Gov’t offers MILF rebels ‘enhanced autonomy’ to end rebellion
THE Philippine government has offered the Moro Islamic Liberation Front “enhanced autonomy” in the hope of sealing a peace accord to end 40 years of rebellion, the government’s chief negotiator said Monday.
Annabelle Abaya said the government hoped the fresh offer would convince the MILF to sign a peace accord before a new president is sworn in on June 30.
Abaya added that in enhanced autonomy, the president is offering to share powers.
Power-sharing with the large Muslim minority would cover such areas as tax collection and the control of natural resources in areas of the South that Filipino Muslims claim as their ancestral domain.
The offer was made in Kuala Lumpur last week when MILF and government panels met in the first formal peace talks since fighting broke out in 2008 over a failed draft peace accord. That earlier draft was struck down by the Supreme Court, which ruled it unconstitutional.
The MILF confirmed that peace talks were to resume in Kuala Lumpur on February 18. (PIA)
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