MILF independence via Arroyo's CHA CHA planned

I think this is big news if true.

From Ninez Cacho Olivares of the Tribune:

President Arroyo and her government panel negotiating a peace pact with the Islamic secessionist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), are reportedly agreed on pushing a constitutional change as a solution to the contentious issue of the MILF’s insistence on regaining the Bangsa Moro people’s so-called “ancestral lands” as the proposal is to grant the MILF the independence it seeks with the Arroyo government agreeing, in principle and subject to the constitutional changes to be obtained through Charter change, to the setting up of a Palestinian Authority-type government for starters, congressional sources told the Tribune yesterday.

The set-up will reportedly allow the MILF to form its separate and independent government with the intention of becoming an independent state, while lording it over its territories with its own military.

Control and ownership of the territories by the MILF will be granted by the Arroyo government in the guise of ancestral lands which will cover areas in Mindanao over and above the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Under the current Constitution, even the ceding of Philippine territories to the secessionist group on grounds that these are ancestral lands is not allowed,” Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos said, but noted that “this ancestral land” issue “has become the most contentious issue” in the negotiations between the MILF and the Philippine government panel (GRP).

“The problem (GRP) faces is that shortly after Edsa ll, the Arroyo government moved to sign an agreement in Tripoli with the MILF that included the portion on the ancestral land that the MILF insists belongs to the Bangsa Moro people.

This was then followed up with some kind of a treaty in Malaysia, and even then, there was already talk of this being made possibly through a change in the Constitution,” Marcos pointed out.

The MILF spokesman, Eid Kabalu, a few weeks back, also made public, during an interview, that the whole idea of the MILF-GRP negotiations was to pave the way for the MILF to start out as an independent government within the Philippine state similar to the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinian Authority, while independent, is seeking statehood status.

The MILF, even in 1997, rejected the peace pact offered by the Ramos government to an autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao and broke away from the group of Nur Misauri of the Moro National Liberation Front.

A congressman from Mindanao pointed out that if this set-up is granted by the GRP, the MILF “will definitely become an independent state,” but stressed that the people of Mindanao, and even the indigenous groups, like the Lumads, will oppose such a move.

“What? We in Mindanao who are not Muslims will be governed by the MILF? No way,” the congressman, who asked not to be identified, said.

He added that even the local officials in Mindanao who are Christians, will not go for that move, stressing that if this is the “hidden agenda” of the Charter change move, he would definitely reject any and all moves to change the Constitution, even if he is allied with Mrs. Arroyo.

Another source, a member-leader of the Mindanao Independence Movement, when contacted for a phone interview, told the Tribune that he and his group are willing to join forces with the MILF on a “tactical alliance basis” but they are not willing to have the MILF take control of an independent Mindanao state.

Even as he asked for anonymity, the source who is based in Mindanao, said the move for independence in Mindanao has become very strong, with sector support and given a little more time, will be able to even wage a secessionist war against the Philippine government, saying that even the soldiers in Mindanao are on their side if it turns out hat more land is given to the MILF for its control.

“We already have some junior officers on our side if it (giving Mindanao away to the MILF) comes to pass. This is something personal and emotional to the military,” he said, recalling the days of the all-out war launched under the Estrada government.

Retired military officers contacted by the Tribune for comment confirmed this information from the Mindanao source, saying that President Arroyo is asking for trouble if she as much as officially hands back to the MILF those camps that the government had earlier recovered from this secessionist group, pointing out that it will become an even bigger problem in the future on the war against terror.

“There is no question that the MILF and the terror groups are in cahoots. They (MILF) have been giving protection to the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and many of the MILF have already been recruited by the JI,” the sources said, adding that “a lot of our soldiers died then, while retaking those camps (such as Camp Abubakar and other satellite camps). This is not going to go well with the Armed Forces,” one retired general said.

Another noted that giving the MILF “power and control over Philippine territory will trigger a civil war.”

Marcos said she is certain that when Congress resumes sessions, all other issues will be laid aside with the House leaders focusing solely on Cha-cha. “They will insist on revising the Constitution, even if it means voting without the Senate,” while adding that “already, Malacanang has gotten the support of Sen. Miriam Santiago for a constituent assembly (Con-ass).

Santiago had earlier signed a Senate resolution stating that the senators reject the House move to vote jointly with the Senate in revising the Charter.

Santiago, however, gave the condition that she would join the House in revising the Constitution and abolishing the Senate in a single voting scheme if the Supreme Court rules this as constitutional in a test case.

Malacanang, Marcos said, is desperate to have the Constitution revised, not just to give Mindanao to the MILF, but also to ensure her political perpetuity.

“All that talk of JDV (Speaker Jose de Venecia) on the move for a federal system through Cha-cha, also has something to do with this negotiations with the MILF on ancestral domain,” she said, but hinted that “this is just the opening line,” and that once Cha-cha gets going, all those revisions will include even giving up all of Mindanao to the MILF, just so Mrs. Arroyo gets a crack at the Nobel Peace Prize as the “greatest Asian peacemaker.”

Malacanang is said to be funding the Sigaw ng Bayan People’ Intiative signature campaign to change the present Charter, but this move has been meeting up with constitutional snags, apart from vocal opposition to the move to draft a new Constitution.

It has also been discovered that signatures have been forged. The case has been brought before the courts.

Sigaw ng Bayan’s move to change the Constitution through the people’s initiative, said to be managed by Malacanang, came about after the House failed to muster, among its members, three fourths of the vote.

But with the People Initiative being opposed even by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, and with the bishops objecting to the methods used by Sigaw ng Bayan in gathering signatures of barangay residents without however, even explaining what they were signing up for, the people’s initiative is deemed a failure.

The House has again moved to revive Charter change through a Constituent Assembly, even if it moves alone, without the Senate’s participation.

“It (revising the Constitution) has to be done under the control of JDV and Gloria because all those changes—especially those that will empower the MILF and grant it control over territories in Mindanao and an independent state—cannot pass muster if this is brought up (in the plenary). Everything will have to be railroaded,” Marcos said, adding that the catchword will be federalism, which people in Mindanao want, but what they don’t know is that the Speaker and Gloria will present the nation with a fait accompli of an independent MILF state.”

She also said that unless the Commission on Elections undergoes a genuine purge, the yes to “Cha-cha” will, in a plebiscite,” win by a landslide,” saying that if she (Mrs. Arroyo) did it in 2004 she will do it (cheat at the polls) again.’ NCO