Transition Commish certain Sabah crisis has no impact on peace talks with MILF

From InterAksyon (Apr 3): Transition Commish certain Sabah crisis has no impact on peace talks with MILF

The members of the Transition Commission (TC) tasked to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law do not see the conflict in Sabah having an effect on the peace negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

"The issue of Sabah has never been a subject of negotiations," said TC chair Mohagher Iqbal on Wednesday. "It has never been an issue," he added, amid concern in some quarters that an implicit fear the talks with the MILF will be affected is behind the Aquino government’s “reluctance” to take a stronger stand against Malaysia over the resource-rich territory it has possessed since its federation was created.

The Sulu sultanate which in 1963 asked the Philippine government to handle the claim in its behalf, recently sent hundreds of its followers to Lahad Datu to “reclaim our homeland,” sparking a standoff that has claimed more than 60 lives, and a diplomatic flap between the two ASEAN founding members.

Iqbal said the Sabah conflict is a "bilateral issue between the government of the Philippines and the government of Malaysia" and urged the sultanate of Sulu to settle the matter through peaceful and legal means.

On Wednesday, members of the 15-man TC led by Iqbal met at an en banc session at a Pasig City hotel. The TC expressed hope that the transition authority on the Bangsamoro will be established by 2015 and the ARMM will be abolished. However, Iqbal admitted that they could not push through with discussing "the most substantive" issues unless the three annexes have been completed.

Both the Philippine government and the MILF continue to finalize three out of the four annexes which will lay the road map for the establishment of the Bangsamoro.

Nearing completion are the annexes on power-sharing, wealth-sharing and normalization. r />
The TC remains optimistic. "The gains we have achieved so far are really tremendous. We need to surmount the obstacles," Iqbal said.

Iqbal said pending completion of the three annexes, the TC will focus on strengthening its internal policies such as drafting internal rules, creating a secretariat and other committees.

Formal exploratory talks between the government and the MILF will resume next week in Kuala Lumpur to finalize the three annexes.

Executive Order 120 signed by President Benigno Aquino III on December 17, 2012, mandated the creation of the TC. The latter is tasked to draft the Basic Law which will be certified urgent by the President once submitted to Congress for passage. Once ratified, the Basic Law will pave the way for the creation of the Bangsamoro region.

Members of the 15-man TC are: Johaira Wahab, Talib Benito, Asani Tammang, Pedrito Eisma, Froilyn Mendoza, Fatmawati Salapuddin, Abdulla Camlian, Ibraham Ali, Raissa Jajurie, Melanio Ulama, Hussein Munoz and Said Sheik.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/58585/transition-commish-certain-sabah-crisis-has-no-impact-on-peace-talks-with-milf