ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 18, 2008) – Philippine Muslim rebels negotiating peace with the government on Sunday renewed calls for the resumption of the stalled talks.
The call was made as Manila named former military chief Hermogenes Esperon as the new presidential adviser on the peace process, replacing Jesus Dureza who was appointed as Press Secretary.
“We are calling again for then resumption of the stalled peace talks and for Manila to comply its commitment with the MILF. Peace must go on,” Eid Kabalu, a spokesman for the MILF, told The Mindanao Examiner.
Esperon, who just retired last week, was replaced by Philippine Army chief, General Alexander Yano.
“We hope General Esperon will perform his job well from being a military commander to peace maker,” Kabalu said.
Soldiers in the southern Philippines also praised Esperon’s appointment and said it would advance peace efforts in the region.
The call was made as Manila named former military chief Hermogenes Esperon as the new presidential adviser on the peace process, replacing Jesus Dureza who was appointed as Press Secretary.
“We are calling again for then resumption of the stalled peace talks and for Manila to comply its commitment with the MILF. Peace must go on,” Eid Kabalu, a spokesman for the MILF, told The Mindanao Examiner.
Esperon, who just retired last week, was replaced by Philippine Army chief, General Alexander Yano.
“We hope General Esperon will perform his job well from being a military commander to peace maker,” Kabalu said.
Soldiers in the southern Philippines also praised Esperon’s appointment and said it would advance peace efforts in the region.
“In the past, General Esperon told us to support the peace process and respect the cease-fire (agreement) with the MILF. And with that, you can see his commitment to the peace process in Mindanao and what more now that he is the new presidential peace adviser,” one army corporal, who gave his name as Santiago, said.
Talks had been stalled since last year after Manila reneged on its earlier commitment to grant the MILF its demand for ancestral domain which would constitute a separate territory for about four million Muslims in the southern Philippines.
Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks between Manila and the MILF, pulled out about two dozen truce observers because of the slow progress of the seven-year old negotiations and blamed Manila for the stalled talks.
The ancestral domain is the single most important issue in the peace negotiations before the MILF can reach a political settlement. The government said the provisions of the peace agreement should be within the framework of the Constitution. (Mindanao Examiner)
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