ISTAMBAY SA MINDANAO

Those who are familiar with peace negotiations could understand the nature of talks being held there. Important but confidential, these are only two of the important considerations.

Any point being brought up or agreed upon bears impact to people —the respective constituencies of each negotiating party.

In the case of the government negotiating peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, each peace panel was entrusted with their stands on major talking points.

But major stands on the talking points may have to be brought open for consensus, if not compromise in the negotiating table — a market place of options. A major stand have to stand some modifications, which require consultations with their constituencies or what they call in the GRP-MILF peace panels as their “principals.”

All these come in the limelight now as both panels signal optimism for an upcoming return to formal talks early next year—well, after breaking from more than a year of impasse on ancestral domain issues.

The same has caused jitters and worries from the wider stakeholders to peace in Mindanao, especially with a bumpy road experience in the implementation of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front.

Here comes the call for transparency from the wider publics, so-called “outsiders” of the peace negotiating table.

Check this out for some updates.