By Atty. Lanang Ali

The most dangerous proposal in the peace process, between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), was the 3-page government policy statement read by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita during a Malacanang Press Conference, announcing President Arroyo’s new paradigm on the peace process. Supposedly, this new paradigm was aimed to end all armed rebellion in the country. No revolutionary organization can consider DDR without reaching first a peace agreement with the Philippine government. At the first look it’s seemingly too ambitious if not impossible to realize its objective because it considers any engagement with all armed groups in the country, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). From here on will focus on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR).
What makes disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) impossible to achieve during this time is the fact that so far the GRP has not reached a peace agreement with the NDF and the MILF. The Parties are fully aware that DDR is a part of the peace process which the MILF does not dispute. There is the necessity of DDR, but not a priority because DDR should be agreed by the Parties at the proper time to signal the end of the conflict as there is no more need of these firearms because a peace settlement of the conflict has been reached. But to discuss DDR when a peace agreement has not been reached is dangerous as it serve no purpose at all, because by so doing it is practically telling the armed MILF or NDF to surrender or to give up the armed struggle to end all armed rebellion in Mindanao. In other words the GRP should not talk about DDR because instead of signing a peace agreement with the MILF to end the conflict, it has chosen to abscond from signing the MOA-AD, and eventually abandoned the peace process. In other words the GRP is giving the MILF the signal to continue fighting of telling the MILF to talk about DDR, which the MILF will do for the reason that no peace agreement has been reached by the Parties because of the continued refusal of the GRP to sign the MOA-AD. It is really a dangerous proposal because Malacanang has now become actually the real obstacle to the peace process. Besides, DDR has virtually become an impossible dream of the GRP to realize.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has allegedly said that “DDR is about the people and telling armed groups to give up armed struggle. Change shall be defined primarily by the people and the government.” Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita continued to say the policy for all armed groups is not just in the negotiations with the MILF but with “all the other existing peace efforts with other armed groups.” In other words, the GRP wants to dialogue directly with the Muslim communities are concerned. Not to continue the peace process with the MILF. To be honest to the people, Malacanang should be asked, are the Muslim communities can be considered other Moro armed groups presently fighting with the AFP? The answer is a big NO! Everybody knows that only MILF-BIAF. The MNLF had already signed the 1996 Peace Accord with the GRP. Malacanang is barking at the wrong tree. For the GRP to suggest a review of existing peace efforts with the MILF, GRP has to comply with the agreed procedures of the GRP-MILF Peace Talks must. The proponent for review must formally inform the Malaysian Secretariat of the GRP-MILF Peace Talks of its proposal for review of MOA-AD. The proposal for review must not be under the guise of review, when in it is actually in truth and in fact, a renegotiation of the MOA-AD.

If DDR will be discussed by the Parties, it presupposes that the Parties to the negotiation have already reached a peace agreement, so that the Parties have to negotiate for the details of the DDR. Neither the GRP nor the MILF can dictate to the other party the details of the DDR. Following the normal procedure, the proponent for DDR has to place it on the agenda for discussion of the Parties. As far as the MILF is concerned, the GRP may make proposals or counter-proposals, as the case may be, for DDR but it cannot make unilaterally any policy for the DDR for compliance by either party.

Let it be reiterated that when the MILF entered into the GRP-MILF Peace Talks, both Parties were of equal footing when the GRP and the MILF signed on August 27, 1998 and the General Framework of Agreement of Intent Between the GRP; and when the MILF and GRP signed on December 17, 1999 the Agreement on the Rules and Procedures on the Conduct of the Formal Peace Talks Between the GRP and MILF Peace Panels.

Such being the case, neither the GRP nor the MILF can unilaterally call or impose the other party a DDR. The detail of the DDR has to be negotiated and agreed upon by the Parties. Moreover, it would be a blunder on the part of the GRP to consider at this point in time that the DDR is about the people and government to exclude the MILF who is a party to the MOA-AD, telling the latter to give up their armed struggle. Let it be understood well to anybody that in so far as the Bangsamoro problem is concerned, only the MILF, has engaged the GRP in active rebellion, not the people in general, or not even any armed group allied or not allied with the AFP are rebelling against the GRP-AFP. It follows therefore that only the MILF, exclusively, must be considered in the future as an active party in the DDR.