Gov’t, MILF: No Signatures on Bangsamoro Power-Sharing Annex

No signature were made on the power-sharing annex of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front(MILF)on Saturday despite 18 hours of negotiation and extension of talks.

Chief MILF negotiator Mohagher Iqbal had hoped to sign at least the power-sharing annex, one of the last two remaining annexes, the other one being the annex on normalization, Gma news online reported.

Reports said once both parties signed, this will complete the comprehensive peace agreement with the MILF. The two remaining annexes – along with the annexes on wealth-sharing and transitional arrangements and modalities that have been signed earlier, also completes the agreement.

Iqbal said that the power-sharing annex was the more difficult one to negotiate as it overlaps with the wealth-sharing deal. The power-sharing deal will outline what powers will remain with the national government, those that will be shared with the envisioned Bangsamoro government and the powers that will be exclusive to the new political entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Gma news online said.

The online news added that by close to midnight, Iqbal, in a chance interview, has said that the talks were “not moving.” The talks adjourned at 4 am with no signed annexes.

Government peace negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said some issues in the power-sharing annex include jurisdiction over the so-called Bangsamoro waters “that will pull together the territories,” including the scope of the envisioned government’s jurisdiction, Gma news online report said.

Ferrer added the parties were able to agree on inter-governmental relations but there was still a long list of powers that have to be negotiated. Ferrer also said they are discussing the concept of the structure of Bangsamoro government, which is a new concept in the power-sharing annex.

“We have a shared understanding on how the future Bangsamoro government would look like,” she said.

In a joint statement, both parties expressed willingness to “complete the annexes following a break for Eid’Ul’Adha.” Islam’s feast of the holy sacrifice will be observed on October 15. “Definitely we will go back,” Ferrer said.

The date, however, has not been set yet for the next round of talks.

The latest round of talks, originally scheduled from October 8 until the 11th, was extended for a day but issues on the form and dynamics of the Bangsamoro government proved to be too difficult for both panels, Gma news online reported.

Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Ging Deles assured that the negotiations are not in danger of collapsing despite the difficulties. Deles said President Aquino was informed of the latest development and understood that the delay was due to the commitment of the government to agree on ‘deliverables’ that could stand scrutiny.

“The President also sees the sincerity of the MILF to come up with a solid agreement,” Deles said. Deles added that the MILF has sent two of the members of its central committee to observe the dynamics of the talks.

“Magandang nakita nila ‘yung proseso na hindi naman ang delays ay dahil umaatras. ‘Yung spirit ng talks, walang pagpaparamdam na kung hindi ninyo ibigay ito ay tapos na ito,” she said.

Iqbal said earlier that the annex on power-sharing was a more difficult to negotiate as it overlaps with the annex on wealth-sharing. “When there is resources, there is power, and that government which is the Bangsamoro government will be strong enough to address the problem in Mindanao,” Iqbal said.

Deles said the power-sharing annex is the heart of the peace agreement with the MILF.“It will be the powers (of the Bangsamoro government) that will deliver or not deliver the commitments,” she said.

Ferrer revealed the MILF submitted its proposal for the form and dynamics of the envisioned Bangsamoro government in this round of talks. The panels had spent much of their time going through the proposals which include among others proportional representation in the ministerial form of its legislative assembly.

She added some of the options being explored are having assembly members from party-list organizations and reserved seats aside from district representatives, Gma news online reported.

Meanwhile, Ferrer has assured the people that the progressing agreement with the MILF would not suffer the fate of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) that had been struck down by the Supreme Court. One rough area in the negotiations on Saturday was the concept of the scope and jurisdiction of the so-called Bangsamoro waters.

Authorities said the concept will outline who will have preferential rights over fishing resources in the Bangsamoro territories and the goal of the government is to come up with a practical arrangement that will protect the rights of subsistence folks.

In November 2008, the Supreme Court upheld its earlier decision declaring as unconstitutional the MOA-AD, Gma news online reported.

Source: Gma news online