Sultan Kudarat Province News October 2011

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Sultan Kudarat hosts 1st regional Coffee Congress

by Bong S. Sarmiento


TACURONG CITY (MindaNews/28 October) — Sultan Kudarat is holding the 1st Region 12 Coffee Congress to discuss ways to improve production and increase investments in the industry, a Department of Trade and Industry official said on Friday. Nelly Nita Dillera, DTI-Sultan Kudarat director, said the congress on November 17 to 19 at the provincial capitol in nearby Isulan town also seeks to strengthen the hold of Sultan Kudarat as the “Coffee Capital of the Philippines.” “Sultan Kudarat is currently the country’s biggest producer of coffee,” Dillera said, citing a report from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics that pegged the province’s coffee production at 23% of the national total. In terms of Arabica, Sultan Kudarat remains the number one producer contributing 52% to the national total, trailed way behind Davao del Sur’s 7%, Iloilo and Sulu at 5% each and South Cotabato’s 4%, she said. Sultan Kudarat is also the number one producer of Robusta with about 18% of the Philippines’ total, followed closely by Compostela Valley’s 15%, Cavite’s 10%, Bukidnon’s 7% and Kalinga Apayao’s 5%, Dillera said. But Sultan Kudarat’s yield is not as high as that of Cavite. Average yield in a hectare of coffee plantation in Sultan Kudarat is only 400 kg while Cavite’s is one ton per hectare. This is one major reason for the conduct of the congress, the organizers said, citing the need to rejuvenate or rehabilitate the existing coffee farms. The congress shall also tackle ways to improve agricultural and cultural practices, coffee quality profile, coffee for climate change, market requirements, coffee processing, and coffee shop business. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala is expected to grace the opening program, as the agency has included coffee as a priority high value crop. The DTI provincial office has set a sales target of P2 million for the market matching; P5 million for new investments; and improvement of productivity by 80% in the next three years. The country is both an exporter and importer of coffee. In 2009, the Philippines exported coffee to Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United States of Amercia. However, it was also importing more coffee along with EU, USA, Japan, Canada and Switzerland. The domestic demand for coffee is currently pegged at 65,000 million while the country only supplies 30,000 MT, posting a deficit of 35,000 MT and filled by importation, Dillera said. (Bong Sarmiento/MindaNews)

Ex-mayor gets 6-year jail term

by SHIANEE MAMANGLU


MANILA, Philippines -- The former mayor of a municipality in Sultan Kudarat was sentenced to six years in jail and ordered to pay a fine of P5,000 for alleged lying and falsifying his statement in an official document.

The Sandiganbayan First division, in a decision promulgated last week, found Fernando Platone, ex-mayor of Esperanza in Sultan Kudarat guilty of violation of Falsification by a Public Officer under Article 171 (4) of the Revised Penal Code.

The 54-page decision penned by Associate Justice Rafael Lagos and concurred by Associate Justices Rodolfo Ponferrada and Efren N. Dela Cruz, division chairman, said the "prosecution has proven beyond reasonable doubt that accused Platone stated a false date and condition of the pieces of equipment in the Certificate of Acceptance.

The case aroused from the issuance of a Certificate of Acceptance by Platone, certifying the delivery of six units of heavy equipment to the municipality, and that these were received by him without defects.

But field investigators found out that the certificate contained false date and information, which were in violation of the law.

In the certificate, Platone said the heavy equipment were all in “good running and operating conditions” when it was delivered to him on December 29, 1999. His issuance of the certificate then triggered the release of a Land Bank loan and effected payment to Albert Surplus Parts Supply.

Prosecution, however, argued that the dump trucks were delivered in February 2000 and not in December 1999, which the ex-mayor had stated in the certificate.

The prosecution contended that Platone narrated untruthful facts in the certificate, which serves as a public record, and uses public funds.

IHL expert met BIAF-MILF General Staff in Maguindanao

by Arnold Monsod


October 22, 2011 - Ms. Cynthia Petrigh, an International Humanitarian Law (IHL) expert met the administrative official of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (BIAF-MILF) in Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao last October 19, 2011. Ms. Petrigh, who is French by nationality, is the head of the Civilian Protection Component of International Monitoring Team (IMT) serving as monitoring in the Humanitarian, Rehabilitation and Development.

Toks Ebrahim from the office of the General Staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces presented the updates to the IHL expert the eventuality in Basilan in particular the violation of the government troops that they entered the perimeter defense of the BIAF without any coordination. This resulted in 22 members of the Army’s Special Forces (as of press time, the number rose 31) were killed during an 8-hour long firefight with MILF mujahideen in sitio Bakisung, village of Cambug, Albarka municipality in Basilan early morning last October 18. Ten soldiers were also wounded in the encounter. The MILF suffered six martyred and one wounded. .

The objective of the meeting between Ms. Petrigh and Mr. Ebrahim was about commitment of the MILF/BIAF to the IHL/HR for the prevention of the violation of the BIAF troops in the ground.

Petrigh recommended to the MILF leadership to strengthen their capability to a common understanding of human rights laws in times of war the protection of the Prisoners of War (POW).

She also asked about the BIAF handling of prisoners of wars.

The said meeting arranged and facilitated by Nasrullah Muhammad the point man of the MILF peace panel to the Humanitarian, Rehabilitation and development of the civilian protection component of International Monitoring Team (IMT).

grove conservation gaining roots in Kalamasig town

by Sherwin B. Manual


SULTAN KUDARAT, Oct. 14 (PIA) -- Two years after planting, close to a hundred thousand mangrove seedlings at about four feet high are now teeming with greens covering the erstwhile nude and muddy 20-hectare shoreline. The community considered it a major make-over after the place was hit by a tidal wave, converted to fishpond and was abandoned. “This is the result of the concerted efforts of our alliance,” said Romeo Ebanada, president of Alliance Mangrove People’s organization. The “Alliance” is a cluster of four peoples’ organization (PO) formed to manage the 42-hectare mangrove rehabilitation comprising the PO from barangays Lapyahan, Buenaflores, Bantogon and Labak. The other 22 hectares in close canopy only underwent enrichment planting to recover the original density since it has rehabilitated through natural process in the past years. Most of the species planted in the sandy and muddy loam include Bakauan (Rhizophora spp.), Bungalon (Avicennia marina), and Pagatpat (Sonneratia alba). Mangrove forests as life support system is a powerhouse resources critical for natural breeding and nursery area for many economically known important marine animals like fish, crab, shrimp and other crustaceans. It also protects the shoreline from big waves wind and flood. The project was implemented under the Natural Resources Management (NRM) component of the Department of Agriculture - Mindanao Rural Development (DA-MRDP) in partnership with local government unit (LGU) of Kalamansig. “As NRM targets upland to coastal conservation, the mangrove rehabilitation is one of the four major interventions implemented in our town as it needs attention,” said municipal NRM focal Dexter Posadas. “The mangrove rehabilitation site covered a relatively large area, so to instill ownership of the project from the community we decided to form them into one organization, the alliance,” he said. The project was earmarked over P2 million which is part of the total P7 million NRM project of the town. The LGU put in 10 percent counterpart, another 10 percent from the national government, and 80 percent from the loan portfolio of the World Bank. "On our latest count we have at least 97,559 live seedlings from the 133,340 hills we planted which is about 73% survival rate. The PO are due to plant in the coming days when they gather enough propagules," said Posadas. “Before, my family plants mangrove behind our house near the seacoast because we know those trees protect us from strong winds,” said the Pagadian-born Ebanada. Ebanada said that when he arrived to the place in 1972 as employee of the Sta. Clara Lumber Corp. there was a thick mangrove forest and fish population was very abundant. “Fish was very abundant and the mangrove forest was really thick but when the lumber company closed many of us were unemployed and resorted to farming, fishing and other livelihood activities,” he said. He also recalled in 1976, gigantic waves hit the Moro gulf and devastated many areas including a sizable area in Kalamasig. “Some of the residents died during that tragic even but the biggest damage we saw was the coastal area left bare. Mangrove trees were uprooted and washed out,” said Ebanada. For a long time, there were no serious rehabilitation activities done. “When the area was made into fishponds, some mangrove trees were also cut. Plus many residents also made use of mangrove as firewood,” he said adding: “this contributed to the steady decline of the mangrove trees.” “With the MRDP project came, many were skeptic, saying it would just be ‘another government project that would just die down,” he said. “But this was different,” he added. MRDP designed the project to be implemented by POs in close coordination with the LGU. The PO members were paid for the seedling or mangrove propagules they produce and were hired as workhand for the planting and other activities. “We earned extra income from the project. So, we understood that as we are the beneficiaries of the project, the activity also augments our income,” Ebanada said, adding: “This manner made it easy for us to accept and make the project our own.” The alliance underwent at least five technical trainings on mangrove rehabilitation management which Ebanada said made them more capable in handling the project. “Another thing I appreciate about the project is that there is close mentoring and monitoring. We were capacitated, technical personnel like Mr. Jhonny Pangud of DENR Region 12 and from other agencies assisted us,” Ebanada said. To secure the area, the four presidents of the alliance were identified to be “wardens.” The wardens monitor the project on a regular basis and put bamboo markers beside each plant to identify the spot has been planted. This made the monitoring of mortality relatively easy and the replacement the propagules quick. “We also fenced the area with old nets and bamboo to prevent stray animals especially goats from eating on the leaves of the seedlings,” Ebanada said. They also sought the support of barangay council which in response issued an ordinance penalizing owners of stray animal that disturbs the rehabilitation site. “But the most difficult problem we had was barnacles infestation,” Ebanada said. The barnacle (marine organism of the class Cirripedia that tend to live in shallow and tidal waters) are deposited in the stems of the mangrove. Once there it will hamper the proper distribution of distribution on the growing seedling which will eventually cause the plant to wither. “We scraped the barnacles from the each seedling but we have to be extra careful not to scratch the body of the seedling as it also caused for the seedling to die,” he said. Ebanada said he is glad to be part of the project as this could be a legacy he can live to his grandchildren. “I know my grandchildren will be proud of me being the leader of this successful project. And I want to instill in them the love and care for our environment,” said the 60-year old community leader. (DEDoguiles/PIA 12/MRDP)

Livelihood aid

Mindanao Newsbits


ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat, Philippines – The provincial government has released some P750,000 livelihood assistance to 15 former New People’s Army rebels who surrendered Wednesday to military authorities in Columbio town. Provincial social welfare officer Henry Albano said the funds were taken from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process through the intercession of Governor Suharto Mangudadatu.

He said the funds were used to purchase agricultural inputs, cattle dispersal, and for-hire-motorcycles that will serve as livelihood of the former guerrillas led by one Commander Jojo operating in Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato provinces. (Joseph Jubelag)

MILF expecting early resumption of stalled peace talks

By (PNA)

LAP/LAM/NYP/EOF


SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao, Oct. 11 (PNA) - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leadership is expecting the resumption of the stalled peace talks with the government anytime soon.

"As long as there is sign of hope, we continue to deal with the government to attain peace in our homeland," MILF chair Murad Ebrahim said.

This was stated by Murad when the chief of Royal Brunei Armed Forces visited him in Camp Darapanan here on Saturday.

"We remain confident with President (Benigno) Aquino," Murad told Royal Brunei Armed Forces commander Maj. Gen. Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan Bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin.

Murad also sought the help of Brunei in bringing about peace in the troubled parts of Mindanao.

In a statement released by the MILF committee on information Tuesday, the MILF said: “We are confident that Brother Aminuddin can significantly help in strengthening the commitment and assistance of the Royal Government of Brunei in the search for peace in Mindanao and in the Bangsamoro Homeland."

Aminuddin assured Murad and other MILF leaders that the Brunei government is strongly committed to support the peace process.

Brunei is a member of International Monitoring Team (IMT) led by Malaysia that help implement the GPH-MILF ceasefire agreement in flash points in Mindanao.

"Brunei’s determination to help the peace process succeed is shown when it sent more troops assigned with the IMT to help establish conducive atmosphere for the attainment of peace and prosperity in southern Mindanao," Aminuddin said.

He told the MILF officials that he was very honored and humbled of the warm welcome as he vowed to work for a longer visit to the MILF stronghold in Mindanao.

Peace talks between the government and the MILF are expected to resume within the month as the Malaysian facilitator has been hopping between Manila and Mindanao to arrange the resumption of the stalled peace process.

Alcala promises P15-M machineries, equipment to irrigators in SK

By Angelica Laurilla


KORONADAL CITY, Oct 10 (PIA) -- Five irrigators associations in Sultan Kudarat province are set to receive P15-million worth of farm machineries and equipment from the Department of Agriculture. During his recent meeting with Ala Dam 2 Federation of Irrigators Association, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, committed machination support to five associations named as best performing irrigators associations, namely: Pumaka Irrigators Association, Maremco Irrigators Association, LD 1C Irrigators Association , Masbacas Irrigators Association, and Roxas Silang Irrigators Association. Alcala promised the department will give four handtractors with trailers, two hermetic cocoon storage, and two dryers promised to give Pumaka IA. He also committed two handtractors with trailers, two hermetic cocoon storage, and two dryers for Maremco IA. LD 1C, Masbacas and Roxas Silang IAs will also receive one handtractor with trailer, one hermetic cocoon storage, and one dryer each. Besides these, six mobile solar dryers, ten 5-metric ton capacity hermetic cocoon storage, ten solar dryers, ten flatbed dryers, ten rice threshers, ten handtractors with trailers, and ten carabaos with implements were also raffled off to irrigator’s associations covered by Ala Dam 2 federation. Agri Pinoy Rice Program also distributed two kilograms of registered seeds to each farmer-member present during the activity. The seed distribution was in support to community seed banking of the irrigators. Alcala said his visit and meeting with farmers is a means to keep up with his management strategy which he termed as “management by going around.” By touching base with farmers and fisherfolk, he said he gains personal insight on the latter’s actual needs, concerns and activities necessary to make appropriate actions and interventions for each situation and area of the farming sector . He added every concern from the farmers, local officials and peoples’ organization is vital to come up with a more responsive and realistic approach towards agricultural development to attain President Benigno Aquino III’s twin goal of food sufficiency in 2013 and zero rice importation. “I hope you become our helpers and partners in achieving these goals of the Department of Agriculture,” he said. (DEDoguiles/PIA12/DA 12)

Newly-launched Bio-N Mixing Plant in SK will boost farmer’s yield and income - Alcala

By CT Apelacio


GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Oct 9 (PIA)-- A breakthrough technology that promises increased farm productivity and income has just been launched recently in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat. Led by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, the launching of the P 2 million worth Bio-N Mixing Plant has been touted to reduce the application of the traditional fertilizer while increasing rice production yields. Alcala expressed confidence that with the Bio-N mixing plant there will be a big change in local farmers’ production and also their income as the plant will be facilitating the production and use of Bio-N. The plant will introduce Bio-N as bio-fertilizer microorganism that minimizes the “use of up to two sacks of fertilizers when applied.” Along with the facility, Secretary Alcala also gave Php500,000 as additional fund to enhance “Bio-N production for corn and high value crops and for the improvement of the facility.” Sultan Kudarat Governnor Suharto “Teng” Mangudadatu described the establishment of Bio-N plant in the province as manifestation of the sincerity of the government to provide the necessary agri-infrastructure, equipment and production support to farmer-beneficiaries in Mindanao. Bio-N production is one of government’s priority programs to improve farm yields while reducing cost, he said. According to him, Bio-N application has the capacity to “reduce nitrogen requirement of crops by as much as 50 percent.” Dept. of Agriculture (DA)-12 regional information officer Nelly Ylanan said “Bio-N is being sold at P75.00 per packet of 200 grams.” Meanwhile, Nadja Gayanandang, chief, DA-12 Soils Laboratory explained that when applying Bio-N, it is important to place rice seeds in a container with a little water enough to moisten it. In that process, she said, “we allow Bio-N to stick to the seeds.” A drop of sticker to the water is also recommended to enhance the moisture. Gayanandang said the treated seeds “should not be exposed to direct sunlight” but should be stored in a cool place until ready to use. “The inoculated seeds should then be drilled in the planting hole then covered with soil,” she stressed. Apart from the launching, Alcala also turned over farm implements, sprayers, vegetable seeds, plastic drums and coffee seedlings to the local government units (LGUs) of Isulan and Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat; Magpet, North Cotabato; and Banga, South Cotabato. (With reports from Edgar Allan Pasaol/DA12/PIA General Santos City)

Human trafficking cases filed vs recruiter, bar managers

By Ivy C. Tejano


THE police filed on Thursday, charges before the City Prosecution Office against three suspects for alleged human trafficking.

This after authorities on Wednesday, rescued two girls, ages 15 and 17, from Zigzag Disco Bar in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.

Inspector William Corpuz, chief of the Talomo police, identified the suspects as Jennifer Obedencio Simbrano, of Km. 5 Matina Pangi in Davao City.

Also suspected are waitress and dancer of the same bar and the alleged recruiter of the two minors - Grace Manto Letigo, 40, and Joy Salcedo Olais, 39, both bar managers and residents of Isulan.

Corpuz said the suspects are facing charges for violation of Republic Act (RA) 9208, otherwise known as Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

Simbrano who was arrested during the operation, denied accusation she recruited the two minors, saying that the two rescued minors claimed to be of legal age when they applied for work in the bar.

The rescue came after the mother of the 15-year-old victim sought the help of authorities when her daughter, who regularly went home late at night or early in the morning, no longer came home last September 29.

The mother only learned that her daughter was in Isulan Kudarat after she went around Bonguyan Beach to talk with the other youths who hang out there. She learned that a white van fetched the girls to be brought in Isulan.

The Talomo Police and the Isulan Municipal Police, with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), went to Zigzag Bar at around 12:02 a.m. on Wednesday, where the mother saw her daughter dancing on a table, wearing just a swimsuit.

The policemen acted as customers, and requested the company of the two girls and their 19-year-old companion - they were then rescued along with the other six women working as guest relation officer in the bar.

The two rescued minors were placed under the custody of the Women and Children’s Protection Desk of Talomo Police Station, while the three suspects were detained at Talomo Police Station.

The six other women were turned over to Isulan police for proper disposition.

MILF calls for freeze of oil, gas exploration in Moro areas

By (PNA) DCT/LAP/NYP/EOF


SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao, Oct. 5 (PNA) -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has reiterated its call for the national government to freeze the oil and gas exploration in Moro areas, pending the final resolution of the Moro Question and the armed conflict in Mindanao, particularly on the aspect of ancestral domain.

In a statement, Muhammad Ameen, chairperson of the MILF Secretariat, said that freezing the bidding and awarding of contracts for the exploration of oil and gas in the Sulu Sea and the Liguasan Marsh in Central Mindanao would be seen as a clear indication the government is sincere in the current GPH-MILF peace negotiation.

“We do not want these explorations to complicate the peace process and more importantly result in undue deprivation of our people for their rightful share in the natural wealth,” Ameen said.

“I hope the Aquino administration would listen to our people’s pleas,” he stressed.

He recalled that the MILF peace panel had formally presented the request to the government to suspend this oil and gas explorations during the 22nd GPH-MILF Exploratory Talks in Kuala Lumpur last August 22-23.

In response, the government through its chief peace negotiator, Dean Marvic Leonen, assured that now the matter had been formally taken up in the negotiation, he would bring up the issue to his principal for disposition.

Ameen also expects that the matter will be discussed anew once the GPH and MILF peace panel resumes talking with the facilitation of Malaysia.

The MILF is expecting the resumption of the stalled peace process after it prepared a new proposal following the deadlock over differences in sub-state issue and the expanded autonomy.

While there were "differences in the appreciation of the proposals and misunderstanding" in the process, both sides, the GPH and MILF with the facilitator behind them, have not shut the door in finding a peaceful, political settlement of the Mindanao Moro problem.

Ghazali Jaafar, MILF vice chair for political affairs, was quoted by a local newspaper as saying that the MILF maintains its original position that “we are for a peaceful and political solution to the Bangsamoro problem in Mindanao.”

"We believe in the sincerity of the Aquino government and we remain hopeful," Jaafar said.

In her visit to Cotabato City, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles, said President Aquino’s directive remained and being pursued.

“The President wanted a peace deal with the MILF that is acceptable to all stakeholders in southern Philippines and that he is hoping it will come within his term,” Deles told a group of journalist in a brief interview.

Jaafar said once the formal talks resume, the MILF is expecting that the main agenda would be the new proposal and that the case of Ameril Umra Kato, former MILF field commander, expelled by the MILF for disobedience and forming his own group.

Jaafar said the MILF central committee has forwarded a resolution to the Malaysian facilitator on its action against Kato and his group.

Earlier, the GPH peace panel expressed concerned over Kato’s case but still it considered the issue with him as internal to the MILF.

But Jaafar quickly said the MILF resolution on Kato must not be interpreted as a “passport” for security forces to hunt down the renegade rebel leader.

Philippine rebels’ frustration grows

By Taipei Times


AFP, SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines

Ageing Muslim rebel leaders in the southern Philippines are voicing growing frustration that efforts to end one of Asia’s longest and deadliest insurgencies have hit a diplomatic brick wall. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Murad Ebrahim expressed hope after an historic meeting with Philippine President Benigno Aquino III in August that peace talks were on a “fast-track” and a final deal was within sight. However, negotiations stalled soon after when the government offered its roadmap for peace, a document Murad called an “exercise in futility” and said could lead to reigniting a conflict that has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives. “There is an impression that it is even heaven and earth,” Murad told reporters recently at the MILF’s rural Camp Darapanan headquarters in the southern Philippines, in reference to the two sides’ positions. Murad insisted there would be no more direct talks between two sides’ peace panels until the government produced a more realistic and workable blueprint. The government has rejected the MILF’s demand. The stalemate is the latest setback to 10 years of talks that some observers say are inevitably doomed because the national government will not be able to meet the MILF’s core requirement of an autonomous substate in the south. There are about 4 million Muslims in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao, an area they see as their ancestral homeland dating back to Islamic sultanates established long before Spanish Christians arrived in the 1500s. The region is among the most fertile and resource-rich in the Philippines, but it is also one of the country’s poorest and undeveloped, a legacy of the conflict that began four decades ago. Muslims, known as Bangsamoro, are now a minority in Mindanao, but insist they should be allowed to largely govern the region themselves and control its potential riches. “We feel we are colonized,” Murad said. The MILF, the largest Muslim rebel group with about 12,000 soldiers, has for the past decade sought to negotiate a settlement rather than achieve its aims through armed insurgency, which peaked in the 1970s when an all-out war raged. However negotiations have gone virtually nowhere since 2008 when the Supreme Court blocked a peace deal that would have opened the door to an autonomous Muslim substate, ruling it was “unconstitutional.” Aquino, who came to power last year, promised to reinvigorate the peace process and invested much personal capital by meeting Murad in August. Their encounter in Japan was the first ever face-to-face talks between a sitting Philippine president and a MILF leader. However the optimism within the MILF faded after the government put forward its peace plan a few weeks later with the explicit condition that it will only work within the Constitution, effectively ruling out a substate. At this stage, Aquino is unwilling to invest further political capital by lobbying Congress to change the Constitution for what many among the majority Catholic population would oppose, security analyst Rommel Banlaoi said. “Right now there is a huge gap in misunderstanding,” Banlaoi, head of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism, said after he met with Murad. “The Philippine government insists on using the constitutional framework to address the Bangsamoro problem, but the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is insisting that what they want is a substate,” Banlaoi said.

Ageing Muslim rebel leaders in the southern Philippines are voicing growing frustration that efforts to end one of Asia’s longest and deadliest insurgencies have hit a diplomatic brick wall. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Murad Ebrahim expressed hope after an historic meeting with Philippine President Benigno Aquino III in August that peace talks were on a “fast-track” and a final deal was within sight. However, negotiations stalled soon after when the government offered its roadmap for peace, a document Murad called an “exercise in futility” and said could lead to reigniting a conflict that has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives. “There is an impression that it is even heaven and earth,” Murad told reporters recently at the MILF’s rural Camp Darapanan headquarters in the southern Philippines, in reference to the two sides’ positions. Murad insisted there would be no more direct talks between two sides’ peace panels until the government produced a more realistic and workable blueprint. The government has rejected the MILF’s demand. The stalemate is the latest setback to 10 years of talks that some observers say are inevitably doomed because the national government will not be able to meet the MILF’s core requirement of an autonomous substate in the south. There are about 4 million Muslims in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao, an area they see as their ancestral homeland dating back to Islamic sultanates established long before Spanish Christians arrived in the 1500s. The region is among the most fertile and resource-rich in the Philippines, but it is also one of the country’s poorest and undeveloped, a legacy of the conflict that began four decades ago. Muslims, known as Bangsamoro, are now a minority in Mindanao, but insist they should be allowed to largely govern the region themselves and control its potential riches. “We feel we are colonized,” Murad said. The MILF, the largest Muslim rebel group with about 12,000 soldiers, has for the past decade sought to negotiate a settlement rather than achieve its aims through armed insurgency, which peaked in the 1970s when an all-out war raged. However negotiations have gone virtually nowhere since 2008 when the Supreme Court blocked a peace deal that would have opened the door to an autonomous Muslim substate, ruling it was “unconstitutional.” Aquino, who came to power last year, promised to reinvigorate the peace process and invested much personal capital by meeting Murad in August. Their encounter in Japan was the first ever face-to-face talks between a sitting Philippine president and a MILF leader. However the optimism within the MILF faded after the government put forward its peace plan a few weeks later with the explicit condition that it will only work within the Constitution, effectively ruling out a substate. At this stage, Aquino is unwilling to invest further political capital by lobbying Congress to change the Constitution for what many among the majority Catholic population would oppose, security analyst Rommel Banlaoi said. “Right now there is a huge gap in misunderstanding,” Banlaoi, head of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism, said after he met with Murad. “The Philippine government insists on using the constitutional framework to address the Bangsamoro problem, but the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is insisting that what they want is a substate,” Banlaoi said.

Frustration grows for Muslim rebels

By KARL MALAKUNAS


SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines (AFP) — Ageing Muslim rebel leaders in the southern Philippines are voicing growing frustration that efforts to end one of Asia’s longest and deadliest insurgencies have hit a diplomatic brick wall.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Murad Ebrahim expressed hope after a meeting with Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III in August that peace talks were on a “fast-track” and a final deal was within sight.

But negotiations stalled soon after when the government offered its roadmap for peace, a document Murad called an “exercise in futility” and said could lead to reigniting a conflict that has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives.

“There is an impression that it is even heaven and earth,” Murad told reporters recently at the MILF’s Camp Darapanan headquarters in Sultan Kudarat, in reference to the two sides’ positions.

Murad insisted there would be no more direct talks between two sides’ peace panels until the government produced a more realistic and workable blueprint. However the government has rejected the MILF’s demand.

The stalemate is the latest setback to 10 years of talks that some observers say are inevitably doomed because the national government will not be able to meet the MILF’s core requirement of an autonomous substate in the south.

There are roughly four million Muslims in Mindanao, an area they see as their ancestral homeland dating back to Islamic sultanates established long before Spanish Christians arrived in the 1500s.

Mindanao is among the most fertile and resource-rich areas in the Philippines, but it is also one of the country’s poorest and undeveloped, a legacy of the conflict that began four decades ago.

Muslims, known as Bangsamoro, are now a minority in Mindanao but insist they should be allowed to largely govern the region themselves and control its potential riches.

“We feel we are colonized,” Murad said.

The MILF, the largest Muslim rebel group with about 12,000 soldiers, has for the past decade sought to negotiate a settlement rather than achieve its aims through armed insurgency, which peaked in the 1970s when an all-out war raged.

However negotiations have gone virtually nowhere since 2008 when the Supreme Court blocked a peace deal that would have opened the door to an autonomous Muslim substate, ruling it was “unconstitutional”.

President Aquino, who came to power last year, promised to reinvigorate the peace process and invested much personal capital by meeting Murad in August.

Their encounter in Japan was the first ever face-to-face talks between a sitting Philippine president and MILF leader.

However the optimism within the MILF faded after the government put forward its peace plan a few weeks later with the explicit condition that it will only work within the Constitution, effectively ruling out a substate.

Kato expelled

Meanwhile, Ustadhz Ameril Umra Kato was officially and finally dropped from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Ustadhz Ameril Umra Kato last September 22.

This was confirmed Monday by Von Al-Haq, spokesman for military affairs of the MILF, saying Kato and his followers are now out of the group's fold.

However, he said the MILF Central Committee chaired by Al-Haji Murad Ebrahim still left the door open for the return of the former commander of the MILF. (With a report from Edd K. Usman)

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