After President Benigno Aquino’s announcement on the creation of a peace council and holding of peace summit to make people fully understand the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said on Saturday (March 28) that “Every Filipino needs to understand and get involved in the ongoing peace negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Valte said the details of the summit would be up to the convenors who would gather other responsible and respected leaders to spearhead the event – how it would be executed and the number of days it would be held.
During last Friday’s commemoration of the 1st anniversary of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in Manila, President Aquino stood firm in his belief that the peace process must be pursued and that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) must be passed or the nation would have “to count body bags later on” because of war in Mindanao.
The peace council comprises “citizen leaders known for their wisdom and integrity” as independent convenors that included Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., businessman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, former ambassador and peace advocate Howard Dee and Rohaniza Sumndad-Usman, a youth leader and founder of Teach Peace Build Peace Movement, a non-profit organization with a mission of making every youth a peace builder.
Aquino said the independent convenors would dissect the proposed law in a calm and reasonable manner that would not incite anger and hopelessness.
“This way, the BBL can be improved. They will write a report that will be made public, so that everyone may be informed, and so that more of our countrymen may understand the matter. In this manner, we will be able to advance a reasonable decision as regards the Bangsamoro Basic Law,” the President said.
Valte said the inputs from the summit would not be useless even as Congress deliberated on the proposed BBL because it would collect different positions or opinions from all sectors of society.
“This is an issue that everyone needs to understand. It is an issue that everyone needs to be able to dissect in a rational manner, so why oppose a space that could help the public understand and improve the draft BBL?” Valte argued.
Valte said the convenors would not in any way usurp the work of the lawmakers and there was nothing wrong in involving the people in the peace process.
“It’s Congress that has the power to go over the law and then to make refinements to it, but that does not exclude the people because Congress should primarily be listening to the people, and we do not see why the people should be excluded out of discussions that concern matters that affect them as well,” Valte said.
“Think of this as an additional discussion. This will not replace the discussions in Congress. It will not replace the system that the BBL has to go through to make it a law. This is just an additional space wherein stakeholders, community leaders and other citizens can take part in rational discussions about the BBL,” she said.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/819-every-filipino-needs-to-understand-the-gph-milf-peace-negotiation-dp-spokesperson-valte
During last Friday’s commemoration of the 1st anniversary of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in Manila, President Aquino stood firm in his belief that the peace process must be pursued and that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) must be passed or the nation would have “to count body bags later on” because of war in Mindanao.
The peace council comprises “citizen leaders known for their wisdom and integrity” as independent convenors that included Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., businessman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, former ambassador and peace advocate Howard Dee and Rohaniza Sumndad-Usman, a youth leader and founder of Teach Peace Build Peace Movement, a non-profit organization with a mission of making every youth a peace builder.
Aquino said the independent convenors would dissect the proposed law in a calm and reasonable manner that would not incite anger and hopelessness.
“This way, the BBL can be improved. They will write a report that will be made public, so that everyone may be informed, and so that more of our countrymen may understand the matter. In this manner, we will be able to advance a reasonable decision as regards the Bangsamoro Basic Law,” the President said.
Valte said the inputs from the summit would not be useless even as Congress deliberated on the proposed BBL because it would collect different positions or opinions from all sectors of society.
“This is an issue that everyone needs to understand. It is an issue that everyone needs to be able to dissect in a rational manner, so why oppose a space that could help the public understand and improve the draft BBL?” Valte argued.
Valte said the convenors would not in any way usurp the work of the lawmakers and there was nothing wrong in involving the people in the peace process.
“It’s Congress that has the power to go over the law and then to make refinements to it, but that does not exclude the people because Congress should primarily be listening to the people, and we do not see why the people should be excluded out of discussions that concern matters that affect them as well,” Valte said.
“Think of this as an additional discussion. This will not replace the discussions in Congress. It will not replace the system that the BBL has to go through to make it a law. This is just an additional space wherein stakeholders, community leaders and other citizens can take part in rational discussions about the BBL,” she said.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/819-every-filipino-needs-to-understand-the-gph-milf-peace-negotiation-dp-spokesperson-valte
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