CAMP DARAPANAN, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao
-- Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas and the leadership of the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), led by its chieftain Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, on
Thursday agreed to preserve the peace process and continue to work together to
continue the pursuit of everlasting peace in Mindanao should the administration
bet get elected to the presidency.
Roxas was the first presidential candidate to personally
meet with the MILF central committee at the group's headquarters in dialogue
and present his plans for Mindanao which
includes pushing for the passage of a Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in Congress.
“Peace in Mindanao is of
utmost importance to the nation for we cannot truly prosper as a nation if
there is no peace there,” Roxas said in joint press briefings that immediately
followed the dialogue that was off-limits to media.
He said that if elected, he would continue to push for the
political realization of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) –
the BBL.
The passage of the BBL was stalled in Congress after more
than a few lawmakers in both chambers questioned the constitutionality of
several of its provisions.
“We would carefully study all the complaints and differing
opinions of all the stakeholders and look for common grounds so that we can
pass the BBL. It is not important in what form it will be, but what is
important is that it should be compliant with the CAB,” the Team Daang Matuwid
presidential bet said.
“We would make the peace process a national agenda,” Roxas
said.
For his part, Murad said that the MILF recognizes the gains
of the peace process and vowed to preserve it.
He admitted that the non-passage of the BBL in Congress was
a case of very bad timing – the proximity of the national elections which
highly politicize the bill and the Mamasapano massacre.
However, he said that the MILF will continue the struggle
towards peace and push for the implementation of the CAB.
“We believe that the BBL would have a new chance under
Roxas. He was part of the peace process and we stand on common grounds, common
interests,” he said.
“We will move under a new atmosphere and the BBL would be
looked upon with more objectivity. With Mar, we hope that we can continue the
reforms so that we can move forward,” Murad said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=871935
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