KAUSWAGAN, Philippines: The beleaguered Philippine peace process was thrown into disarray yesterday, with the government saying a proposed deal with Muslim rebels must be renegotiated after the fighters shot or hacked 37 people to death.
The announcement came as the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front already appeared to be unraveling after Monday’s rampage, which also led 44,000 people to flee their homes for evacuation centers in the troubled south.
Jesus Dureza, the president’s press secretary, said the government was concerned that the rebel leadership may not be able to control all their forces and such attacks could be repeated. Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera told the Supreme Court “circumstances have changed” since the aborted signing of the Malaysia-brokered accord earlier this month, referring to the rebel attacks and an ambush Sunday that killed four soldiers and four government militiamen.
She asked that challenges to the accord be thrown out because the deal, “in its present form, must undergo a thorough review.” The government will pursue “further negotiations” with the rebels to address issues raised by opponents of the deal. She said the government will also conduct further consultations with those who would be affected by an expanded Muslim autonomous region in the south.
But chief rebel negotiator Mohagher Iqbal ruled out fresh negotiations, saying both sides had initialed a memorandum. He called resuming talks “like opening a can of worms.” “It’s going to be a deadlock,” Iqbal told The Associated Press by phone. “They would call for a renegotiation, and we will not renegotiate. We have other options.” He refused to elaborate but said an escalation in fighting was possible.
Philippine troops already have been walking a tightrope, with orders to pursue Muslim fighters blamed for the recent attacks without jeopardizing the peace process.
The two-track policy was outlined during a frustration-packed town hall meeting where Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro heard local officials and residents angrily demand all-out war against the rebels.
