ZAMBOANGA CITY — Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat Sunday complained that the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front (GRP-MILF) are shrouded in “secrecy and non-transparency.”

Lobregat made the complaint about the “conspiracy of secrecy” in the peace talks after GRP panel led by Undersecretary Rafael Seguis failed to show up at a congressional hearing last Monday.

He said the congressional hearing was conducted in relation to a bill filed by Zamboanga City district 1 Rep. Isabel Climaco, urging the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPPAP) to disclose specific details concerning the renewed peace talks with the MILF.

The mayor, who attended the hearing, said that the government panel did not show up, apparently because Malacañang had not given Seguis the clearance to appear at the hearing.

The hearing pushed through and was attended by the MILF spokesman, North Cotabato Vice Gov. Emmanuel Piñol and Presidential Peace Adviser Annabelle Abaya, among other personalities.

Lobregat also confirmed that Tomas Cabili, an earlier member of the peace panel representing the non-government organization, is not just a consultant.

“Even Secretary Abaya herself did not know about this until I told the congressional committee,” the mayor here said.

He urged the government peace panel not to exchange documents yet with the MILF until a consultation is conducted on the ground.

Lobregat was reacting to reports in the national dailies that there had been an exchange of drafts between the government and the MILF panels during the resumption of the peace talks in Malaysia last December 2009.