before the May elections. Among others, he told me that there are still so many matters to be resolved in the Tripartite Review so he expects the process to go on.  He also mentioned that the MNLF in Jolo will continue to help the government in eliminating the ASG in Jolo.  He joked that Ustadz Malik has been itching to continue the fight with the ASG. This was one of his informal commitments to me when I started to engage him into the renewed MNLF peace process in his prison cell at Ft, Sto. Domingo on November 5, 2005.

In a chance meeting with a senior OPAPP official at the Zamboanga City airport sometime in the first week of May this year, he informed me about the GPH intent of giving closure to the Tripartite Review.  I was alarmed because this might be misinterpreted by the MNLF as a government's way of saying that the FPA has been fully implemented.  I warned him about a possible violent repercussion if this is not formally explained to the MNLF leadership.  He told me that the government considers the MNLF a spent force.  See what happened? 

In last Thursday's forum, I learned from the handouts that the closure of the Tripartite Review would lead to another process that will pave the way for government actions that would give due course and flesh to what have been achieved by the Review.  This has to be explained well to the MNLF.  In the meantime that "wounds" and wedge have been created between the GPH and MNLF, a third party mediator must get into the picture to promote peace and normalize the situation.  In the absence of communication, it will be guns that will continue to do the talking. 

I would like to emphasize that their experience in dealing with the government has been telling them never to trust the government. In my first encounter with Misuari, he talked for 5 hours without interruption all about the struggle and the continued government insincerity. They will only talk if there is a third party involved.  The creation of a third party mediator will be a good move.