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.

The Peacemakers: GPH Peace Panel*

Chair: Dean Marvic MVF Leonen

source:opapp.gov.ph

Panel Chair Dean Marvic MVF Leonen is the Dean of the University of the Philippines-College of Law. Last July 19, 2010, Dean Leonen was designated by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III as the panel chair for the Government Negotiating Panels for Talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Dean Leonen is expert in the fields of Constitutional Law, Agrarian Reform Law, Philippines Indigenous Law and Civil Procedure. He served as a regular faculty of the UP College of Law since 1989. His advocacy extends to areas of human rights, agrarian reform, ancestral domain and health. Apart from his active engagements in the field of law, he also served as the Vice-President for Legal Affairs and University General Counsel of the UP System.

He obtained his AB Economics (magna cumlaude) and Law Degree from UP and his Master of Laws from the College of Law of Columbia University in New York.

E-mail address: chairgrpmilftalks@gmail.com

Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer

source:up.edu.ph

The sole woman in the panel is professor of Political Science at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. Her areas of specialization are peace and conflict studies, human rights, and international humanitarian law, and comparative politics of Southeast Asia. Professor Ferrer was one of the 27 Filipina nominees to the 1000 Women for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize nominations. She has written several books, and journal articles on peace process, civil society, and regional autonomy. Before joining the government panel, Ferrer was involved in various national and global peace campaigns and had served as visiting professor in several Asian universities.

E-mail address: mcf178@yahoo.com

Secretary Senen Bacani

bridgingleadership.aim.edu

Senen Bacani served as the Agriculture Secretary from 1990-1992, during the administration of Corazon Aquino. During his term, he was hailed as the Most Outstanding Cabinet Member by the Philippine Senate. Among his notable awards are the Benedictine Centennial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Agriculture (1995), Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2006), La Sallian Achievement Award for Social Entrepreneurship (2008) and the 1^st Ramon V. del Rosario Sr. Award for Nation Building.

E-mail Address: scbacani@ultex.com.ph

Mayor Ramon Piang Sr.

photo source: synergeia.org.ph

Mayor Ramon Piang belongs to the Teduray tribe and has been active in the advancement of the rights of the indigenous peoples. He has served as the Mayor of Upi for three terms and has served as the Vice Mayor of the same town in June 2010. In April 2011, he again became the Mayor of Upi.

Mayor Piang was one of the Ten Outstanding Mayors in 2003 and was named the Most Exemplary Individual by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation 3^rd Triennial Award in 2006. He has likewise paved the way for Upi to receive the following accolades: Kaagapay Seal of Excellence in Local Governments (2004), Gawad Galing Pook Award for Tri-people Way of Conflict Resolution (2004), Most Outstanding LGU for Bantugan (2010).

E-mail address: rap_upians@yahoo.com

* The profile was distributed during the 2nd National Solidarity Conference on Mindanao 2011.