GPH peace panel urges Zamboanguenos to support inclusive peace deal

Posted to the Mindanao Examiner blog site (Nov 4): GPH peace panel urges Zamboanguenos to support inclusive peace deal

Members of the government peace panel have called on different sectors in this city to rally behind the inclusive peace deal that the government is pushing in the ongoing southern peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

According to government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, the presence of the government peace panel in Zamboanga City -- although it’s not part of the proposed Bangsamoro territory -- is to provide the stakeholders the accurate information in the ongoing southern peace talks with the MILF.

“We all know the vitality of the having the accurate information. That is why we are here to share those information to you. At the same time, we also want you to be part of explaining those accurate information to other people,” she said.

“Having accurate information will help us reach a common understanding,” she added.

Colonel-Ferrer, along with Secretary Mehol Sadain, Chair of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, and Atty. Anna Tarhata Basman, the head of the panel’s legal team, arrived in this city on Monday, November 4, to jump start the two-day consultation process with different stakeholders here.

“We really want to know the thoughts of the stakeholders, and listen to their suggestions and advices because we don’t want the occurrence of armed conflict,” Colonel-Ferrer explained to the stakeholders here.
“We encourage everyone to be part of this whole peace process,” she urged.

“This peace negotiation is inclusive. Even though we are talking to the MILF, our main goal here is to address the Bangsamoro question, and all stakeholders will be benefited,” Coronel- Ferrer said during a consultation forum with leaders of Muslim communities here.

For his part, Sadain said that the government’s “efforts with the MILF will benefit also the people of Zamboanga to reap the dividends of peace.”

“I think it is but proper that we put our acts together now and we should realize that whatever happens in other provinces will somehow affect not just Zamboanga City but also the rest of the country,” he said.

The panel also explained the relevancy of the ongoing talks with the MILF as a complementary track of the 1996 Final Peace Process between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to achieve a common solution to address the clamor of the Bangsamoro people.

In the consultation process, the panel explained the dynamics of the tripartite review process with the MNLF, and the government’s plan to converge the 1996 Final Peace Agreement and the future comprehensive agreement with the MILF.

“[There are] two things (tripartite review process between government and the MNLF, and the negotiations between government and the MILF) running on parallel tracks. The hope is for them to converge on the later time, and the best timing would be during the enactment of the Basic Law, where both interests would be taking into consideration,” Sadain explained.

Sadain was referring to the proposed law that will be crafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, and be submitted to the Congress to give more political power to the Bangsamoro. Under the peace plan, the Basic Law will address the deficiencies of the current Republic Act 9054 that created the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The deficiencies in the RA 9054 are also reflected in the 42-concensus points that the government and the MNLF came up in the tripartite review process.

Members of the panel explained that if there were misunderstandings between the government and the MNLF, particularly the Nur Misuari faction, it could be addressed in proper venue such as the tripartite review process, where the two sides can discuss and dialogue, rather than use violence.

The MNLF-Misuari faction attacked this city on September 9 -- five days before the two parties will meet in Indonesia to resume the tripartite review process. More than 100, 000 people here were displaced during the 20-day crisis.

Abdul Hamid Irin, village chairman of the Santa Barbara, said one of the ingredients to end the armed conflict in Mindanao is for the for the peace process to be inclusive. Sta. Barbara is one of the most affected villages during the Zamboanga City standoff.

“It is time for us Muslims to put our acts together and unite for our common good,” Atty. Yaser Sapion of the Darul Iftah said.

Aside from consulting members of the Muslim communities here, the negotiating team also made a courtesy call to Lilia Nuño, the city’s second district representative, and members of the civil society groups.
“It is high time for all Muslims to unite and work together for the common good of all Bangsamoro,” Rep.  Nuño said.

Colonel-Ferrer said despite of the attack perpetuated by the MNLF-Misuari faction in this city, the government is not abandoning the peace process with the MNLF, saying other factions within the organization and still believed in the primacy of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement and did not support the actions taken by Misuari and his followers.

“In fact, there is an ongoing preparation to resume the tripartite review process,” she announced.

“The government is open to talk peace with groups that have legitimate grievances, which do not use violence to pursue their cause,” Basman said.

Among those will be consulted here are the local government unit of this city, the media and other non-government organizations.

http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2013/11/gph-peace-panel-urges-zamboanguenos-to.html