by Edcer Escudero
President Benigno Aquino III and rebel MILF chieftain Murad Ibrahim had a secret meeting in Tokyo last August 4, and talked about bringing permanent peace in war-torn Mindanao.
Big deal? Aquino bright boys deliriously think so. They promptly described the “historic” meeting as a major breakthrough in fasttracking the protracted Mindanao peace process.
At first, Malacañang Palace factotums kept it secret, but after it did happen, they made a hyped-up rhetoric to drumbeat the President as a determined leader and peacemaker.
Marvic Leonen (where did this guy come from?), said to be the government’s peace panel head, triumphantly revealed at a Malacañang press briefing that the MILF is no longer a separatist group, and they would like to be considered as Filipino citizens with a Bangsamoro national identity (please decipher this gobbledygook, Marvic).
Alleluia!!! Praise Murad? Or praise P-Noy?
Malacañang communications gurus can now paraphrase Julius Caesar’s classic victory cheer after a successful battle in a foreign land: “I came, I saw, I conquered!” (the MILF).
That P-Noy-Murad Tokyo one-on-one talk was an embarrassing political blunder, a faux pas, protocol-wise. It should not have been arranged at all. It was a meeting of two unequal heads – one is a head of state, the other is a stateless head.
Mr. Aquino is a president of a republic, a sovereign nation while Murad is a chieftain of a group of rebels. He represents no nation, no government, no sovereign power.
According to one diplomat, a rebel leader (even if he uses the pompous title of chairman) is never the equal of a head of state.
President Aquino could have sent a barangay chairman from Mindanao to face Murad in that Tokyo talk. It would have been a politically correct, proper and ideal one-on-one meeting of co-equals – a barangay chairman and a rebel group chairman. There would be no violation of protocol.
Speaking of “pogi points” and free publicity mileage, Murad surely gained a lot for himself and his rebel comrades. P-Noy, on the other hand, collected scathing left-handed comments from his political foes, and even a few allies, for “lapse in judgment” regarding protocol. However, he was praised for demonstrating “sincerity” in pursuing peace. But then, one can be truly sincere without ignoring protocol.
Marvic Leonen (who’s he really?) when asked why the meeting had to be in Tokyo quickly shot back: “The President can meet any Filipino anywhere…in the planet.”
Now, that’s being philosophical, if not arrogant. But certainly, it’s not a rationale answer to a valid question. The President could have sent an emissary to talk with Murad in a tsunami-free city like Tarlac. That would have been less expensive than flying to Tokyo with cabinet members in tow.
People who know the real Mindanao situation strongly feel that there is absolutely no necessity, much less, urgency to talk peace with the MILF. The government has done that with the Misuari-led MNLF two decades ago. The Arroyo administration made a mistake in agreeing to talk peace with the then Salamat-led MILF. The Aquino government now should not give it the importance it does not deserve.
The MILF rebels are not after peace in Mindanao. They want a big piece of Mindanao. And they will not rest until the Christians will ultimately rest in peace. Why do you think they arm themselves?
Psychologists say that rebels understand only one language – the language of the gun. So, peace advocates, be forewarned.
TALKING POINT: With due respect and affection, Christians refer to Filipino Muslims as brothers. On the other hand, with bitterness and hate, Muslims call Christians grabbers (of ancestral lands).
TRIVIA: The Philippine Daily Inquirer had a good photo on its front page of the Tokyo meeting. Both P-Noy and Murad looked impeccable in coat and tie, shiny black shoes, metal eyeglasses, with Murad wearing a Muslim fez. Here’s a probably exchange of introduction between the two: Murad: “Ako si Mr. Suave. My followers call me chairman.” Noynoy: “Ako naman si Noynoy. My countrymen call me Mr. President. But my detractors have started calling me Mr. Wang-wang.” Murad: “Cool it, Mr. President. Inggit lang sila dahil hindi nila ako napaharap sa mesa ng kapayapaan.
