FAB wins support in Cebu and the Visayas

Posted to the MILF Website (Mar 20): FAB wins support in Cebu and the Visayas

Displaced Moros who are presently living in Cebu and the Visayas expressed strong support for the immediate implementation of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and called on the Philippine Government (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to address their plight.

This expression of support was done during a well-attended Partners’ Forum with the theme “Addressing the Plight of Internally Displaced Moros in the Light of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro” spearheaded by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF-7) and held at the Grand Convention Center in Cebu City last March 13, 2013 from 9AM to 4PM.

“If there is real love towards one another in the hearts of every Filipino, then, there could be no conflict and displacement. My personal advocacy is geared towards caring for mother earth, loving one another and promoting peace and it is in this context that I welcome all the participants in this partners’ forum,” said Hon. Michael Rama, Mayor of Cebu City, in his welcome address.

Dr. Saffrullah M. Dipatuan, Chairman of the Bangsamoro Development Agency, delivered a message as official representative of Hon. Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, Chairman of the MILF Central Committee, who was not able to grace the forum as guest speaker due to his very hectic schedule and prior commitments.

Dr. Dipatuan thanked the people of Cebu and the Visayas and respective local government units for their patience and hospitality in hosting this big number of displaced Moros who were forced to leave their homeland as a result of the conflict in Mindanao.

“The Framework Agreement hopes to finally bring an end to the centuries-old conflict in Mindanao as it will address the injustices committed against the Bangsamoro people right in their homeland.” Dr. Dipatuan said. The succeeding Filipino colonial regimes that occupied Malacañang after the exit of the Americans aggravated their situation by putting up settlements and non-recognition of the sultanates. The FAB therefore, was carefully crafted to correct those injustices and aims to restore the honor and dignity of a nation that long suffered from colonialism and oppression. It will also restore the identity of the Moro people as a nation deprived of them by foreign and local colonizers.

“The fruits of a just and lasting peace and sustainable development will not only be reaped by the Bangsamoro, in particular, but by the entire Filipino people, in general. This is not only for us (the Muslim community), it is for everybody regardless of whether you are a Muslim, a Christian or a Lumad,” Dr. Dipatuan further said.

Undersecretary Bae Yashmin Busran-Lao, Presidential Adviser on Muslim Concerns, a member of the GPH Peace Negotiating Panel and a longtime advocate for gender sensitivity, underscored the sincerity of the government under H.E. President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III in putting an end to the conflict in Mindanao through the completion of the negotiation on the annexes to the FAB and the sincere; meaningful implementation of the said accord.

“Presently, there are around 280,000 internally displaced Moros in the entire Visayas, 60,000 of whom are in Cebu city, who are marginalized and experiencing severe difficulties in finding dignified livelihood because they are victims of the protracted war in Mindanao that includes the year 2000 all-out war,” launched by then President Joseph Ejercito Estrada”, said Acting Regional Director Malo Manonggiring of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF-7).

The more than 250 participants of the forum came from different government line agencies, interfaith groups, academe, non-government organizations such as the Rotary Club International, national and regional officials of the NCMF, and the Bangsamoro communities in different parts of Metro Cebu and the Visayas.

Before the end of the program, the representatives of various groups signed unanimously a resolution of support to the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, called on both parties to address the plight of the hundreds of thousands of displaced Moros who are now living outside of the Bangsamoro territories and asked the government to include the NCMF in the different government agencies that were mandated to participate in the Task Force Bangsamoro Development.

The representative of the Rotary Club International expressed their plan to replicate this forum in Davao City in two months time. They will invite a representative from the MILF to present their perspective on the FAB.

The issue of so-called internally displaced Moros or those who opted to reside and are now residing in Luzon and the Visayas due to economic reason; or are engaged in trading or business ventures is explicitly mentioned in the FAB under VI. Basic Rights, Paragraph 4 states that, “The Central Government shall ensure the protection of the rights of the Bangsamoro people residing outside the territory of the Bangsamoro and undertake programs for the rehabilitation and development of their communities. The Bangsamoro Government may provide assistance to their communities to enhance their economic, social and cultural development”.

Once in place, the Bangsamoro Government will not lead them astray and shall provide assistance if ever necessary or when situation calls for it. Outpouring of domestic and foreign assistance; grants including investments is inevitable once the Bangsamoro Region takes-off. The opportunity for everyone especially those residing outside the proposed new political entity are for them to return to their homeland so they can partake on the fruits of the success of decade of Moro struggle and peace negotiation.

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