The Philippine Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process has cautioned politicians who are calling for cessation of peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) until the next administration is elected, saying it “would send a dangerous signal to the nation and international community.”
“To suspend the talks now is to send a very dangerous signal to the nation and the world that peace is being given a back seat to politics,” Secretary Anabelle Abaya said, referring to calls by former senator Franklin Drilon, Sen Rodolfo Biazon, Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon and some local officials to leave the peace negotiations to the next set of administration.
Drilon is running for senator in the May national elections while the younger Biazon is bidding to swap seats with his father in both chambers of Congress.
Meanwhile, government representatives will meet with MILF counterparts in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (March 11) but the Malaysian mediator said a peace deal is unlikely before President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo steps down later this year.
Othman Razak said Wednesday (March 3) the officials and MILF representatives would meet at an undisclosed location in the Malaysian capital, but did not say how long the talks would last.
“It will be more of a question-and-answer session rather than any negotiations taking place and they could talk about some kind of interim arrangement before any proper agreement is reached,” Othman told AFP.
Following a series of runs in selected areas in Mindanao, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) resumed its “Dialogue Mindanaw” programme Wednesday in Puerto Princesa City.
Abaya asked politicians to “think of and be responsible for what might be the repercussions on security which such talk can trigger.”
