The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will push for the establishment of a "sub-state" in southern Philippines once peace negotiations with the Philippine government resumes.
However, Mohagher Iqbal, chief negotiator of the newly reconstituted MILF peace panel, was quick to add that this does not mean they are seeking independence from the Philippines.
"The sub-state is still under the Philippines. This is not [an] independent state," Iqbal said in a phone interview Wednesday.
Iqbal said that under the proposed sub-state, the Moro people will only have control on all aspects except on four, namely national defense, foreign affairs, currency and coinage, and postal services. He said this means the sub-state "would not have soldiers, but internal security (forces) only."
Iqbal also said the MILF, chaired by Aj Haj Murad, will not have a role in running the sub-state.
"The MILF is just an agency of the Moro people and it is only the transition where the MILF will have a role. At the regional government, it is the Moro people themselves that would run the sub-state," he said.
In 2008, the MILF nearly signed an agreement with the Philippine government for the establishment of a Bangsamoro territory with a juridical entity — an entity that would have its own form of government and would exercise authority and jurisdiction over the Bangsamoro ancestral domain.
The deal did not push through after the Supreme Court declared the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain, which was supposed to be signed in Kuala Lumpur, as unconstitutional.
The decision triggered renewed hostilities between government and MILF forces in Central Mindanao after rebel units attacked civilian communities there.
With a new administration now at the helm of the Philippine government, Iqbal said the MILF is foreseeing the signing of comprehensive peace compact in two years or even less “if the government is serious."
“As far as the MILF is concerned, we are looking at a two-year timeframe [that] this will be over if the government is serious… because we only have one agenda to discuss, no more ceasefire…no socio-economic, etc," he said. — KBK/RSJ
