Skip to content

Philippines Today

home of the Global Filipino

Menu
  • News Stories
  • Regional News
  • Business & Economy
  • Science & Technology
  • International
Menu

GMA dissolves peace panel

Posted on September 5, 2008

PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — NOT only will the government no longer sign the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, it has dissolved its panel negotiating peace with the MILF.

President Macapagal-Arroyo cited recent violent incidents committed by lawless MILF groups as she called for a “new paradigm” on the peace process.

“We have refocused all peace talks from one that is centered on dialogues with rebels to one of authentic dialogues with the communities,” the President said in her speech at the Philippine Trade Training Center.

“There will be no peace through violence, no peace agreement can be or will be reached through intimidation. The way to peace isn’t through the barrel of the gun,” she said.

She maintained that any negotiation with armed groups will be in the context of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.

Ermita said a new peace panel may be reconstituted to include more stakeholders if the MILF would be able to convince the government of their sincerity to go back to the negotiating table. He said this is if the MILF abides by the ceasefire agreement, commits no other violations and surrenders its renegade commanders.

But he also raised the possibility that some members of the peace panel could be retained. The government negotiating team is composed of retired general Rodolfo Garcia, chairman; Prof. Rudy Rodil, vice chairman; and Sylvia Paraguya and Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman as members.

Despite the dissolution of the peace panel, Ermita said the ceasefire remains in place and operations against lawless elements of the MILF continue.

Ermita denied the dissolution of the peace panel was a rebuke of its members even as he said the the signing of the MoA was “too formal” making it appear that it was already a done deal when it was just an agenda item.

“For some reason they lost their perception…Too much formality brought the attention of people…It became an attraction for the TRO to be filed,” he said.

“If we did not have much fanfare in signing e di sana, kami we never had informal signing of the consensus agreement,” he added.

But he said the Palace is not faulting the peace panel members knowing that they acted with the best of intentions.

“Di natin minamasama ang ginawa ng GRP panel,” Ermita said adding that the need to redirect the peace effort was the reason for dissolving the panel.

He said the decision to scrap the government peace panel was reached at Tuesday’s meeting of the National Security Council Cabinet group.

He said the President tasked Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Hermogenes Esperon and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales to go on an official mission to Kuala Lumpur to explain the developments to the Malaysian government.

Pending the reconstitution of the peace panel, Ermita said Esperon will carry out a thorough review of all peace initiatives.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit

Related

News Categories

  • Announcement (34)
  • Business & Economy (1,567)
  • Comment and Opinion (74)
    • Random Thoughts (18)
  • Current Issues (425)
    • Charter Change (1)
    • Election (228)
    • Population (6)
  • International (389)
  • Life In Japan (66)
    • Everything Japan (41)
  • Literary (34)
  • Miscellaneous (610)
  • News Stories (5,312)
  • OFW Corner (297)
  • Others (75)
  • People (408)
  • Press Releases (163)
  • Regional News (3,362)
  • Science and Technology (502)
  • Sports & Entertainment (287)

Latest News

  • BSP keeps policy rates anew December 17, 2015
  • NEDA cuts PHL additional rice import for 2016 by 25% December 17, 2015
  • DA cites serious implications of banning genetically modified products December 17, 2015
  • BBL is not yet dead – Drilon December 17, 2015
  • Comelec recognizes Duterte’s CoC for president December 17, 2015
  • NEDA chief sees 2015 growth at 6% despite typhoons December 17, 2015
  • House of Representatives ratifies bicam report on P3.002-T national budget for 2016 December 17, 2015
  • Cebu-based developer invests PHP430M to build 709 townhouse units in north Cebu town December 17, 2015
  • City gov’t eyes P75-M income from economic enterprise December 17, 2015
  • Baguio City LGU presents traffic plan for holiday season December 17, 2015

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Science and Technology

  • DOST-ICTO targets 500,000 web-based workers from countryside by 2016
  • (Feature) STARBOOKS: A ‘makeover’ for librarians
  • Science, research reduce ‘cocolisap’ hotspot areas in PHL
  • Montejo to further improve PAGASA and empower scientists
  • 1st PPP in biomedical research produces knee replacement system fit for Asians

Press Releases

  • Microsoft to buy Nokia’s mobile devices business for 5.44-B euros
  • New World Bank climate change report should spur SEA and world leaders into action: Greenpeace
  • Save the Philippine Seas before it’s too late — Greenpeace
  • Palanca Awards’ last call for entries
  • Philippines joins the global call for Arctic protection

Comment and Opinion

  • Remembering the dead is a celebration of life
  • Killer earthquake unlikely to hit Panay Island in near future – analyst
  • It’s not just more fun to invest in the Philippines, it is also profitable, says President Aquino
  • How does one differentiate a tamaraw from a carabao?
  • Fun is not just about the place, it is also about the people, says DOT chief

OFW Corner

  • Ebola infection risk low in Croatia
  • Death toll rises to 41, over 100 still missing in landslide in India
  • Asbestos use in construction a labor hazard
  • 500,000 OFWs to benefit POEA on-line transactions — Baldoz
  • 25 distressed OFWs return home from Riyadh
©2025 Philippines Today | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme