MANILA: Malacañang sees no reason for peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf) to get stalled with Malaysia as facilitator following the Sabah standoff.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda yesterday said the framework agreement has been crafted and agreed upon, with about two issues left to be discussed: Normalisation and power-sharing.
This, he said, was according to Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles.
“Let us not remove the fact that this framework agreement is a result of talks among Filipinos; Malaysia only helped us,” he said in Filipino.
“It’s not as if the two issues remaining can no longer be resolved because of the Sabah standoff.”
Lacierda said the framework agreement with the Milf is bigger than the trouble in Sabah, “We’re close to an agreement and so we have not received any notice.”
“There’s no reason for us to change the facilitator. They have been very helpful in coming up with a framework — agreement for peace, not only for Moro Islamic Liberation Front, but for the entire Muslim Mindanao.
“So, let’s be clear, this is not a peace for Milf. This is a peace for all Muslim Filipinos, and that includes the royal sultanate, that includes the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front), that includes the Milf, that includes all of Muslim Mindanao — and all those who reside in Muslim Mindanao.”
The Milf is a Muslim rebel group located in the southern Philippines.
The Philippine Star
