MILF-MNLF merger in the works--peace adviser

LAMITAN CITY, BASILAN -- Is a Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)-Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) merger in the offing?

Peace Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., who visited the province on Friday, said the soon-to-resume peace talks with the MILF might include the merging of the two Moro forces or at least "a unity of purpose" that would see them presenting a united front in the ongoing government-MILF negotiations.

"In the upcoming peace talks, we are looking forward to the unity of purpose between the MNLF and the MILF… meaning the two fronts agree to sit as one for the agreement," Esperon said.

"I could not imagine two different agreements here. Since both parties are for the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people, merging is alright as we are dealing with the issue of unity of purpose here," he added.

Hatimil Hassan, a candidate for the regional assembly of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), earlier admitted that the MNLF initiated talks with the MILF for a possible merger in a meeting held in Kuala Lumpur in August 2001.

The Kuala Lumpur meeting, Hassan explained, was about the law which created the ARMM, but the contentious issues of the MILF, particularly the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, were also discussed.

Hasan said the MILF also wanted to include areas covered under the ARMM in the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

The 2001 meeting also gave birth to the umbrella group for the two fronts, the Bangsamoro Solidarity Movement.

"Our (MNLF) position here is that provided there is coordination between the MILF and MNLF, then the issue of constitutional process could be resolved under the 1996 peace agreement, provided MILF and MNLF can coordinate with each other and perhaps sit down together and have one position in negotiating with the Philippine government," Hassan said.

"It may be difficult for the MNLF and MILF to come together to be united. They can remain separate organizations but can have one negotiating position," Hassan added.

He revealed that MNLF chair Nur Misuari had a "lengthy talk" with Ghazali Jaafar, MILF vice chair for political affairs, during Misuari's recent trips to Central Mindanao.

Esperon said peace talks with the MILF would resume within July.

"The process is moving very fast. We have been having proposals and counterproposals since June. After some lengthy legal studies, we are positive and we are very optimistic that we might be getting some agreements very soon," he said.

Esperon urged the leadership of the MILF and the MNLF to sit down and "work out among them the issue of unity with purpose."

"I could predict and could sense they have unity of purpose for the good of the Bangsamoro People," he said. (Julie Alipala, INQ.net)