DAVAO CITY – Six of nine presidential candidates in the coming elections deemed the protracted peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) a “failure” due to what they claimed as lack of consultations and sincerity by the negotiating panels.

Presidential bets Gilbert Teodoro, Sen. Richard Gordon, Sen. Jamby Madrigal, John Carlo de los Reyes, Nicanor Perlas and Eddie Villanueva gave the peace talks a failing mark when asked on their assessments of the issue during a candidates’ forum at the Ateneo de Davao University campus here Monday.

Sen. Noynoy Aquino of Liberal Party and Sen. Manuel Villar of Nacionalista Party were a no-show while former President Joseph Estrada of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino arrived late without his comment on the peace talks issue raised at the early stage of the three-hour Panaghisgot-hisgut forum.

The assessment of the peace process by the presidential bets followed an earlier contention by administration senatorial bet Silvestre “Bebot” Bello III that in the peace talks, the government position has been rendered weak by the constant changes in the composition of its peace panel leadership.

Bello, a former Justice secretary and government chief panelist for the talks with the communist rebels, asserted that government panel leaders ought to enjoy substantial stint and experience in the negotiations to be able to perform efficiently and effectively the tasks assigned them.

At the forum here Monday, Teodoro, the former defense secretary running as standard-bearer of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said more consultations from the stakeholders are needed for the peace talks to work and finally deliver sustainable and lasting peace in Mindanao.

"We have to conduct consultations not just in the affected areas but also in the places (outside) so that these places would understand the situation and can work with their two senses to help," he said.

“It must be done as much as possible and as many people as possible," said Teodoro, who was easily the crowd’s favorite as gleaned from audience reaction.

Last Feb. 27, some 200 community leaders, Christians, Muslims and tribal Bagobo and Mandaya from Davao City, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental graced the peace advocacy cum consultation by the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel held at a school site in Sirawan Beach.

“This peace advocacy - consultation is for all because peace is for all and justice as an objective of a legitimate struggle and revolution can only be attained when people are well informed,” said MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal in its website as he delved on the updates of the peace process with the government.

"All of us must be part of the process," Gordon, the presidential bet of Bagumbayan Party, told the crowd of mostly students of Ateneo, members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and from various sectoral groups and non-government associations.

He said there was no clear vision as to where Mindanao is going as far as the peace process is concerned. "We have to work with sincerity to attain peace in Mindanao," said Gordon.

For her part, Madrigal, an independent candidate, said the Mindanao peace process was "mismanaged" by the Arroyo administration.