The Mindanao Peaceweavers (MPW), the broadest civil society peace network in Mindanao with solidarity groups in Manila and Visayas, is calling for the suspension of the 2013 elections of regional posts in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) but called for the continuation of the same for provincial and local positions. The MPW proposal on Transition Mechanisms which also called for the creation of a Transitional Commission to govern the region was submitted to both negotiating panels of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace talks. The document, a product of consensus-building process from among its constituents , is entitled “Civil Society Consensus Points : To Move the GPH-MILF Peace Process Forward”.

This is a first of a series of proposals MPW intends to send to the peace panels and other key stakeholders as the peace talks is narrowing its agenda on several “negotiated consensus points”. It was given to both panels last July 7, 2012, during the “Bangsamoro Leaders’ Assembly” organized by the MILF and held at the Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat. The event was also attended by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), the GPH Negotiating Panel, the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the International Monitoring Team (IMT), governors and other foreign dignitaries from Libya and Indonesia.

MPW, which has been calling for a negotiated political settlement of the armed conflict in Mindanao for more than eight years with “citizen participation” as its clarion call. It is currently mobilizing a broader multi-stakeholder civil society movement that will submit perspectives and concrete proposals to the negotiating panels of the GPH-MILF amity talks.

Taking off from the GPH-MILF Decision Points on Principles as of April 2012 signed as a joint statement during the 27th Exploratory Talks in Malaysia, MPW articulated its proposal from this “significant breakthrough” in the peace process. The document is framed from a set of Guiding Principles of MPW for the GPH-MILF Peace Talks. These are the principles on right to self-determination, inclusivity, democratic participation, transparency, dialogue, subsidiarity, mutual respect, sustainability and social justice.

In the document, MPW specifically proposes for the “GPH and the MILF peace panels to immediately institutionalize a mechanism that will allow the suspension of the ARMM elections in 2013 and consequently create a transition government in accordance with their mutual agreement to establish a ‘new autonomous political entity’ in 2016”. Meaning, local elections will proceed but the regional governance mechanism is dissolved and replaced later by a Transition Commission (TRANSCOM) whose powers will be granted by Congress. MPW perceives this proposal as offering a better scenario that presents a better option for acceptability by the key peace actors.

Meanwhile, the MPW is awaiting the responses of both negotiating panels, as the “network of peace networks” continues to refer this proposal to other civil society groups in Visayas and Luzon in the hope of drum-beating and developing a groundswell towards active citizenship and involvement of people in policy development on questions of peace in Mindanao. Waging Peace Philippines , a nation-wide peace movement, expressed general support to the proposal. Such growing affirmative support from other peace groups and civil society on this contributes in shaping a public agenda.

MPW’s proposal dwell on three key messages : on the transition commission, third party monitoring and a national peace policy.
A-three year transition period from 2013-2016 is the proposed transitory phase for the establishment of the “new autonomous political entity” as agreed upon by both GPH and MILF negotiating panels.

Moreover, a Transition Commission (TRANSCOM), led by the MILF, serves as the legal authority and transitory governance mechanism at the regional level. It will be governed by two (2) parallel interim councils run separately by GPH and the other structure, by the MILF. Both shall be multi-stakeholder and inclusive. It is also suggested that the TRANSCOM be supported by the national government technically and resource-wise, in order to capacitate the Bangsamoro and strengthen their institutions during the transition period towards the full realization of genuine autonomy.

As a concrete proposal on third party monitoring mechanism, the MPW proposed that an independent body be created to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the interim agreements and the comprehensive peace compact between the GPH and MILF. The body envisioned to be is composed of local and international guarantors, including NGOs and representatives from the United Nations (UN) and the ASEAN Institute of Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR).

The proposal also sought policy support be extended by the Office of the President and Congress to legalize the interim agreements between the GPH and MILF by way of law or Executive Order and specifically enacting a law on a National Peace Policy to guarantee that succeeding administrations will honor and fully implement all peace agreements.

For further information, call and email queries to the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), Lead Secretariat of MPW – (082)(2992052) telefax, www.mindanaopeaceweavers.org.

Mindanao PeaceWeavers Convenors :
Agong Peace Network (AGONG)
Bisayang Daku Alang sa Kalinaw (Genuine Visayans for Peace – BISDAK)
Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS)
Inter-religious Solidarity Movement for Peace (IRSMP)
Mindanao Peace Advocates Conference (MPAC)
Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC)
Mindanao Peoples Peace Movement (MPPM)
Mindanao Solidarity Network (MSN)
Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), Lead Secretariat
Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Co-Secretariat
Saligan Mindanaw (Saligan), Co-Secretariat

We, members of Women Engaged in Action on 1325 (United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325), a national network of women in human rights, women, and peace organizations, express our unequivocal rejection of war and military solution to the crisis arising from the October 18 tragedy in Al-barka, Basilan.

Roughly 30,000 civilians from affected communities in Basilan, Zamboanga Sibugay and Lanao provinces are now scattered in various evacuation camps while others seek refuge in homes of families and relatives who live away from the conflict areas. Majority of the internally displaced persons are women and children.

While We Act 1325 commends President Aquino for issuing a strict order on the primacy of the peace process, and the MILF for staying the course of the peace process, we ask the government and the MILF to:

1. Resume in earnest formal negotiations on the substantive agenda;
2. Take into account any violations of the ceasefire agreement and related mechanisms such as the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) guidelines and make the results of investigation available to the public;
3. Institute binding and strict measures that will compel adherence or compliance to all agreements forged between parties in conflict;
4. Respect the civilian character of evacuation camps and other defined safe spaces;
5. Uphold the government’s commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (and its succeeding resolutions) to ensure that women’s special needs in situations of conflict are prioritized and appropriately addressed, and their contributions valued and recognized;
6. Provide protection from sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence, especially in evacuation camps; and
7. Involve and engage the participation of more women in formal and informal peace negotiations or processes, as well as in relief and rehabilitation services in affected areas.

As women, we are alarmed that our voices and efforts for peace seem to be drowned by the loud drums of war.   We are dismayed by statements from politicians, journalists, media and even some bishops that frame the MILF as “the enemy” rather than a committed party to the peace negotiations and even ceasefire agreement.   They question   the peace policy and established processes of peacebuilding and confidence-building based on government’s   “six paths to peace”.   Unfortunately, they are playing to attitudes of machismo as well as ethnic and religious discrimination that are still dominant in our society.

We ask you to stop depicting the other as the enemy. Stop sowing hate. The costs of war increase when anti-peace sentiments and malicious statements are peddled this way. Hence, we appeal to all concerned to work instead in diffusing tension by promoting communication and understanding between parties in conflict.

War solves nothing.

WOMEN DEMAND ALL-OUT PEACE!

A prompt response to the encounter in Al-Barka, Basilan by means of the established mechanisms of the peace talks between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) – such as the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (JCCCH) – is a critical measure of the strength of mind of the leadership of the GPH and the MILF to hasten the realization of a political settlement of the armed conflict in Mindanao.

The GPH and MILF must ensure that the JCCH will act swiftly to prevent further loss of lives. Furthermore, relevant mechanisms of the peace talks such as the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) and the International Monitoring Team (IMT) must act immediately and help defuse the situation. The recent violent clashes illustrate the fragile nature of the ceasefire agreement and the difficulty in maintaining the truce. It would be supremely tragic if the continuing loss of lives will hold back the voices of peace and allow those seeking total war to triumph.

Beyond determining culpability for the recent spate of alleged violations to the ceasefire agreement, the GPH and MILF must comprehend that sustained and intensive negotiations at a faster pace is the right path towards giving justice to the hundreds of thousands who have been maimed, displaced, traumatized and worst killed, in the course of the armed conflict.

All must mourn the senseless deaths in Basilan and elsewhere in Mindanao, thus it is even-handed to call for justice. However, the supreme injustice that could happen is to cry out for more soldiers, mujaheedin and innocent civilians to die under total war.

The Mindanao Peaceweavers (MPW) commits itself to mobilize its peace constituency to continue to create parallel efforts at creating spaces for dialogues among all stakeholders to the peace process and help accelerate the goal of having a peace agreement. It is never too late to press for peace, but the time to give justice and meaning to all victims of the war in Mindanao by means of a negotiated political settlement is NOW.

MINDANAO PEACEWEAVERS
c/o INITIATIVES FOR INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE, Lead Secretariat
MOBILE: 0917.724.7579
EMAIL: [email protected]