Arroyo seeks Qatar's support over Mindanao

PHILIPPINE President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will seek Qatar’s mediation in finding a peaceful solution to the Moro insurgency when she meets HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani today, a top official accompanying the president told Gulf Times yesterday.

“We will request HH the Emir to support us with rehabilitation and development assistance in the conflict-hit Mindanao region, in our scheduled meeting on Sunday,” presidential peace advisor General (R) Hermogenes Esperon Jr said.

Esperon, who holds the rank of a federal minister, said that third country participation in the peace process could come in the form of ‘facilitation’. “They (‘facilitators’) put together the talks, they arrange talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),” he said.

“Another form of participation can be joining the international monitoring team, which consists of uniformed men who help uphold the ceasefire. We have joint committees for the ceasefire (between MILF and Manila) but this is monitored by an international team,” he said.

The International Monitoring Team (IMT) used to be composed of Malaysia, Libya, Brunei and Japan. Malaysia has been heading the IMT for four years as well as facilitating the conduct of the peace talks between the government and MILF for the past seven years.

However, Malaysia has decided to suspend its participation in the IMT upon expiry of its mandate on November 30.

“It used to be Malaysia that assisted with the rehabilitation and development assistance in the Muslim areas of Mindanao, but there may be the need of several facilitators,” Esperon Jr said.

“Currently we have two agreements holding: one is the ceasefire and the second is the rehabilitation and development agreement,” he said.

According to him, the government now needs to tackle the “ancestral domain aspect” as “that’s where we are having some difficulties.”

He denied the last ceasefire deal had failed and said it was still holding. President Arroyo is on a three-day state visit to Qatar.

HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani led the well-wishers who received President Arroyo upon her arrival at Doha International Airport.

Also on hand to receive the president were HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Fahd al-Thani, the chief of the Emiri Protocols, HE Dr Sultan bin Hassan al-Dhabit al-Dousari, the minister of labour, who is also head of the accompanying mission of honour, HE Sheikh Fahd bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Abdurrhaman al-Thani, the minister of business and trade, HE Abdullah Ahmed al-Muttawa, Qatar’s ambassador to the Philippines and Isaias Begonia, the Philippine ambassador to Qatar.