Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Jesus
Dureza met Thursday with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Al Haj
Murad on Thursday in this MILF main enclave in Sultan Kudarat town to start the
new “Roadmap to Peace” in Mindanao as approved
by President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Dureza said both parties would start discussion on the
formation of a new government – MILF peace body inclusive to all stakeholders
in Mindanao .
“We would start where the peace overture was stopped (during
the past administration) and take off from there," Dureza said referring to the
failure of Congress to act on time and pass into law the Bangsamoro Basic Law
that should have enabled the transition of the old Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM) set into the proposed MILF – led Bangsamoro regional
government.
“We should act on this as soon as possible for us and that
of the present Congress to have ample time to amend certain provisions of the
Constitution, if necessary, to keep the talks within the bounds of law,” he
added.
The talking parties have started peace initiatives almost
two decades ago that resulted to the crafting of two compact agreements, namely
the Framework on the Bangsamoro in 2013 and Comprehensive Agreement on the
Bangsamoro in 2014.
“The peace panels have began negotiations 17 years ago and
we do not like to go to square one so we agreed to resume where our talks was
halted prior to the assumption of the Duterte administration,” Murad, for his
part, clarified.
In a statement, ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman has welcomed
President Duterte's comprehensive peace roadmap based on a formula presented by
Dureza being a long-time Mindanao peace
advocate himself.
“President Duterte's decision to build on the gains of past
negotiations and ensure the implementation of the long-signed agreements
between the government and both the MNLF and MILF, in cognizance of relevant
existing legislation, is a step forward in the right direction,” Hataman said.
“We also appreciate the sense of urgency that guided the decision
to work on a new proposed Bangsamoro enabling law alongside moves toward the
planned shift to federalism, acknowledging that the shift would take time
relative to pursuing a legislation affirming the gains of a peace process that
has been in motion for more than a decade,” the governor added.
Hataman further said that the peace roadmap being approved
within a month of President Duterte's assumption into office reflects his
administration's commitment to peace and urgency of the issue.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=906010
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