AFP should put to the test Internal Peace, Security Plan

The Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID) fully supports the call of President Aquino for calm and sobriety amid persistent calls for an all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front following the recent outbursts of violence in Mindanao. We are also calling for an immediate investigation to pinpoint once and for all the culprits behind these atrocities and spare innocent civilians from armed hostilities.

The conflict in Muslim Mindanao cannot be solved through a purely military solution, because the problems in Muslim Mindanao are multi-faceted.  This we have known for decades, since the Marcos administration.

We forget that the Bangsamoro had fought for their independence against the Spanish, American and Japanese colonizers.  When the Marcos administration chose a military solution to quell the Bangsamoro “secessionist movement” (the phrase used by the architects of martial law), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) became a reality and gained strength to fight the government.  The historic claim of the Bangsamoro for the sovereignty was the rallying cry of the MNLF and, later, by the MILF.  The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the rest of the world have recognized the legitimacy of the Bangsamoro struggle for independence, hence their support for peaceful negotiations between the government and the liberation fronts.

Thanks to the peace processes initiated by the national government, the liberation fronts have agreed to give up their armed struggle for independence in exchange for genuine autonomy.  The MNLF signed an agreement in 1996.  The MILF peace process is ongoing.

As part of the peace negotiations, the government and the MILF have agreed on a process to be followed in pursuit of criminal elements in areas controlled by the MILF.  Why was the process disregarded when soldiers were sent to pursue their military targets in MILF-controlled areas?  Why was the protocol requiring the military and the local police to coordinate efforts in the enforcement of peace and order in insurgents-infested areas, which was adopted by the National Peace and Order Council, disregarded? These and other questions need to be answered.

We at PCID urge the Armed Forces of the Philippines to put to a test the implementation of the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) or Bayanihan, which embodies the new ideals of the AFP as a constantly learning institution that focuses on winning the peace rather than simply defeating the enemy.

—AMINA RASUL, president,

MEX ALLIAN, program director,

Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID)

[email protected]