Opening Salvo?

There's a call for the GPH and MILF to declassify their proposals. As the third party facilitator tries to reconnect and bring back the two panels to the negotiating table, would opening these documents help build or break the talks?

One of the reasons why the proposals are kept in confidentiality is to give both panels flexibility to negotiate based on the issues and substance of the problem as to how they understand it, and not be influenced by the perceptions of the masses. Why involve people who may not be directly affected? Do the people from Batanes need to know the content of the substate and 3-for-1 proposals?

MOA-AD was declared unconstitutional due to the lack of consultation, and the negative perception of the Filipinos including those who are in Manila.. The negative perception is not based on the substance of the memorandum but on the pronouncements of the politicians and different interpretations of those opinion-makers.

Would declassifying these documents help the peace talks move forward? Since one of the proposals involve constitutional amendments, which to be decided by the Filipino people as a whole, perhaps it's time to declassify these documents. The Filipino people will be fully on-board on the process and not keep on guessing as to the content. This would also test the water whether the Filipino people are open for the substate concept. The fear of "independence" attached on the substate concept will be thoroughly evaluated by the people themselves. Should the 3-for-1 proposal of the Leonen panel be acceptable to the majority of the Bangsamoro people, then there might be reconsideration in the side of the MILF.

After having a talk with one peacemaker, I realized that the end-product of the negotiation should have one quality: "acceptability" to the Bangsamoro people. Whether its substate, 3-for-1, or [autonomy], since this includes a national issue (charter amendment) it should also add another quality: "acceptability" to the majority of the Filipinos as a whole, which requires a massive information campaign. Declassifying the documents could be a good start.

There was a raging storm after the MOA-AD initials, I hope this time the storm will be before the settlement signing.