COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 5, 2008) – The Philippines on Friday doubled its rewards for the capture of two notorious leaders of the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is negotiating peace with Manila.
Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said they have raised the bounties to P20 million for the capture of Ameril Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar, who led hundreds of rebels in a series of deadly attacks in Mindanao last month.
Manila last week offered P10 million rewards for the capture of the two rebel leaders and President Gloria Arroyo ordered police and military forces to pursue the duo, blamed for the brutal killings of dozens of innocent civilians in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte provinces.
The MILF said the bounties put up by the Philippine government would only complicate the tensed situation and the peace talks in Mindanao.
Arroyo earlier dissolved the government panel negotiating peace with the MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for a separate state in the troubled region.
She also scrapped a territorial deal initially signed by government and rebel peace negotiators after the Supreme Court stopped the formal signing of the accord that would have granted Muslims their own homeland in more than 700 villages across Mindanao.
Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said they have raised the bounties to P20 million for the capture of Ameril Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar, who led hundreds of rebels in a series of deadly attacks in Mindanao last month.
Manila last week offered P10 million rewards for the capture of the two rebel leaders and President Gloria Arroyo ordered police and military forces to pursue the duo, blamed for the brutal killings of dozens of innocent civilians in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte provinces.
The MILF said the bounties put up by the Philippine government would only complicate the tensed situation and the peace talks in Mindanao.
Arroyo earlier dissolved the government panel negotiating peace with the MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for a separate state in the troubled region.
She also scrapped a territorial deal initially signed by government and rebel peace negotiators after the Supreme Court stopped the formal signing of the accord that would have granted Muslims their own homeland in more than 700 villages across Mindanao.
“The bounties offered by the Philippine government for the capture of Kato and Macapaar will only make things worse in Mindanao. It will not help resolve the problems in Mindanao, not even the peace process,” Eid Kabalu, a senior rebel leader, told the Mindanao Examiner.
Manila repeatedly demanded the MILF to peacefully surrender Kato and Macapaar.
The MILF said it will not yield the two rebel leaders, saying, it would investigate their involvements in the attacks, which occurred after the aborted signing of the ancestral domain deal.
Mohagher Iqbal, the chief MILF peace negotiator, blamed hawkish factions in the Arroyo government and politicians opposed to the homeland deal for the failed peace talks. “We have nothing to blame but the Philippine government if war breaks out in Mindanao,” he said.
Manila said Arroyo was not aware of the provisions of the ancestral domain deal initially signed by the peace negotiators on July 27 in Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks.
But Iqbal said the President knew about the ancestral domain deal long before it was initially signed in Kuala Lumpur because the issue had been tackled many times since last year by the Cluster E.
“The President knew everything about the ancestral domain agreement and other important developments as far as the peace talks were concerned. President Arroyo had been informed about anything that has something to do with the peace process,” Iqbal said.
"They also wanted us to sign the peace agreement, but we declined because there are more important things to talk about as far as the Mindanao problems are concerned."
"The memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain had been tackled many times since last year with the Cluster E and as a matter of fact they rushed the signing of the ancestral domain deal because President Arroyo wanted it included in her state of the nation address in July 28," Iqbal said.
Cluster E refers to the cabinet Cluster for Political and Security Affairs that routinely advised Arroyo on national security matters. Its members included the National Security Council, National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Justice and Finance secretaries.
Arroyo, in her state of the nation address, said: “A comprehensive peace has eluded us for half a century. But last night, differences on the tough issue of ancestral domain were resolved. Yes, there are political dynamics among the people of Mindanao. Let us sort them out with the utmost sobriety, patience and restraint. I ask Congress to act on the legislative and political reforms that will lead to a just and lasting peace during our term of office.”
Iqbal said the ancestral domain deal is considered final. “It has been initialed already and the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain deal, as what we have repeatedly said in the past, is a done deal. We will not negotiate anymore what has been already agreed by the peace panels,” he said, adding, the peace talks are now in “purgatory.”
Arroyo opened peace talks with the MILF in 2001, but since then nothing significant had been signed except for the ancestral domain agreement. But the homeland deal sparked a series of protests from politicians and residents who were opposed to the inclusion of their areas to the agreement that will make up the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.
Arroyo has shifted in the basic premise of the government's peace effort after the MILF attacks.
“Expect President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to personally push her administration’s new paradigm on ending the decades-old Mindanao conflict and the communist insurgency by focusing on negotiations with the armed groups genuinely interested in peace, in a common cause with the affected communities and other stakeholders,” said Press Secretary Jesus Dureza.
He said the government will hold a series of consultative meetings starting middle of this month with various stakeholders in Mindanao to explore initiatives and mechanisms that would truly realize lasting peace and stability in the region.
Dureza previously headed the government team negotiating with the MILF, but was removed after he illegally inserted a provision in one of the agreement with the rebel group.
Arroyo's allies in Congress have earlier proposed to amend the Constitution to change the system of government from presidential to parliamentary or federalism.
But militant groups accused Arroyo of using the peace talks with the MILF to change the Constitution and use this to prolong her to stay into power.
Under the presidential form of government, Arroyo is allowed only one six-year term. In the charter change proposal suggested by her political allies who dominate Congress, she can be elected as prime minister should Congress dissolve the Senate and change the system of government to parliamentary and eventually prolong her into power beyond 2010.
Arroyo deposed President Joseph Estrada in a people power revolution in 2001, but corruption scandals in her government and allegations of poll fraud in 2004 has made her extremely unpopular. (Mindanao Examiner)
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