The impending pull-out of the Malaysians from the International Monitoring Team in Southern Philippines is a cause of great concern and apprehension among the people of Mindanao. But that remains to be that - a problem of Mindanawons and not of the people of the Republic of the Philippines. Mainstream (read: Manila) media has totally ignored such news as it continues to focus on the other “big” national problems - rice shortage, MERALCO and GSIS, Han Jin corruption, etc.
The impending pull-out however is just the tip of the iceberg. It is symptomatic of a failing peace negotiations with the MILF in specific and symptomatic of imperial Manila’s dealings with the peoples of Mindanao in general. It is characteristic of Manila’s vacillating “carrot-and-stick”, “now-assimilation-tomorrow-autonomy” position.
The planned pull-out however imperils not just the balance of security forces in Mindanao but has international and diplomatic repercussions. It exposes a government that is weak and lacks political will to solve its problems. It exposes a government that has no strategic vision.
My guess is this: it will be just a matter time when the Malaysians will pull-out altogether as third-party facilitator. There is no hope for a negotiated political settlement for peace in Mindanao under this regime of Gloria Arroyo. Why? because, whether we like it or not, the peace agenda in Mindanao is tied to GMA’s political fortunes. GMA is not seeking what is good for Mindanao. Her political calculations are limited to whether an action will be politically beneficial to her or not. For obvious reasons, GMA does not intend to “rock the boat”, to “create problems” for herself by signing a Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain. She’d rather dribble the issue until 2010. There is no hope for peace in Mindanao under GMA’s administration.
