Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano urged the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Wednesday to prove their sincerity to
achieve lasting peace in Mindanao by helping
the government fight terrorism in the region.
Cayetano made the appeal as the Senate conducts a series of
public hearings on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) provided for in the
Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) signed by the Government of the
Philippines (GPH) and the MILF last year.
”The MILF should prove that they are on the side of the
government. My request to them is to help in apprehending and fighting all the
elements of terrorism in Mindanao like the
BIFF and Abu Sayyaf Group,” Cayetano said in a Senate media interview.
Cayetano emphasized that the peace agreement with the MILF
will be useless if the attacks being perpetrated by the Bangsamoro Islamic
Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group will continue in Mindanao .
”What’s the point if they (MILF) will lead but the elements
of terrorism and illegal activities will continue to flourish in Mindanao ?,” Cayetano asked.
The BIFF is a new group of radical armed Muslims advocating
independence. The Abu Sayyaf members have been engaged in extortion,
kidnap-for-ransom, and series of attacks in the towns and military detachments
in Mindanao .
Cayetano said there is a need to study carefully the
creation of the Bangsamoro political entity to make sure that all the people in
Mindanao will benefit from the peace
agreement.
”My apprehension is that if we have already peace deal with
the MILF, the BIFF will regain strength. The purpose of compromise and
agreement is to have lasting peace. But if the peace is for the leaders only,
and the fighters will transfer to other armed groups, we will not achieve
peace,” Cayetano said.
He said more time is needed for the Senate to scrutinize the
proposed BBL under the Senate Committee on Local Government headed by Senator
Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
”I’m hoping that everybody should have an open mind to
hasten our consultation,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano said the BBL is one of the priority measures the
Senate will tackle in the first quarter of 2015.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=722778
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