GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Last Tuesday, August 26, The Philippine Star carried President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s declaration: “We’ll remove all obstacles to peace.” Just like her recent policy statements on the Mindanao crisis, she did so as guest in a public ceremony.

The Star reported: “President Arroyo maintained yesterday that the government is determined to remove ‘all obstacles to peace’ even as she sought the continued support of the international community and the Filipino people for the government’s military operations against members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).”

She declared this in her speech as guest of the Kuwait-owned Global Gateway Logistics City at its groundbreaking ceremony. President Arroyo has the habit of making in similar occasions pronouncements of similarly important policy-related matters. The Mindanao war waged for “all-out peace” is too sensitive and gravely important a matter for a ceremonial speech.

Key Points

What were the key points President Arroyo raised as gleaned from the Star report?

The administration will not abandon the peace process and the military is not waging an all-out war in Mindanao.

The support from the local stakeholders as well as the international community is vital for the success of the peace process in Mindanao.

Quote: “We have never deviated from the objectives of the peace process. There is no all-out war. We are doing this (military operation) to have all-out peace in Mindanao.”

Quote: “We wish all insurgents to turn their swords into plowshares, their arms to farms. [But MILF rebels have no swords or farms for the lack of lands. –ppd] We ask all sectors to be with us, including our brothers in the OIC.”

Quote: “The campaign against them (referring to MILF commanders Ameril Umbra Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar alias Bravo) is intended to remove the obstacles to the peace process.” Are these two and their “rampaging lawless MILF groups” the “all obstacles to peace” the Arroyo government is determined to remove?

No Way

At that ground-breaking ceremony, there was no way to question the President on her statements. Are those two MILF commanders all the obstacles in the Mindanao peace process? If there are more, who or what are they?

Had President Arroyo called for a press conference to convey to the nation her determination to remove all obstacles to the peace process, the reporters could have asked for clarification and peppered her with adversarial questions. The problems bedeviling the peace process cannot be nationally understood in such general and rhetorical statements.

Had she discussed her government’s determination in a nationwide radio-television speech, she could have gone into details. The impression she gave in that ceremonial speech was that the two MILF commanders were “all the obstacles” and they were being removed militarily.

But they are not. And that only evokes the question: Does she know all the obstacles?

Disturbing

She does not seem to know that her government has caused the obstacles including the paradox of an “all-out war” in Mindanao to bring about “all-out peace”. Evidently, she has no sound Mindanao policy as seen in the apparent hit-and-miss responses to the Mindanao problem. Is this not disturbing?

In that ceremonial speech last August 25, she said that “the international community is vital for the success of the peace process in Mindanao”. In some ways, members of the international community have helped facilitate the government’s peace negotiation with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. They have seen peace in the GRP-MILF accord, the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain.

Yet, how disturbing it is for the President, the security cluster in her cabinet and the GRP peace panel in not being able to defend the agreement that took them four years and eight months – through 110 sessions – to forged. Instead, while maintaining her government would not abandon the peace process, they deserted MOA-AD in the face of stormy protests disappointing the international community.

On July 27, the GRP peace panel chairman and his MILF counterpart initialed the MOA-AD in Kuala Lumpur before its signing on August 5. The GRP position then was: Sign the agreement and proceed with the final negotiation on the comprehensive compact, expecting then to come up with an implementable final peace agreement in 15 months’ time.

But the Supreme Court restrained the government from signing. Now the new government position is not to sign the MOA-AD in its present form. And for varying reasons!

Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera manifested before the Supreme Court that the government will not sign MOA-AD because it needs to be reviewed. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Hermogenes Esperon said the government will not sign the agreement because of the MILF rampage. The first is in response to the protests; the second is scapegoating.

In this new position, the MOA-AD in its present form and the “lawless MILF groups” on rampage are seen as the obstacles to the peace process. The second is being removed militarily; the first will be purged of obstacles in a review. The Arroyo government is determined to do these. Are they all the obstacles?

The Obstacles

Admitted: The Kato-Bravo “rampage” obstructs the peace process. Will capturing the two commanders prevent future “rampages”? These are effects. Root out the cause. Cutting the branches does not kill a tree.

Admitted: The MOA-AD has generated conflicts of interest. Is a review based on the protests the ultimate solution?

Certainly, there are other obstacles that must be removed.

First, the Arroyo government appeared misdirected and indecisive. MOA-AD is its baby with the MILF. Never mind who’s the father or the mother. It’s their baby conceived and born after four years and eight months of hard labor. Yet, when the baby’s legitimacy was questioned and protested, the Arroyo was at a loss to stand by it as the harbinger of the peace process.

If President Arroyo had the charisma, she could have calmed down the protesters and stopped them from questioning the MOA-AD at the Supreme Court. But she did not have! She could not pacify even her own party’s provincial chairman, Vice Gov. Emmanuel Piñol of Cotabato. And she could not stop his threats to resort to force which to some extent provoked the MILF.

The government’s apparent misdirection and indecisiveness mothered all the obstacles.

Second, the protesters – senators, local government leaders, other private individuals and groups – acted impulsively in haste. Initially, they protested for having been kept in the dark during the negotiation. Then, after getting the official copies of MOA-AD, the more they were driven by their anti-Muslim perceptions, biases and prejudices.

There are merits in the protest. That should be appreciated. The MOA-AD, as the GRP-MILF baby, is not free of congenital defects. But what the protesters failed to appreciate is that these faults could be cured during the negotiation of the comprehensive agreement. For the sake of the peace process, don’t kill the baby. Cure it of its infirmities.

Third, the national media showed in their editorials, editorial opinions and news stories anti-Muslim perceptions, biases and prejudices. The opponents of MOA-AD used them to project its faults in complete disregard of its merits that could advance the peace process.

For instance, what is the purpose of the Philippine Daily Inquirer in featuring for two days now, August 28 and 29, the “dreaded Ilaga”? To provoke the Muslims and the MILF? This will sow fear and reawaken hatred. This will resurrect suspicion and polarize the Muslims and Christians living peacefully together. That is erecting obstacles in the peace process.

Fourth, many Muslims in their disillusionment accuse all Christians and Filipinos of denying them the right to their homeland, of perpetuating the historic injustices they had long suffered. And they threaten to wage war as their last and desperate recourse. Understand their feeling; their disillusionment is an obstacle to the peace process.

Does President Arroyo see these as obstacles to the peace process aside from the rampaging of the two MILF commanders?

The Way

If President Arroyo sees all the obstacles and is determined to remove them, does she see the paradox that while ignored, the Constitution is the key to reconciling the protesters to the MOA-AD? The main complaint is that MOA-AD is unconstitutional; yet, this is not truly so even if the MILF does not recognize the Constitution. (See next Comment.)

What is apparent is this: Most consensus points are within, although some may have exceeded, the limits of the Constitution. And, the unconstitutionality raised by the protesters should not invalidate MOA-AD as this can be addressed during the negotiation of the comprehensive compact if the GRP and the MILF are sincere in their desire for just and lasting peace.

There is a great possibility for the Supreme Court to dismiss the case against the MOA-AD. Should this happen, the government cannot ignore the urging of the international community and will surely return to negotiate the comprehensive compact.

At the CC negotiation, the GRP and MILF should strike this compromise: If necessary for the peace process, the MILF will agree to have some consensus points modified and the GRP will recommend amendments to the Constitution.

Will the MILF agree? In the past it modified its positions. They are not bereft of reason. Can the Constitution be amended to suit the comprehensive compact? If the Constitution can be amended to attract more foreign investors, why can’t it be amended to promote the peace process? If other countries beset by similar conflicts can do so, why can’t the Philippines?

The way is there. Following it successfully to the end of the peace process depends so much on the direction and decisiveness of the Arroyo government – and of the succeeding government if the talks drag beyond 2010.

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