Amid the bad news of calamities (tropical depression Agaton), corruption (pork barrel, smuggling and power rates) and the occasional showbiz cautionary tale (TV host’s Vhong
Navarro’s mauling), the signing of the peace accord between the national government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is good news indeed.
The fact that it was signed within the middle of President Benigno Aquino III’s term makes it all the more remarkable and is sufficient cause for some handshakes, high fives and pats on the back for all parties concerned.
The road to peace is no cakewalk. After the all-out war strategy of ousted president Joseph Estrada and the indifference and apathy of the Arroyo regime, the journey resumed under the Aquino presidency with guarded optimism.
A good sign that negotiations were well underway was the unprecedented appearance of MILF leaders in the Palace in the past year. While the signing of the final annex of the peace agreement was accomplished last Saturday, the journey is far from over.
The agreement will undergo intensive review in Congress which is peopled by lawmakers of various persuasions and agenda when it comes to Mindanao’s peace and order.
What’s needed right now is for both the government and the MILF to fully disclose details of the proposed comprehensive peace agreement. Of chief concern are the areas where MILF camps are based and how they would impact on the surrounding communities.
It cannot be ignored that years of mistrust and misconception about the MILF and the Muslim community in general have led to hostile, nearly frozen ties between them and the Christian community.
The peace agreement would hopefully bridge that gap. Another pressing concern is the antipathy or adamant opposition of a substantial number of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leaders led by its founder Nur Misuari to the peace accord.
One need only remember the exodus of Zamboanga City residents to Cebu City after the Misuari offensive that led to the declaration of a so-called independent republic in some parts of the city and the ensuing battle that raged between MNLF fighters loyal to the MNLF founder and government troops that scarred the city for months.
We trust that there are moderates among the MNLF who would eventually see and accept the provisions of the peace accord or if not, seek peaceful means to resolve the differences between them, the government and the MILF.
There are spoilers and war hawks who would certainly want nothing more than for the peace process to fail. There will be questions and even objections.
We leave it up to our elected national lawmakers to discern whether the accord is worth approving or in need of more refinement.
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