Despite obstacles, the roadmap to a lasting peace in Mindanao continued to gain headway in 2013 as the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) resolved and signed major issues like the Annex on Transitional Arrangements and Modalities, Wealth Sharing and the Sajahatra Bangsamoro, the first socioeconomic program that provides basic social benefits to previously unreached conflict-areas in Mindanao.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles summed up the accomplishments for 2013 "based on our work on the shared principles of mutual respect, devolution, inclusivity, harmony and good governance."
”In all our efforts at the negotiating table, we sought to find the good balance between what is just, practical and constitutional for this moment in our peoples’ history, and those other, higher aspirations that may find fruition and wider acceptability in some later future time but not now,” Deles said in her yearend statement.
She also said that “the year 2013 is the year we came to terms with what are possible and doable to get to the first, elected Bangsamoro government in 2016.”
It may be recalled that the GPH and the MILF signed the Annex on Transitional Agreements and Modalities in February 2013 that elaborated the roadmap to peace.
This was followed with the signing of the Sajahatra Bangsamoro, the first socioeconomic program of its kind providing basic social benefits to previously unreached members of conflict-affected areas.
Deles said that “for the first time, the incumbent President (Benigno S. Aquino III) and his Cabinet entered the MILF camp, where the launching ceremony was festively held before leaders and members of the MILF and international dignitaries.”
The negotiation between the two sides was further bolstered with the signing of the Annex on Wealth Sharing in July 2013.
This was followed with the signing of the Annex on Power Sharing early this month, which Deles described as “the third big hurdle since the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro in October 2012."
The wealth sharing provides the foundation for the meaningful autonomy envisioned for the Bangsamoro political entity and its constituents as it defines the new structure of government and lists the various modes of power that will be shared between the Central Government and the Bangsamoro, Deles said.
She also said that as expected, the negotiations during the year “faced many challenges from those who chose to continue the path of violence and the skeptics who have seen earlier similar processes fall back on expectations and the disgruntled who feel they would lose privileges they have long enjoyed.”
Undaunted, Deles said: “To all of them, we extend the hand of peace and open ourselves to dialogue and continuous engagement in the hope that we will find fair reconciliation."
The most critical part of the negotiations in 2013 occurred with “scores of harassment initiated by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) against military outposts and personnel in
The BIFF exploded bombs in different parts of Mindanao, particularly in Cagayan de Oro City in July, and in
But the most serious was the 21-day Zamboanga siege carried out by forces loyal to Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari last September that killed hundreds of people, both combatants and civilians caught in the crossfire.
“We grieved with all the victims of these atrocities and condemned the senseless violence. And we will continue to do so until once and for all, we take the guns away from our political life,” Deles stressed.
"Catastrophes, whether self-inflicted or by force majeure, have thankfully not broken the Filipinos’ spirit. They have strengthened and united us towards the common purpose of rebuilding lives and reconstructing communities affected by such mix-match of tragedies," she said.
“By early next year, we aim to finalize the remaining Annex on Normalization, as well as an addendum on the Bangsamoro waters. The Annex on Normalization will concretize our vision for a post-conflict Bangsamoro. For this purpose, we shall be putting in place the new infrastructure that would pull together all our efforts in the security, socioeconomic and transitional justice aspects,” she added.
Deles also said that “in 2014, we will also be working closely with the Transition Commission and Congress to ensure the smooth passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.”
“All of the accomplishments in the GPH-MILF peace process were made possible through the collective efforts, trust, and goodwill of both parties, our respective principals, and the unwavering support of various sectors to push the process forward,” Deles said.
Primacy of the peace process
During the negotiations, Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said the progress in the GPH-MILF peace talks was largely attributed to the government and MILF’s upholding of the primacy to the peace process.
“It is a mutual decision that both are seriously upholding. Both have heavily invested in it and correspondingly are committed to the peace negotiations’ successful completion and implementation,” she added.
“The MILF is just as committed as the government to be able to complete this process. As the MILF panel also says, ‘Failure is not an option,’” Ferrer said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=599584
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