GRP-MILF Peace talks still hangs on the balance

          In August of 2008, the signing of the MOA-AD (Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain/Bangsamoro Juridical Entity) between the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) and the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was aborted because of a case filed in the Supreme Court for issuance of TRO by Mindanao politicians.
          Consequently then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo dissolved the GRP peace panel, a move seen by many observers as a convenient way of appeasing political leaders led by then governor Pinol et. al who went to Supreme Court to question the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity MOA-AD. The action taken by the government was criticized by many who have supported the peace process as a decision dictated by political expediency rather than an honest to goodness approach on resolving the issues of peace in Mindanao.
       Observers also considered such decision did not augur well to maintaining harmonious working relationship and confidence building between the GRP, MILF and peace groups who hoped to see a final settlement to the GRP-MILF peace negotiation. The momentum towards peace was all gone.
        What happened to the aborted GRP-MOA-AD caused great demoralization to GRP panel members as well as MILF representatives who spent considerable effort in crafting an agreement that they have already agreed upon for formal signing in KL. It also dealt a serious blow to the effort of bringing a peaceful solution to the Mindanao conflict as a result of many military operations by the AFP against MILF that resulted to loss of lives, destruction of properties and the economic dislocation of people in Mindanao both Muslims and Christians.
        Malaysia as third party facilitator, in fairness, have immensely helped in the peace process hosting the many meetings in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur spending considerable financial resources and providing technical support to bring the GRP-MILF at the negotiating table and reach final agreement. However, all those efforts have gone to naught when the MOA-AD signing was aborted and finally the Supreme Court rendered its decision saying the memorandum of agreement is unconstitutional.
        Almost three years have passed since the aborted signing of GRP-MILF MOA-AD, the question of whether final peace in Mindanao would be attained remains unresolved; the Mindanao peace process still hangs on the balance even as the previous president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in whose administration the scuttled agreement was given some impetus is no longer the president.
        Now there's a new president Benigno Simeon Aquino III. There's a newly appointed Chief negotiator Atty. Marvic Leonen and new Peace Adviser Teresita Deles and GRP-MILF peace negotiating panel with an entirely new set of rules, guidelines and talking points. It seems that all the gains of the Mindanao peace process in the past is now lost, disregarded and thrown to the waste basket as the MOA-AD and under a new government its a new ball game on how the Mindanao problem shall be approached.
        Given this scenario, the MILF could not be blamed when it came out with a statement cautioning its rank and file members not to be so optimistic about the outcome of new GRP-MILF peace talks under the Aquino administration. It is as if we already know that with what happened to the MOA-AD the MILF seems no longer keen on the outcome of a final peace settlement given the sad fact that they will have to start all over again.
        There is no assurance a new peace agreement under President Aquino will be successful. There is only the truth that the Mindanao peace process between GRP-MILF still hangs on the balance.