Aquino: Sabah incident won't affect GPH-MILF peace talks

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 25): Aquino: Sabah incident won't affect GPH-MILF peace talks

President Benigno Aquino III Monday said peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front remain on track despite the incident in Sabah where armed followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III engaged in firefight with Malaysian forces.

"The Sabah issue should not affect the ongoing talks with the MILF," the President said in an interview with Palace reporters at the sidelines of the 5th Anniversary Celebration of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) held in Pasay City.

"We’ve been very transparent. They haven’t changed. We want to finish all of the annexes. But we also have to be able to come to an understanding on these annexes, so that the crafting of the new organic act will be something that all stakeholders can agree to and rally behind to," he stressed.

Meanwhile, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita "Ging" Deles said the first en banc meeting of the 15-member Transition Commission has been reset in the first week of April.

Deles said the President has requested that the 37th round of formal exploratory talks that was originally scheduled to begin today (March 25) be reset to April next month.

Government peace panel Chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer with two other panel members -- Yasmin Busran-Lao and Senen Bacani -- are currently in Kuala Lumpur to personally convey the request and to set with their counterparts the new date for the talks, she said.

The Transition Commission, whose composition comes from vital Bangsamoro constituencies, is tasked with drawing out stakeholders' sentiments that will be considered in shaping inclusive, participatory and empowering social and political institutions in the future Bangsamoro.

These features will be embodied in the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law which the Transition Commission will craft for submission to Congress.

The Philippine government and MILF panel chairs will likewise discuss the preparations being undertaken for the Transition Commission.

"As the President said today, it is important to finish all the annexes, which requires reaching a meeting of the minds on these annexes. This will, in turn, help in the process of crafting a new organic act so that the final outcome will be legislation all stakeholders agree to, and rally behind," said Deles.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=510466