Government
of the Philippines Georgetown
University in Washington , D.C. , USA
“Our
peace process, indeed, was informed by the very goals of this award: to protect
women against all forms of violence and advance the role of women in attaining
peace and security in and outside of their homes,” Ferrer said.
“I speak
especially of the women in the Bangsamoro, who have endured the burden of
strife, and who must now secure their places in the public sphere as equal
partners in peace and development,” she added.
Coronel-Ferrer
related the hindrances faced by the Government of the Philippines (GPH)-Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace process after the tragic Mamasapano
incident last January 25 where 44 members of the Police - Special Action Force
died.
“The public
discourse slid into bigotry against the Moros, the MILF as well as Muslims in
general. Centuries of distrust and hatred resurfaced,” Coronel-Ferrer said.
“Most of
those killed were policemen, and their deaths rightfully generated public
sympathy for the police but also stoked the flames or resentment against the
MILF, the peace agreement and the draft law that would establish a new
autonomous government in Muslim Mindanao,” said Coronel-Ferrer.
The tag
“animals”, “terrorists”, “criminals” and “barbarians” bombarded the Moro people
and the Moro rebels in the opinion sections of Mamasapano related articles in
the web. Journalists and columnists of broadsheets used the term “slaughter”
and “massacre” to describe the incident.
Senators,
in their report, called the Mamasapano encounter “massacre.” However, the
Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Commission on Human Rights objected and
said it was not a massacre.
The MILF
said it was an encounter that resulted from the absence of coordination by the
law enforcers and the MILF forces just defended themselves.” The DoJ report
also said the police commandoes fired the first shot.
A major
undertaking in the peace process is the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law
(BBL) aimed to establish a more meaningful autonomous Bangsamoro region. The
draft law is now undergoing scrutiny by the lawmakers in the Senate and House
of Representatives.
The MILF,
members of Muslim communities and peace advocates urged the passage of
“unchanged” BBL to create “more autonomous” governance for the Moro people.
Some lawmakers have viewed some provisions of the proposed measure as
unconstitutional, thus those should be deleted or amended.
Coronel-Ferrer
added “As I speak right now, the ceasefire remains in place. But the vision of
lasting peace is being shut out by the narrow horizons of certain political
elites, and by a public fed with misinformation and driven by prejudices
bordering on Islamophobia.”
The chief
negotiator has signed on behalf of the government the Comprehensive Agreement
on the Bangsamoro (CAB) aimed to establish the Bangsamoro region that will
replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
“This
Agreement will enable MILF combatants and other disenfranchised segments of the
Moro population to participate in meaningful autonomous governance,” she said.
She pointed
out, “It provides a road map for a new set of more democratic, representative
and accountable political institutions. It taps diverse modes for
delivering socioeconomic programs to decommissioned combatants, the internally
displaced and communities long affected by the conflict.”
The CAB
bridges the majority-minority divide toward a shared future “where
fellow-Filipinos live in peace under one flag in an undivided territory,”
Coronel-Ferrer said.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/906-gph-panel-chair-calls-for-end-to-discrimination-against-muslims-women
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.