ATS no longer exists – MILF

MANILA, Philippines — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has conceded that the Area of Temporary Stay (ATS) was no longer existing at the time of the Al-Barka massacre in Basilan last October 18.

Von Al-Haq, spokesman for Military Affairs, said the ATS was an interim arrangement between the government and the Moro rebels in 2007 when the Armed Forces launched pursuit operations against Abu Sayyaf bandits who killed 14 Marines, 10 of whom were beheaded.

“The ATS, if I remember right, lasted for two months,” he said.

It was to prevent any misencounter between the military and the MILF forces, Al-Haq said.

He acknowledged that the bigger agreement that should not be taken for granted is the ceasefire signed on Sept. 12, 1997 in Cagayan de Oro City.

“Now, here is a larger agreement that should not be taken for granted by any of the parties to the peace process, the ceasefire agreement and its implementing guidelines,” Al–Haq added.

Troop and supply movement, harassment of civilians, etc., by either side are covered by the ceasefire, he said.

In this guideline, the government forces and the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (MILF-BIAF) are to adhere to the truce, which states: “the cessation of hostilities shall be in effect in the provinces of, cities of, and other places in Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan... to ensure proper coordination.”

Thus, Al-Haq said, if and when either the government or the MILF fails to adhere to this provision of “Rule V- Areas of Coverage of the Cessation of Hostilities,” then the truce is violated.

The ATS, he said, is already past, “we are now talking of the larger picture,” which is the ceasefire and its scope of coverage.

This was also confirmed by Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles, who said the ATS technically no longer exist.

She explained that the ATS is not part of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the MILF and it is now within the prerogative of the AFP if they will no longer respect it.

This clarifies the question earlier raised by Sen. Francis Escudero. He had earlier asked government peace negotiators to explain why it entered into an agreement with the MILF on the creation of ATS.

At the House of Representatives, Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile called on the government and the MILF to draw a timeline to conclude negotiations for a peace agreement.

In a press statement, Enrile said following a time frame will demonstrate the commitment from both sides to work on putting an end to the decade sold conflict in Mindanao.

Enrile said the prolonged hostilities had only “stunted economic growth in many parts of Mindanao. He added that negotiations for a peaceful settlement have been on and off in the past 14 years now.

He said cessation of hostilities and signing of a peace agreement are only a first step in bringing progress in the region, saying social, political and economic reforms need to be undertaken to reach Mindanao’s development potential.

“I believe it is high time for the government and MILF negotiating panels to identify a timeline for reaching a peace agreement as a strong sign of sincerity to end the decades-old conflict in Mindanao,” Enrile stated.

Meanwhile, a ranking Armed Forces officer questioned if the MILF still has control over its men on the ground, particularly those in the island province of Basilan.

He raised this question after Al-Haq said that the ATS has long ceased to exist.

The AFP officer added that now that the MILF, through Al-Haq, has conceded that the ATS was an interim arrangement in 2007 between the government and the Moro rebels and which lasted for only two months, then all the more that the military protest the October 18 murder of 19 soldiers in Al-Barka.

As this developed, the MILF cited the government’s coordination with the MILF, which he said showed ceasefire mechanisms are working to prevent mistaken encounters and unnecessary spilling of blood, among others.

He said it shows the Implementing Administrative Guidelines of the GRP-MILF Agreement on the General Cessation of Hostilities signed by the government and the MILF on Sept. 12, 1997, are holding strongly and have prevented a breakdown of the Mindanao peace process.

Al-Haq did not reveal the details, but he told the Manila Bulletin that last week that the Armed Forces’ Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) sent a message to its MILF counterpart in Cotabato City, informing them of a military-related act.

“That was not the only coordination in the spirit of the ceasefire done by the government CCCH. There were others, which demonstrated that adhering to the truce guidelines is to protect the gains of the peace process,” he said.

On the other hand, he said the MILF when holding even on its camp a peace advocacy seminar for its members is being coordinated with the government.

“It is because even noble intentions if not known by the other party can be construed as something hostile,” said Al-Haq.