PNoy, MILF chair to meet on proposed Bangsamoro law

From GMA News (Jul 21): PNoy, MILF chair to meet on proposed Bangsamoro law

President Benigno Aquino III and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Murad Ebrahim will meet again in the coming days to tackle the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, which the separatist group acccused Malacañang of watering-down.

In a statement posted on its website on Monday, the MILF said the high-level meeting will take place "to save the peace process in the light of major alterations made by Malacañang legal team" on the draft Bangsamoro law.

"The meeting is necessary in threshing out issues confronting both sides on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law," the MILF added.

In 2011, Aquino and Murad met in Japan to boost and fast track peace talks between the government and the MILF.

The meeting was followed by peace negotiations between the two parties, which ultimately led to the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement last March. The agreement stipulated arrangements on wealth-sharing and power-sharing between the two parties, aiming to end the decades-long armed conflict in Mindanao.

Differences

In a separate statement, government peace panel chairperson Miriam Coronel-Ferrer appealed to the MILF to "reflect" on how both parties can hurdle "significant points of differences" on the proposed law.

"We understand the apprehensions of people who have long fought the government and now entering a new stage where they can actually participate in the government. But what we want is a mutually acceptable draft as the two panels have agreed to accomplish," Ferrer said on Monday night.

The chief government negotiator also enumerated some of the issues, which she earlier called "grey zones," in the proposed law. Among these issues are the parliamentary form of government in the proposed Bangsamoro political entity, fiscal autonomy and transition arrangements.

"All of us want the Bangsamoro Basic Law draft to be submitted to Congress as soon as possible, but we cannot substitute haste with prudence," Coronel-Ferrer said.

The MILF and government peace panels have been in a "workshop" these past days in an effort to settle the contentious issues in the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.

Malacañang earlier committed to submitting the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress before sessions resume in July 28, in time with the President's State of the Nation Address, and to enact the law before yearend.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/371340/news/nation/pnoy-milf-chair-to-meet-on-proposed-bangsamoro-law