Oil, gas exploration in Mindanao to jeopardize ongoing peace talks, MILF warns
DAVAO City, Philippines—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) warned on Saturday that the peace process could be jeopardized by the Aquino government’s allowing of foreign companies to conduct off- and on-shore oil explorations in areas seen by the rebel group as part of the Bangsamoro ancestral domain.
Ghadzali Jaafar, vice chairman for political affairs of the central committee of MILF, said in a statement that the issue could “consequently preempt the intent of the parties to the negotiations to frame a comprehensive compact formula that would allow the Bangsamoro people to exercise governance over self-sustaining natural resource-based territorial homeland on their remaining ancestral domain.”
“In light of the recent activities of foreign companies to explore and exploit the natural resources in the Bangsamoro ancestral homeland, the central committee of the MILF serves notice that it vehemently opposes such economic activities,” Jaafar said in an e-mailed statement.
The Department of Energy’s 4th Philippine Energy Contracting Round (PECR 4) has identified two areas in Cotabato and Sulu in its 10 million-hectare target for oil exploration. The investment was projected to reach around $7.5 billion.
“The MILF urges the GPH [Philippine government] to temporarily suspend the operations of foreign companies set to conduct off-shore and on-shore oil explorations in areas/territories covered by the Bangsamoro ancestral domain,” Jafaar said.
They also urged private companies to distance themselves from investments that will supposedly aggravate the injustice experienced by the Moro people.
“The MILF also serves notice on all private companies not to allow themselves to be accomplices in further depriving the Bangsamoro of their remaining ancestral domain. We have been minoritized in our own homeland of Mindanao due to massive land-grabbing and resettlement programs. And now, the little resources that is remaining to us, some of those in the private sector and their partners in government still greedily covet,” Jafaar said.
According to Jaafar, the natural resources of the so-called Bangsamoro homeland rightfully belong to the Bangsamoro people.
The ancestral domain being claimed by the MILF is considered to be the central issue in the ongoing peace negotiations.
“And for as long as this issue remains yet to be resolved on the negotiating table, attempts to exploit and utilize these natural resources by foreign corporate entities in partnership with or with the expressed permission of the GPH would result in depriving the Bangsamoro people of their collective proprietary right over said resources,” Jafaar said.
