MINDANAO CHRISTIAN AND HIGHLANDERS ALLIANCE

(MICHA)
Cotabato chapter
POLITICAL ISSUES AND CONCERNS UNDER THE NEW
ADMINISTRATION OF HIS EXCELLENCY BENIGNO
SIMEON C. AQUINO III ON THE GRP and MILF PEACE
NEGOTIATION
June 28, 2011
I. BACKGROUND/FACTS:
After the aborted signing of Memorandum of Agreement on
Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD), the Government of the Republic of the
Philippines (GRP) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
representatives met to discuss the resumption of the peace talks. On July 7,
2009 a secret meeting was held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and revealed by
the MILF in an interview over the radio at Cotabato City. MILF demanded
that they want the previous agreed points and the provisions of
Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) as basis of
the continued peace talks.
Subsequently, the panel met again on July 28, 2009 at Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia and on July 29, 2009 both parties acknowledged each partys stand
that: The GRP acknowledges the stand of MILF that MOA-AD was
initialed, and the MILF acknowledges the stand of GRP that MOA-AD was
unsigned.
On the December 08-09, 2009 resumption of GRP-MILF formal talks,
the parties made a joint statement which states among others that: With the
resumption of the Talks, the Parties agree to begin in earnest the
negotiations on a Comprehensive Compact;
Based on the joint statement, the peace talks between the GRP and
MILF has reached this important stage where the parties AGREE to BEGIN
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the NEGOTIATIONS on a COMPREHENSIVE COMPACT skipping other

substantive aspects of importance before negotiating a comprehensive
compact agreement, and with clear implications of recognition of the
(defunct) MOA-AD.
As MILF demanded, they have now the International Contact Group
(ICG) to guarantee whatever shall be agreed or entered in the resumption of
the peace talks, continued presence of International Monitoring Team (IMT),
safe return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), continued existence of
Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG), except the presence of a UN peace
keeping force, a suspect but hidden in the new terms of reference of IMT.
On April 21, 2010, the GRP-MILF panels concluded their 18th round
of exploratory talks and made a joint statement with the following excerpts
of important points:
1.

In these 18th exploratory talks, They (GRP and MILF) were

joined by representatives of the International Contact
Group (ICG) during the two-day session.

2.

In Kula Lumpur, the two parties met to review drafts on

arrangements transitioning towards a Comprehensive
Compact as well as xxx, support for the Bangsamoro
Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) and xxx.

3.

The Parties agreed to mobilize technical and administrative

resources including the facility for the Bangsamoro
Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) to fulfill its
role as a capacity building center for emerging
Bangsamoro leaders and professionals.

4.

The parties formally exchanged amended drafts proposal

and matrices, discussed their proposals and agreed on
areas of common ground, subject to endorsement by the
Panels to their respective principals. This would be the
basis of crafting the interim document in early May 2010.

In its legislative brief on 28 September 2010, the Government Peace

Negotiating Panel under OPAPP made the statement that, Earlier in June of
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this year (2010 under the outgoing Arroyo Administration), the Declaration
on the Continuity of the GRP-MILF Negotiations was signed by the parties.
It contained consensus points achieved by both sides on the continuing
engagement of the GRP and MILF Panels until the conclusion of the
comprehensive compact. It acknowledged past gains and put a closure to this
stage of the peace negotiations and laid down the foundation for the
continuation of the peace process well into the next administration 9referring
to the new Aquino Administration).
The new administration stated five (5) parameters to guide the
conduct of negotiations, and one of which is: (d) The sentiment of the
general public, which is far as practicable, shall be taken into
consideration;

II. IMPORTANT ISSUES AND CONCERNS

Based on the joint statements and developments, the new
administration has to consider much of the document in existent between
former GRP Negotiating panel and MILF to include the MOA-AD and the
MILF draft of the Comprehensive Compact MILF submitted on January 27,
2010 at Kuala Lumpur, Malysia under the GRP Negotiating panel led by
Hon. Rafael Seguis.
MILF had made a great leap and paving the way towards signing of
the Comprehensive Compact and towards transfer of power from local
leaders to the MILF. Their insistence and tenacity in the negotiation had
brought them victory against erstwhile GRP Panels.
Several position papers were sent by MICHA to GRP panels from the
time of Estrada government then to the two terms of Arroyo. It thanked God
and the Seguis negotiating panel that the signing of comprehensive compact
was not pushed through in 2010.
The MICHA reviewed the MILF draft of Comprehensive Compact
submitted on January 27, 2010 and found it full of pitfalls and ruses, MILF
had it mixed up to hide certain provisions with sugary and idealistic coatings
which if left in the comprehensive compact will still lead to independence.
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Deception is intertwined with the draft.

The following general examples are briefly stated:
1. Bases of the compact, having in mind the principles embodied in
the Initialed MOA-AD and its annexure xxx, (par. 5 of Preamble
MILF Comprehensive Compact);
2. Parties affirmation to end the Conflict in Mindanao xx traced to
Historical injustices xxx; acknowledgement of consolidation
without derogation of prior agreements xx; Recording of
inclusions of conceptual network of the initialed MOA-AD xxx
constituted comprehensive clauses xxx; and recognition of the
conclusion of the agreement on ancestral domain xxx (pars.: a, b,
c and d of Section 1 Article 1, same);
3. Parties affirmation of the legitimacy of whatever choice the
Bangsamoro People in regard to their national identity and the
right to determine their political status, etc.; and that two sides
acknowledged the present wish of a majority of the Bangsamoro
people in Mindanao is a Territorial unit comprising their ancestral
domain for asymmetrical compact of free association; It is
understood that, the interim jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro
STATE covers the land base and territorial waters set out in the
AGREED schedules (Annex 2), Category A,B & C) xxx (Sec. 1 &
2 of Principles and Purposes, Article II, same);
4. Transfer of power and authority to bangsamoro Basic law; concept
and definition of who are Bangsamoro; Eligibility to public office
based on citizenship (Article X on Basic Rights and Safeguards);
5. Moro province xxx in its entirety remain the heartland
geographical areas of the Bangsamoro Ancestral domain and
patrimony (sec. 1, Patrimony and Land Ownership, Art. XVI,
same);

6. Bangsamoro also demands: reparation and restitution from GRP

due to these historical injustices.
These are samples of the many basic dangerous parts of the aims
and principles in the negotiation in this MILF Comprehensive
Compact which if Put IN SUBSTANCE will lead to independence.
MICHA will not elaborate on these points stated above as its stand
was then and now is to scrap the MOA-AD and that the
government should address only the basic problem of rehabilitation
and development of Mindanao. If MILF continue to disrupt the
peace in Mindanao or rebel against the duly constituted
government then it is the responsibility of the government to
address this with police action, notwithstanding the cost. If the
government needs MICHA and its sympathezers, then it will fight
for the government to restore true peace in Mindanao. No more, no
less.
It is worth stating that what MICHA dislikes so much is that MILF
reverses the situation as if it was the government that is
troublesome when in fact it was them. They alluded to the MICHA
and those who opposes the GRP-MILF MOA-AD as detractors of
peace, when in fact they were ones who started the fighting and all
this trouble in Jolo, Basilan, Zamboanga, Lanao, North Cotabato
and Maguindanao in Mindanao. Not to mention Christians and
Highlanders and few Moro they massacred, kinapped, beheaded
and women raped including religious missionaries. Definitely,
MILF has turned a deaf ear to these and often help to release
victims of kidnapping but let the kidnappers free with hefty board
and lodging ransom. Added insult to injury, they get financial
support from the comrades in ARMM and fellows in the
government to finance their nefarious activities (frying the
government by its own oil) and laughed at previous GRP panels as
they nearly got the MOA-AD out of their magic. A warning that
the new GRP panel should take note as under Muslim traditions
even pledges/promises in words are binding like contracts in civil
law and they will insist on performance no matter what even
through violence. In addition, per our information MILF had
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inserted a mole to create a hole in the negotiating panel. This is

following the strategy of infiltration, conversion and intimidation,
to deceive the panel to get at their aims.
These are the some of the reasons why Christians and nonMoro of Mindanao ignore MILF cravings for a Bangsamoro State.
Christians and Highlanders do not want all these evils and scary
pictures that this MILF and their terrorist cohorts were doing. That
is MICHA is anathema to changes towards Bangsamoro State and
so with the hideous Bangsamoro Basic Law which will legally
force incorporation of the non-Moro to their lifestyle of hospitality
and vengeance, the Islamic way.
As to the issue of alleged historical injustices, it is opined that
based on the facts and direct observations of the Christians,
Highlanders and even their fellow Filipino Moros, the root of
injustice was traced from the Datuism in the area whereby many of
the Datus denied or robbed their fellow hapless ordinary Moro of
their lands and basic needs. To stress this point, when settlers of
Mindanao arrived, ordinary Moros have no lands of their own and
were used by their Datus as their workers and goons. It is only
their Datus who have vast lands, and who dictate and regulate their
living. It is hard to accept that long ago majority of the Moros are
either slaves or purely workers of Datus and historically suffering
from injustices. With definiteness, these alleged injustices were not
caused by colonization or by settlers in Mindanao per se.
III. The PROPOSITION:
Considering the above facts, the MICHA proposes to the new
administration of His Excellency Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III to be
circumspect in entering into any agreement with the MILF and beware of
their deceptive hospitality, as any agreement entered into affects entered into
affects the 80% majority Christians and Lumads of Mindanao.

MICHA also proposes to forget so much illegitimacy and memories of

historical injustices and instead to discuss with them plans how to live and
work for the better future of all Muindanaons.
MICHA members pray that the members of the GRP panel,
especially the Honorable and Panel Chairman Atty. Marvic Leonen and
his team be guided by the Almighty Father, the God of Abraham, and of
Aaron in handling the peace talks.
For the MILF, MICHA members also wish that they (MILF members)
go back to the mainstream of the Philippine society and live as good
Filipinos in every aspect of their life, living in their normal Islamic way
without necessarily bringing forth secessionist ideals and terrorists activities
brought about about by concept of new identity as Bangsamoro.
And lastly, MICHA also pray that in all phases of negotiation, the
GRP panel should be transparent and ascertain first from the majority people
in Mindanao their true position in the on-going peace talks before any
decision is made.
As always, MICHA embraces peace and denounces war, but is ready
for war if time calls for it.

(Sgd.) MIKE SANTIAGO

Chief, MICHA Information Office