Pope Francis, currently on a five-day state and pastoral visit to the
"In a particular way, I express my trust that the
progress made in bringing peace to the south of the country will result in just
solutions in accord with the nation’s founding principles and respectful of the
inalienable rights of all, including the indigenous peoples and religious
minorities," the pontiff said.
This is the second time that Pope Francis cited the
Bangsamoro peace process in a public statement. Prior to leaving the Vatican
City for his trip to Sri Lanka this week, the pontiff addressed the diplomatic
corps and noted the peace agreement between the Government of the Philippines
and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as among the examples of dialogues
used to bridge differences.
"I note with pleasure that last March an agreement was
signed to end long years of tension in the Philippines
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos
Deles described the pope's statement as a "blessing" for the peace
process and expressed her gratitude for the Pope's "trust that our
national efforts to make peace in Mindanao
will result in a just and inclusive peace - one that will be durable and
lasting."
Deles also noted that the Pope's "words of
encouragement and blessing, which follows the recent, enlightening statement of
the surviving framers of the 1987 Constitution, come at a critical time as
Congress enters the final, difficult stages of deliberation of the proposed
Bangsamoro basic law."
Both chambers of Congress are in the process of conducting
the last leg of public hearings on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, the
legal iteration of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), prior
to deliberations. The CAB, the peace agreement signed in March 27, 2014 by the
GPH and MILF successfully ended more than 17 years of negotiations and decades
of armed conflict.
In light of expected challenges in the roadmap towards the
establishment of the Bangsamoro, the political entity that will be entrenched
upon the passage of the BBL and the conduct of a plebiscite in the envisioned
core territory.
Deles said that "we receive the papal message as a
clarion call to all persons of good will to work even harder, collectively
harnessing the power of hope and perseverance, to overcome all obstacles and
push national consensus towards a just and peaceful settlement of the armed
conflict that has divided our people for too long."
"We ask for continuing papal prayer, blessing, and hope
as we continue to strengthen dialogue and forge partnerships towards a peace
where no one will be left behind," she added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=726063
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