GPH channels open to resolve contentious issues in MILF talks

Amidst claim by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that peace negotiations with the government have reached a deadlock, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles on Sunday declared that channels of communications are open to discuss and settle the contentious issues, particularly wealth-sharing and power sharing.
Deles made the response in reaction to the statement made by Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator, who claimed that “a stalemate” has cropped up in the ongoing talks between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF which was the banner headline of a Manila newspaper in its June 16, 2013 issue.
“Channels are open in order for us to discuss and settle the contentious issues,” Deles told the Philippines News Agency.
The newspaper quoted Iqbal as saying that the peace talks have reached “a stalemate” but the MILF leadership has urged MILF ground commanders to be patient to avoid the resumption of fighting in southern Philippines.
Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chairman for political affairs, was also quoted as saying on the slow progress of the negotiations.
However, Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, chair of the GPH peace panel negotiating with the MILF, in a text message to this writer, pointed out that indeed the “talks are at the last stages; left for resolution are the hard issues” – referring to the wealth-sharing and power sharing.“Had these been easy, they would have been settled months ago,” adding that “in any case, both parties remain committed to the primacy of the peace process and the public is behind this pursuit.” “I am certain both of us will try our best to arrive at workable compromises,” Ferrer said.
Earlier, Ferrer said that the next round of talks will tackle the annexes on wealth-sharing and power-sharing which are the most contentious issues in the ongoing negotiations.
“During the last round of formal talks, the Parties agreed to meet again after the elections and in the interim to process the remaining issues in the annexes through an exchange of notes with the help of the facilitator,” Ferrer said.
“This exchange of notes has already commenced and through this process, we hope to come as close as possible to agreed language and return to Kuala Lumpur to be able to finalize the Annexes on Power and Wealth-sharing very soon,” she added.
Malaysia is the third party facilitator in the peace talks between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF.
Ferrer admitted that “because the Annexes will further detail what is provided in the Framework Agreement, it is to be expected that finding agreement on these details has been more difficult and complex.”
With respect to wealth-sharing, Ferrer said a draft had been completed by the technical working groups of both the panels of the GPH and the MILF.
“However, prudence on the part of Government requires that it undergoes a final review before the President (Benigno S. Aquino III) gives his final stamp of approval,” she pointed out. [PNA]