Friday, January 31, 2014

MILF: BTC Chairman and Commissioners meet House Leaders

From the MILF Website (Jan 31): BTC Chairman and Commissioners meet House Leaders



Officials of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) were warmly received at the House of Representatives January 29 in a courtesy call described by the commission’s head as “seeking advises and wisdom” from the legislators.
  
BTC Chairman Mohagher Iqbal told House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. that their visit is the first step in the engagements to be made by the Commission especially if the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) would be transmitted already to Congress. He expressed hope that the “collective wisdom of Congress will guide it in passing a good legislation (BBL).”

Belmonte, along with nine other congressmen, considered it a “great honor” to have Iqbal and thirteen other commissioners.

The Speaker congratulated both the MILF and GPH Peace Panels for the January 25 signing of the last of four annexes to the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro as well as the addendum on Bangsamoro waters. He assured the BTC that the House would be “open-minded” as far as the BBL is concerned and that they are willing to assist the commission “singly or collectively.”


The congressmen who joined the speaker in receiving the BTC expressed support for the peace process.

Rep. Pangalian M. Balindong (Lanao del Sur, 2nd District) emphasized the need to have a just and permanent settlement of the conflict in Mindanao.

Rep. Ronaldo B. Zamora (San Juan City, Lone District) hopes that the peace talks would end in the right way.

A former AFP Chief of Staff and Senator, Rep. Rodolfo G. Biazon (Muntinlupa City, Lone District) described the signed Annex on Normalization as a “leap of faith” while Rep. Gabriel Luis R. Quisumbing (Cebu, 6th District) called it a document of “historic significance.”

AMIN Party-list Representative Sitti Djalia A. Turabin-Hataman, wife of ARMM Regional Gov. Mujib Hataman, appealed to her fellow lawmakers “not to let the opportunity pass” for the enactment of the law that would finally bring peace to Mindanao.

Zamboanga City 2nd District Rep. Lilia Macrohon-Nuño, Albay 2nd District Rep. Al Francis C. Bichara, Sultan Kudarat 2nd District Arnulfo F. Go, and Basilan Lone District Rep. Jim Hataman-Salliman also relayed similar statements.

BTC Chairman Iqbal remarked that there has been no easy part of the 17 long years of hard negotiations, but that with focus and determination showed by both peace panels the agreements have been. “There is no option except to finish the peace process,” he said.

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/793-btc-chairman-and-commissioners-meet-house-leaders

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