“One of the
hardest lessons learned in our peace process with the Government of the
Philippines (GPH) is that it is difficult to negotiate an agreement but the
implementation of the agreement is much harder to realize,” Bangsamoro
Transition Commission (BTC) Chair Mohagher Iqbal said in a peace forum held at Rikkyo University ,
Tokyo , Japan
Iqbal, also
chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panel, said,
“Agreements are pieces of paper and they will not implement themselves, but
implementation involves definitive and corresponding actions and programs for
the Parties, as part of their commitments and obligations, including legal process
on the part of the government.”
He
elucidated that unless the Congress pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), a
unilateral obligation of the state, the two concluding agreements, the
Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and the Comprehensive Agreement on
the Bangsamoro (CAB) cannot be implemented.
“GPH-MILF
peace negotiation, it is about solving the Bangsamoro Problem or Question,
which is about the “historic injustice” committed against the Bangsamoro
people. This is practically a centuries-old conflict which is complex and
complicated, encompassing political, military, religious, social, cultural,
economic, etc.,” the BTC chair narrated.
Iqbal
related that the peace process took 17 years of long and harsh negotiation
handled by 11 government and four MILF negotiators, “virtually involving five
Philippine presidents, and interspersed with three major wars, before they were
able to sign the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) on March 27,
2014.”
Before
inking the FAB and CAB, the two negotiating panels have signed more or less 100
agreements or documents.
“Our
negotiation with the government passed through difficult processes and bitter
experiences, such as impasses, withdrawals, cancellations, delays, walkouts,
shouting matches, no-showups, proximity engagements, back-channelling, etc.”
The MILF
chief negotiator lamented the slow progress of the deliberation of the proposed
measure, “Up to now, the BBL is still languishing in the halls of Congress and
under the mercy of lawmakers.”
“And
oftentimes, tyrannized by anti-Moro lawmakers through their endless and
sometimes pointless interpellations. Clearly, some of them are already
filibustering the passage of the BBL,” he said.
Iqbal
related the turn-over of the draft BBL on September 10, 2014 at Malacañan to
the leaders of Congress which signaled the officials legislative process, “but
until now Congress is still deliberating on BBL with very little hope of
passing it soon.”
“November-December
is the fourth and probably the last deadline Congress can still do it before
President Aquino leaves office on June 30, 2016,” the BTC chair said.
He noted
the “continuous lack of quorum” plaguing the Lower House and “In the Senate,
several senators asked so many questions, some of which were very basic and
should not be asked at all.”
“If the BBL
does not pass, the political settlement of the armed conflict in Mindanao will also be put on hold. Consequently,
frustrations of the people especially Moros will also rise up which can lead to
many uncertainties,” Iqbal said.
Iqbal,
however, is confident that the two parties are expected to pursue the path of
peace and maintain the ceasefire on the ground, “but the legal process will not
take place immediately after the new president gets into office in July 1,
2016,” he said.
The forum
was attended by Japanese students, academicians, Moro youth scholars studying
in Japan
BTC
Commissioner Abdullah Camlian, and lawyer Salma Rasul of Philippine Council for
Islam and Democracy were the other resource persons of the forum.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/new/item/678-negotiating-an-agreement-is-difficult-but-implementing-it-is-much-harder-iqbal-tells-in-a-forum-at-japan
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.