June 10, 2000, The Philippine Star, Palace: What all out war? 'AFP on technical ceasefire since 1997', by Marichu Villanueva,

June 10, 2000, The Philippine Star, Palace: What all out war? 'AFP on technical ceasefire since 1997', by Marichu Villanueva,

Never mind the body bags, the soldiers coming home maimed. Malacañang said yesterday that the administration has not declared an "all-out war" against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mindanao, and that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has in fact been in a "technical ceasefire" with the MILF since 1997. 

A day after saying it would reject a call from the influential Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) for a ceasefire with the MILF, Malacañang said yesterday it was now "ready really to have a ceasefire." But while saying a truce is possible, Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said, "it must be a ceasefire that must be respected by the other side, and to do this the military might of the MILF should not be that large and not that powerful." 

"That is why we are continuing with the peace talks. That is why we have not been meeting militarily, unless there are violations. If there are violations, we need to fight, of course," Zamora said. Malacañang earlier said the ceasefire call contained in a draft communiqué of the 54-nation OIC is an interference in the Philippines' internal affairs. 

The government and the MILF "technically have been under a ceasefire" since 1997 when they started peace negotiations, Zamora said, but "many violations by the other side" led to hostilities. "We cannot just be silent when our towns are attacked, when our units are ambushed, if there are extortions on our public highways," Zamora said. 

"Nobody was saying total, all-out war. What we are saying is, if we are attacked, of course we will respond," Zamora added. "However, there is no all-out war in Mindanao. What we want is all-out peace and that is what is important to us." 

Yesterday, former President Fidel Ramos also called for a ceasefire, warning that the government's military offensive in Mindanao would drive the MILF into terrorism. Aside from a ceasefire, the OIC is poised to issue a draft communique asking Manila to postpone the 2003 elections in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). 

Zamora said a bill certified by Malacañang as urgent is already pending in Congress. The bill proposes that the polls be held simultaneously with the May 2001 general elections. "Now, on the question of whether allowing incumbent officials of ARMM like Gov. Nur Misuari should be given an extension, it's really up to the Senate and the House of Representatives," Zamora said. 

Ramos yesterday said in a press forum that the government risked getting "castigated" by the OIC for its conduct in Mindanao. The Department of Foreign Affairs said the government is counting on its "friends" in the OIC to block the adoption of the draft communique. 

"I suppose we have friends in the OIC and this resolution is always adopted by consensus so if one or two or three friendly OIC countries will not go along with the resolution, the resolution will not be adopted," Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Lauro Baja Jr. said. Some of the OIC member states that are sympathetic to Manila, Baja said, are Indonesia, Malaysia and Iran. 

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) led by Misuari is an observer in the OIC while the Philippines enjoys invitee status. The MILF is trying to obtain observer status in the OIC whose foreign ministers will meet in Kuala Lumpur this month. 

Ramos said the OIC must give the Philippines observer status so Manila could rebut criticism. The influential Roman Catholic Church also renewed its call for ceasefire yesterday, saying that the fighting was causing so much hardship on the populace. 

In Quezon City, hundreds of Muslims held a rally criticizing the government for failing to address the concerns of Muslims in Mindanao. Ramos dismissed the Estrada administration's strategy that battlefield victories would force the rebels to sue for peace. 

"The matter of negotiating from a position of strength because of military control of camps is a fallacy because you are losing too many points in the political front," said Ramos. 

"I hope we can go back to basics -- we seem to be mesmerized by this capture of camps. They are just going to slip out as little guerilla units and harass the towns." 

Ramos had a 45-year career in the military, which included operations in Mindanao. "The occupation of territory is not the objective of counter- guerilla operations," he said. It was under Ramos's administration that the government struck a historic peace deal in 1996 with the MNLF. 

Lasting peace, Ramos said, could only be possible through development and he accused his successor, President Estrada, of failing to follow up on the 1996 peace deal. There were provisions to include MNLF splinter groups like the MILF gradually into the peace process, Ramos said, but the Estrada administration failed to follow it up. 

"It was interrupted by the change in administration, the continuity that was needed did not happen," he said. Taking note of the occasions when Mr. Estrada wore military uniforms, Ramos said it contradicted the government's intention in forging peace with the rebels. 

"In my six-year term, there was not an instance that I wore a military uniform. Maybe a boy scout uniform," Ramos said, grinning.-- With reports from AFP, Liberty Dones, Paolo Romero, Aurea Calica, Sandy Araneta, Jaime Laude