Philippines: Autonomy Mindanao deal 'illegal'

by rahul | October 14, 2008 at 05:47 am

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As Philippine President Gloria Arroyo prepared to confront a fourth impeachment, the supreme court ruled as illegal her negotiated deal to give Muslim separatists control over Southern Mindanao.The deal negotiated on 4th Aught and called "Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain" was to have paved the way for a final political settlement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which has been fighting for autonomy in the south of the country since 1978." It proposed the establishment of a "sub-state" for Moros in an "associative relationship" of "shared sovereignty" with the Philippines. Such deal did not fancy the MILF's original goal of independence though. However, the local opposition claimed it would give Arroyo greater popularity and a chance to look for re election. In addition, "Christian politicians claimed it violated the constitution and would lead to the country being split." During the last weeks and after the collapse of the negotiations, there has been escalating violence and clashes with the military forces. In reaction, the government has sent troops to Mindanao. President Arroyo promised to resume peace talks only if separatists stop violence.

The Philippine supreme court has ruled that a deal giving Muslim separatists control over about 700 towns and villages on the southern Mindanao island was illegal. The government had already effectively shelved the deal after the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) had reacted to an earlier court injunction by launching a series of attacks. The raids on dozens of town and villages left at least 37 people dead.
Gleo Guerra, a spokewoman for the Philippines supreme court, said on Tuesday that eight of 15 justices had voted to declare the deal unconstitutional. The Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain was to have paved the way for a final political settlement with the MILF, which has been fighting for autonomy in the south of the country since 1978. But the court had blocked the signing of the deal on August 4 after Christian politicians claimed it violated the constitution and would lead to the country being split. Gloria Arroyo, the president, has sent additional troops to Mindanao and said peace talks will resume only if the separatists disarm and the leaders responsible for the renewed attacks surrender.