MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 05 Feb) – A senior adviser of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo on Monday admitted relations between Manila and the Moro National Liberation (MNLF) had been damaged following 3 days of detention of senior military and defense officials by rebels in Jolo island.
A faction of MNLF rebels under Habier Malik and Khaid Ajibun held Friday Major General Mohamad Dolorfino, of the Philippine Marines; Colonels Davy Ramon and Cipriano Bayan (earlier identified as Sibayan), of the Philippine Army; Defense Under Secretary Ramon Santos and 21 soldiers and staff of Presidential peace adviser, Jesus Dureza.
The rebels, who signed a peace agreement with Manila in September 1996, have previously accused the Arroyo government of failing to comply with the accord.
Dolorfino’s group was seized after reports of a scheduled tripartite meeting between the MNLF, the Organization of Islamic Conference and the Philippines on Feb. 6-8 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia had been shelved off by the Arroyo government.
The hostages were freed on Sunday after Manila has agreed to proceed with the OIC-led conference next month. The OIC, which brokered the peace talks, organized the tripartite meeting to discuss the full implementation of the agreement.
The gunmen earlier demanded Manila to free detained rebel chieftain Nur Misuari, who is facing rebellion charges in Manila, so he can lead the MNLF to the tripartite conference.
“How can the tripartite meeting proceed without our leader, Nur Misuari? Our leader must be present during the meeting,” Malik said.
But it was unknown if Manila would allow Misuari to Saudi Arabia to lead the MNLF in the meeting. Government officials fear that Misuari may escape while in Saudi or never return and seek political asylum with Arab countries sympathetic to his cause of putting up a strict Islamic state in Mindanao.
MNLF secretary general Muslimin Sema, also mayor of Cotabato City, said the incident in Jolo was not sanctioned by the group’s central committee. “It was a unilateral decision on the part of Malik. We were not even informed about his plan,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.
"This (hostage-taking) is a setback to their jobs in ensuring that what were agreed upon in the 1996 peace agreement were carried out accordingly," Dureza said in a televised news conference in Manila.
“Asked them if they are willing to go back. To be honest, do you think we will send them back tomorrow? Even if we want to, their parents loved ones, family members would not allow them to do that. The level of confidence has been eroded,” he said.
Dureza said the good relationship between the Philippine government and the MNLF was affected by the incident. He said the government would take precaution in dealing with the rebels in the future.
"It was realistically eroded, not shattered. It would take a lot of work to bring back (that trust and confidence between us and the MNLF) to where it was," he said.
Santos said he was willing to go back to the island and continue the government’s peace efforts with the rebels. “I am willing to return to Jolo, so we can continue what we have started,” he said.
"In fact, we will use the opportunity to upgrade our work in Sulu. We will not be deterred; this will not lessen our determination. In fact, we will use this as an impetus to work more, to do a better job," he said.
After the peace agreement was signed, Nur Misuari, chieftain of the MNLF, became the governor of the Muslim autonomous region. Despite the accord, there was a widespread disillusionment with the weak autonomy they were granted.
Under the peace agreement, Manila would provide a mini-Marshal Plan to spur economic development in Muslim areas in the south and livelihood and housing assistance to tens of thousands of former rebels to uplift their poor living standards.
Many former guerrillas were disgruntled with the peace deal, saying, the Arroyo government failed to comply with some of its provisions and uplift their standards of living.
They accused Manila of failing to develop the war-torn areas in the south.
Many former guerrillas were disgruntled with the peace deal, saying, the Arroyo government failed to comply with some of its provisions and uplift their standards of living.
They accused Manila of failing to develop the war-torn areas in the south.
And in November 2001, on the eve of the elections in the Muslim autonomous region, Misuari accused the government of reneging on the peace agreement, and launched a new rebellion in Jolo island and Zamboanga City, where more than 100 people were killed. Misuari then escaped by boat to Malaysia, but had been arrested and deported to the Philippines.
The OIC also wanted Misuari freed from jail to head the MNLF delegation to Saudi Arabia for the tripartite meeting. Egyptian Sayed El-Masry, who is adviser to OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, visited Jolo island in May last year.
Masry said the Philippines and MNLF leaders must sit together and discuss the problems affecting the implementation of the peace accord. He said the tripartite meeting is important to finally settle the problems. (Mindanao Examiner)
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