MILF to push for peace agreements sans BBL’s passage in Pres. Aquino’s term

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 27): MILF to push for peace agreements sans BBL’s passage in Pres. Aquino’s term

Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said they will continue to demand for the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreements even if the Bangsamoro Basic Law will not be passed within the term of President Benigno Aquino III.

Though Murad has hoped for the passage of the BBL before the end of the term of the present administration in June next year, he was apparently opened to the possibility that the proposed law will not be approved.

“If not passed, we’ll continue to demand that the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and its annexes will be implemented,” he said.

“The ideal is that the BBL will be passed as it is now. Because we don’t want to fail the hope of our people,” Murad told 50 media members from across Mindanao and Manila-based journalists during a conversation at Camp Darapanan on July 25.

The MILF leader has also hoped that the original draft of the BBL will be passed according to the peace agreements with the government, but would allow improvements in some provisions of the BBL.

“It is now the responsibility of the Philippine government to deliver the agreements with the Bangsamoro,” he stated.

On their part, Murad assured that they will try their best to help “because we always consider that we are partners with the government trying to achieve genuine and long lasting peace.”

“As far as we’re concerned, we continue to uphold the agreements, to uphold the peace process,” he said, adding that he will see to it that his people abide with the peace process.

Murad believed that the success of the peace process “lies on the main support, popular support of the Bangsamoro people,” and he raised the need to rally with stakeholders who are not in the Bangsamoro territory.

The visit in Camp Darapanan was part of the site visitations which included the visit in Mamasapano during the Mindanao Media Forum held on July 24-26 in Cotabato City, which bannered the theme: “Beyond Mamasapano: Reporting the Bangsamoro Peace Process.”

The forum which was attended by media members from across Mindanao including some Manila-based journalists, was organized by the Mindanao Media Forum with convenor editor-in-chief Carolyn Arguillas of the Davao-based Mindanao News, Inc.

The MMF has drawn partnership with the Friends of Peace headed by Cotabato City Archbishop Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, Institute of Autonomy and Governance, Embassy of Canada, Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, and the Philippine Information Agency-Region XI, among others.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1561437984121/milf-to-push-for-peace-agreements-sans-bbl-s-passage-in-pres-aquino-s-term