Government to abide by commitment with MILF

Manila: The government said it would abide by its commitment with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on wealth sharing in areas to be covered by the proposed “Bangsamoro.”

President Benigno Aquino III made this statement following in response to MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim’s call for the government to put on hold plans to bid out oil and natural gas exploration contracts in Central Mindanao and Sulu Sea to foreign firms until the wealth-sharing issue with the Bangsamoro is finalised.

The fossil fuel wells involve those in natural-gas rich Liguasan Marsh in Cotabato Basin as well as oil wells in Tawi-Tawi in the Sulu Sea.

Aquino was quoted in palace reports as saying that he had agreed with the statement of Murad when the latter reminded the Philippine leader of commitments under the “Framework Agreement” the government made with them.

“Chairman Murad is correct, wealth-sharing is one of the annexes that we have to finish,” Aquino said Thursday.

Early on Wednesday, Murad had said that: “As a principle, we are not against exploitation of our natural resources including oil and gas provided that they redound to the benefits of our people and should be done in the proper time and conditions.”

Early this month, government and MILF peace negotiators affirmed a landmark agreement that essentially calls for the creation of the Bangsamoro. The crucial features of the pact was that the Bangsamoro will be given more equitable share in the resources in their claimed areas.

Government and MILF representatives are due to resume meetings in Kuala Lumpur for the conclusion of negotiations which include discussions on wealth-sharing, power-sharing, and normalisation.

For its part, the MILF expressed gratitude to Aquino for “deciding favourably for the suspension of oil and gas exploration bids award in oil exploration contracts in Mindanao until the wealth-sharing issue is addressed.

Based on the three year transition period agreed upon by the government and the MILF, a referendum will be held in the affected areas to ensure mandate from the people.

The Moro rebellion in southern Philippines had been going on for decades and had cost the lives of more than 150,000 combatants and civilians and the displacement of millions of others while leaving parts of Mindanao perennially mired in poverty and strife.

The negotiations between the government and the MILF for a political settlement to the conflict had been held under the auspices of Malaysia as third party negotiator and with the support of the multi-national International Monitoring Team and several non-government organisations.