Office of the President of the Philippines Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process

Comments on the SWS June 2013 Survey on the GPH-MILF Talks By Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer, Chair of the GPH Negotiating Panel 1 October 2013
In all, we are pleased to find that 7 of 10 Filipinos remain hopeful that a peace deal will be reached between the Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. We also note that this hope is most enduring among our brothers and sisters in Mindanao who are most affected by the violence and its negative short- and long-term consequences. Equally important, based on the survey results, it appears that both Muslim and nonMuslim Filipinos share and nurture this hopefulness. The highest point in Filipino hopefulness under the present administration was 83% in June 2011; the lowest point was 58% percent in May 2012. Although manifesting a decline from the March 2013 results, June 2013s 70% hopeful and somewhat hopeful was not the lowest point of hopefulness and in all, still a good indicator. It is expected that hopes rise and fall with developments in the peace process. The decline from March 2013s 80 percent to that of June 2013 can be attributed to the time lag from the first Annex signed in February 2013 to the second Annex that was eventually signed in July 2013. Now, it is true that the hope is not matched by the belief that a comprehensive agreement with the MILF can be reached within the term of President Benigno Aquino III. In Sept 2011, only 52% believed this could be done. Since then, the expectation declined significantly until March 2013 with 49% of respondents expectant the deal can be completed before or by 2016. That the assessment again declined in June 2013 to 35% can be attributed similarly to the delay between the signing of the first and that of the second Annex. The challenge for the GPH and the MILF panels of course remains, and that is, to close the gap between the hope and the actual expectation that we will have a comprehensive agreement under this President. For this reason, the two panels are working exhaustively to come to terms with the remaining issues in the Annexes on Power Sharing and Normalization. Despite the violence instigated by other groups such as the BIFF, the Khilafah Islamiya Movement, the ASG and the Misuari-faction, the GPH and the MILF have continuously met formally and informally or through intermediaries in order to reach common ground.

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6/F, Agustin 1 Bldg F. Ortigas Jr. Road, OrtigasCenter, Pasig City www.opapp.gov.ph

Tel. No.: 6360701 Fax No. 6382216