Friday, May 10, 2013

MILF: Sarangani holds Forum on Responsible Voting and Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro Orientation

From the MILF Website (May 10): Sarangani holds Forum on Responsible Voting and Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro Orientation



More than 600 constituents of Maasim, Sarangani Province attended the Forum on Responsible Voting and Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro Orientation at the Municipal Gymnasium, Maasim, Sarangani Province on April 30, 2013.
  
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Panel Members Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga and Datu Antonio Kinoc and Government of the Philippines (GPH) Peace Panel Member Prof. Yasmin Busran-Lao.

The activity, attended by Moro, IPs and Christian settlers, was conducted in a bid to promote responsible voting and educate the public on the importance of the FAB and updates on the GPH-MILF peace negotiations.



Christopher Penales from Family Planning Organization of the Philippines discussed the importance of choosing the right candidate in the upcoming May 13 national and local elections. He also hinted the voters on the good qualities of candidates to vote. Filipino citizens all over the country will elect leaders from the municipal councillors to the senate.

Lao presented and audio-video presentation on the FAB highlighting the salient points of the agreement which include Revenue Generation and Wealth Sharing, Territory, Basic Rights, Transition and Normalization and the important roles of the third party monitors coming from the international communities.

She said the Transition Commission (TC) was already formed and recently held their maiden en banc session in Manila. TC is tasked to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law and recommend amendment to the constitution.

Lao added that the Term of Reference of the third party monitoring team was already done. “The government has also launched the Sajahatra Bangsamoro at Crossing Simuay that will implement economic and social development initiatives for the Bangsamoro communities,” she disclosed.

The government panel member hoped the comprehensive peace pact agreement will be signed soon and that the Bangsamoro Government will be in place by 2016.

In his presentation, Lingga explained that the FAB is the compromise between the incompatible assertions of GPH and MILF, “while the Bangsamoro asserts for self-determination, the government asserts for sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

“The conflict is between the Bangsamoro People and the Philippine Government,’ he pointed out.

Should the Bangsamoro government be established, replacing the ARMM, he elaborated that, “the relationship with the central government will be asymmetric and the state will have reserve powers while the Bangsamoro will have exclusive powers and there will also be concurrent powers.”

Lingga added that the identity of the Moro people will be Bangsamoro but they will remain Filipino citizens. He said all constituents of the Bangsamoro territory, regardless of ethnicity or belief will enjoy Basic Rights enshrined in the Philippine constitution.

He stressed the Bangsamoro Government will not be exclusive for the MILF and anybody can join the elections.

Kinoc said the rights of the IPs will be respected. He lamented that conflict in Mindanao remains because the government does not want to end it.

Lingga is optimistic that the FAB will realize the Bangsamoro aspiration with the presence of International monitors and the commitment of the parties to implement the agreement before the end of the present administration.

The panellists also answered questions from the audience during the open forum.

The activity was realized with the collaboration of International Monitoring Team-Conflict Prevention Program, Non-Violent Peace Force, and Kalinaw Sarangani Unit-Office of the Governor in partnership with MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), and supported by other local committees of MILF, and Municipal Government of Maasim.

The Local Monitoring Teams from Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat and CCCH members were also present.

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/345-sarangani-holds-forum-on-responsible-voting-and-framework-agreement-on-the-bangsamoro-orientation

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