MILF Transition Commish meets Congress leaders on peace accord

From InterAksyon (Jan 29): MILF Transition Commish meets Congress leaders on peace accord



House leaders led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte meet with members of the MILF Transition Commission at the House of Representatives Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014. PHOTO BY LIRA DALANGIN-FERNANDEZ, INTERAKSYON.COM

Members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Transition Commission set foot on the House of Representatives on Wednesday and met with the chamber's leaders, discussing in brief the historic peace agreement.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. led the House contingent in welcoming Mohagher Igbal, the chairman of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, in the closed-door meeting that lasted for close to an hour.

The government and the MILF negotiating panels on January 25 signed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia the final documents completing the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

Seven documents in all will be the product of the work of both panels—the framework agreement with four annexes including the annexes on decommissioning of arms; another addendum on wealth sharing, and finally, the Comprehensive Agreement for Bangsamoro (CAB) which will soon be agreed upon by the two groups.

Congress earlier assured the passage of needed legislation, including a possible amendment of the Constitution, to give flesh to the agreement.

Lawyer Raissa Jajurie, chairperson of the committee on fiscal autonomy of the Transition Commission, welcomed Congress' commitment to help push for peace in the south. "What we discussed was that Congress will pass a law within the framework of the Annexes, then we deal with the constitutional issue when it arises," she told InterAksyon.com.

Accompanying Iqbal and Jajurie were Commissioners Robert Alonto, Ibrahim Ali, Talib Benito, Abdulla Camlian, Pedrito Eisma, Froilyn Mendoza, Hussein Munoz, Akmad Sakkam, Fatmawati Salapuddin, Said Shiek, Asani Tammang, Timuay Melanio Ulama and Jun Matawil, chairman of the MILF negotiating panel secretariat.

Zamboanga’s Lobregat: clear up ambiguities

In a separate statement, Zamboanga City Representative Celso Lobregat said he was supportive of the peace process and of the negotiations, but wanted some ambiguities in the agreement cleared.

"I do not want the current peace negotiations to end up like the failed Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain, that is why I am citing certain provisions, raising certain issues and concerns regarding the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and its Annexes," he said.

"There are ambiguities and questions that need to be answered," Lobregat added.

He said he hopes the panels will keep an "open mind, listen and address these concerns by clarifying, reviewing and if necessary amending, modifying certain provisions if necessary, while there is still time."

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/79718/milf-transition-commish-meets-congress-leaders-on-peace-accord