Palace hopes Santiago-Ferrer meeting could thresh out legality issue of Bangsamoro peace pact

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 5): Palace hopes Santiago-Ferrer meeting could thresh out legality issue of Bangsamoro peace pact

The Palace said it hopes Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago could meet government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer to discuss the legality of the newly signed Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

While Senator Santiago said she supports the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, she’s worried about its constitutionality. The senator also said she wanted to ensure the CAB could pass the constitutionality test which is why she is questioning its legality.

“Mabuti po ‘yon kasi maganda din na nagkaroon sila ng ganitong exchange because the government is always open to explain ‘yung contents of the agreement,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.

“Kahit noong Framework Agreement pa lang nag-ikot po talaga ‘yung ating panel sa mga civil society organizations, sa members of the academe, sa ating mga legislators para ipakita nila talaga ‘yung nilalaman,” she added.

She said the Palace hopes the meeting to push through so that the executive branch could explain the processes in coming up with an agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Although a lot of people support peace in Mindanao, the Palace official said she hopes the Supreme Court will uphold its constitutionality if ever there’s a legal challenge.

The Philippine government and the MILF signed last week the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in Malacanang. The peace pact aims to bring an end to several decades of conflict in Mindanao that has claimed more than 100,000 lives.

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