MILF-Government peace talks reset in deference to Robredo funeral

Manila: Peace parlays slated this week between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) had been postponed by negotiating parties in deference to the state funeral of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.

Robredo, who supported the peace process, was scheduled to be buried on Tuesday, ten days after he and two others perished in an airplane crash off the coast of Central Philippines’ Masbate province.

According to the MILF, it was the government that requested that the scheduled 31st exploratory talks be moved.

“The postponement, upon the request of the government peace panel, was officially relayed to the MILF peace panel by Dato Tengku Abd’ Ga’afar Bin Mohammad, the Malaysian facilitator…” the MILF said in its Luwaran website.

The MILF said that it had readily agreed to the postponement of the scheduled exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia, had been serving as third party facilitator in the negotiations towards a political settlement to the confict.

“The meeting in Kuala Lumpur can wait but the state funeral [for Robredo] will only take once,” the MILF said.

The next round of talks was originally scheduled for August 27-30.

“No fixed dates have been set for the next round of talks, although both parties were reported to have agreed in principle to have it on the first week of next month,” the MILF said.

Although not a direct member of the peace negotiating panel, Robredo had played an important role in the peace process and secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Governments.

Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the MILF peace panel, said the passing of Robredo was not just a loss to family and relatives and to the administration of President Benigno Aquino, “but also to the peace-making in Mindanao”.

Iqbal described Robredo as a strong supporter of a peaceful settlement to the Moro question and an end to the armed conflict in Mindanao.

Teresita Quintos-Deles, Presidential Peace Adviser for her part, said: “The support given by Secretary Jesse to the peace process will live on; not many knew that he was a quiet peace builder who made sure conflict-affected communities feel an honest and responsive government working hard to deliver the fruits of reforms.

“…We mourn the passing of a noble public servant who lived a life in relentless pursuit of what we all know, in our hearts, as true: This country can make good governance the norm, and not the exception.”

The aircraft carrying Robredo – a twin-engine Piper Seneca – took off from Central Philippines’ Cebu city on the way to Robredo’s hometown of Naga City in Camarines Sur province on August 18 when the pilot informed the Masbate airport that it would make an emergency landing. The plane was unable to reach the airport and crashed into the sea.

Robredo is scheduled to be buried in his Naga City, which he served as mayor for several terms until his appointment to the office of interior secretary in 2010 by Aquino.