MILF lauds appointment of new peace panel chair

From ABS-CBN (Dec 8): MILF lauds appointment of new peace panel chair

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Saturday lauded President Benigno Aquino III's appointment of Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer as the new chairperson and chief negotiator of the government peace panel. "Nagagalak kami at meron nang napili ang Pangulong Aquino para maging chief o head ng GPH negotiating peace panel. Napaka-importante po nito," MILF political affairs chief Ghadzali Jaafar said on ANC's "Dateline Philippines". He said the MILF is not particular with who replaces Marvic Leonen, the former chief of the government peace panel, as long as the new appointee is someone the President can trust. Jaafar said, "Ito ay prerogative, karapatan ng Pangulo ng Pilipinas na piliin 'yung taong pwede niyang pagkatiwalaan sa trabahong ito na napaka-importante." "Nakasalalay po diyan ang kinabukasan ng mga napakadaming tao in Mindanao at apektado din ang buong Pilipinas," he added.

Coronel-Ferrer, an adviser of the peace panel's technical working group, will be replacing Leonen, who was recently appointed by Aquino as associate justice to the Supreme Court. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles earlier said Coronel-Ferrer deserves the post given her competence and track record with the peace panel since 2010.

Framework agreement developments

After the signing of the framework agreement last October, Jaafar said the MILF has started educating the people on its provisions. He said it is very important that people really understand the said agreement since some still have apprehensions over the creation of the Bangsamoro government. "Halimbawa (iniisip ng iba) 'pag andiyan na 'yung Bangsamoro government, 'yung mga non-Muslims pipigilan ng Bangsamoro government mag-practice ng kanilang religion," Jaafar said. "Dapat maintindihan nila na in Islam, there is no coercion of religion. 'Di pwedeng pilitin mo 'yung tao na umalis sa kanyang religion. At kabilang 'yan sa provision ng framework agreement, 'yung right to worship," he added. He said also another misconception is that once the Bangsamoro government is established, Muslims would then take the lands of the Christians. Jaafar said, "Pinapaliwanag namin sa kanila na 'di mangyayari 'yun. Sinasabi ko nga sa kanila hindi mga land robbers ang mga Bangsamoro." He said the MILF and the government peace panel will soon resume talks on the annexes of the framework agreement. "Hangga't hindi natatapos ito at hindi satisfied ang dalawang panig, we must continue this," he said.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/12/08/12/milf-lauds-appointment-new-peace-panel-chair