SETBACKS IN GOVT-MILF PEACE TALKS
TRACED TO GMAS LACK OF STRATEGIC PLAN

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Nene Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today said Fr. Eliseo Mercado, Jr. is capable of pursuing the search for peace in Mindanao should Malacañang proceed with its plan to appoint Fr. Eliseo Mercado, Jr. as head of the government panel in the peace talks with Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Pimentel, however, warned that the forging of a final peace agreement will continue to be an elusive goal if President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo does not have a strategic plan to address the root causes of the Muslim insurgency problem.

He expressed regret that Silvestre Afable resigned as head of the government panel allegedly because of the lack of full support from the President.

I can only surmise that Afable resigned because there is no sincerity in the effort of the administration to seek peace in Mindanao, the senator from Mindanao said.

Pimentel noted that the Palace has put Mercados appointment on hold due to the objection of the MILF.

The problem is that the MILF thinks that GMAs appointment of Mercado downgrades the position of chief government negotiator because Afable was a Cabinet member, he said.

The solution to this minor flap is to give Mercado a Cabinet rank like Secretary Afable.

Pimentel said this will erase whatever doubts that the MILF may have harbored about Mercados capability to put the negotiation back on track and resolve the remaining contentious issues.

He said that the resignation of Afable is definitely a setback to the peace negotiation which has dragged on for almost 10 years now.

Neither Mercado nor Afable is a problem. It is Gloria. She has no strategic plan to attain peace in Mindanao with the Moro rebels Pimentel said.

She is only interested in tactical advantages momentary cessation of hostilities, for example.

Pimentel said the ultimate peace proposal that the government can offer within the limits of the Constitution is the adoption of a federal system of government for the entire country and the creation of a Bangsa Moro Federal State.