Gov't assures protection of tribes' rights under peace framework pact

From the Philippine Star (Dec 28): Gov't assures protection of tribes' rights under peace framework pact

The government assured today that the rights of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in southern region are protected in the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) signed last October. Government peace panel head Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said that the FAB, which the Aquino administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) inked, provides explicitly that the IP rights and freedom of choice shall be respected. She added that customary laws and indigenous dispute resolution mechanisms shall be recognized in the administration of justice in the Bangsamoro, which will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Ferrer said the FAB also ensures the IPs right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in economic development. "Actually these rights are already recognized in our Constitution, national laws like the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act, international laws and covenants, are just reiterated by the FAB," she said. The panel head assured that IPs would be represented in the Transition Commission (TC) tasked to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law. Aside from Muslims and Christians, there are also several groups of IPs living in southern Philippines.

http://www.philstar.com/breaking-news/2012/12/28/891200/govt-assures-protection-tribes-rights-under-peace-framework-pact