In a statement released by the Timuay Justice and Governance (TJG) –Indigenous Political Structure of Teduray and Lambangian non-Moros of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City, signed by its Deputy Supreme Tribal Chief Santos M. Unsad, and forwarded by Atty. Benedicto Bacani to BTC Chair Mohagher Iqbal on September 17, 2014, says:
We, the non-Moro Indigenous Peoples in the Bangsamoro core territory fully support a peaceful settlement of the historical conflict in Mindanao, particularly in Central Mindanao and in the Provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). As a manifestation of our full support to the peace process between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), we voluntarily involved ourselves in the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) thru the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC). We proposed provisions to be entrenched in the BBL for the recognition of our collective rights as distinct peoples.
Now that the final draft of the proposed BBL has been unveiled and submitted to Congress, we welcome this development that finally peace will reign in the conflict-devastated region for more than four (4) decades. We were also the victims and collaterally damaged by series of armed conflicts between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Moro rebels because our ancestral territories were unwilling hosts of wars since 1970 to middle of 2012.
Our collective rights as Indigenous Peoples have been recognized by the United Nations thru the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Philippine Government thru the 1987 Philippine Constitution being pursued by Republic Act No. 8371, otherwise known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA). IPRA is consistent with International standards because among the bases of its enactment are International Treaties and Conventions, notably the UNDRIP and the International Labour Organization Convention No. 169 (ILO Convention No. 169). IPRA recognizes the four (4) bundles of IPs’ rights, namely: a) Right to Ancestral Domains and Lands; b) Right to Self-Governance and Empowerment; c) Social Justice and Human Rights; and d) Cultural Integrity. Any attempt to derogate and dilute any of the IPs’ four bundles of rights is a violation of their human rights, because IPs’ rights is human rights.
We therefore viewed the IP rights in the BBL as an addition to our existing rights under IPRA which are now executory, while that of the additional rights in the basic law are still to be legislated by the Bangsamoro Parliament. While we believed that this is a positive development, it is also a big challenge among non-Moro IPs in the BBL affected areas and it is also a challenge to Congress to ensure that there will be no conflict of laws.
Finally, if this is what the MILF meant when they said that the non-Moro IPs will get more than IPRA in the BBL, so be it. We will be together going to Congress to lobby for the fast tracking of the passage of the BBL so that we can start building peace in the war torn areas not only of the Bangsamoro but also to the non-Moro IP areas.
Meuyag and Mabuhay!
The statement was issued by the non-Moro IP group at the culmination of an activity held at the Tanghalang Michael Clark, Notre Dame University, Cotabato City sponsored by the Institute of Autonomy and Governance (IAG) and other notable groups. The IAG is currently undertaking series of engagements with various sectors relative to the BBL.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/1219-timuay-justice-and-governance-supports-gph-milf-peace-agreement
Now that the final draft of the proposed BBL has been unveiled and submitted to Congress, we welcome this development that finally peace will reign in the conflict-devastated region for more than four (4) decades. We were also the victims and collaterally damaged by series of armed conflicts between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Moro rebels because our ancestral territories were unwilling hosts of wars since 1970 to middle of 2012.
Our collective rights as Indigenous Peoples have been recognized by the United Nations thru the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Philippine Government thru the 1987 Philippine Constitution being pursued by Republic Act No. 8371, otherwise known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA). IPRA is consistent with International standards because among the bases of its enactment are International Treaties and Conventions, notably the UNDRIP and the International Labour Organization Convention No. 169 (ILO Convention No. 169). IPRA recognizes the four (4) bundles of IPs’ rights, namely: a) Right to Ancestral Domains and Lands; b) Right to Self-Governance and Empowerment; c) Social Justice and Human Rights; and d) Cultural Integrity. Any attempt to derogate and dilute any of the IPs’ four bundles of rights is a violation of their human rights, because IPs’ rights is human rights.
We therefore viewed the IP rights in the BBL as an addition to our existing rights under IPRA which are now executory, while that of the additional rights in the basic law are still to be legislated by the Bangsamoro Parliament. While we believed that this is a positive development, it is also a big challenge among non-Moro IPs in the BBL affected areas and it is also a challenge to Congress to ensure that there will be no conflict of laws.
Finally, if this is what the MILF meant when they said that the non-Moro IPs will get more than IPRA in the BBL, so be it. We will be together going to Congress to lobby for the fast tracking of the passage of the BBL so that we can start building peace in the war torn areas not only of the Bangsamoro but also to the non-Moro IP areas.
Meuyag and Mabuhay!
The statement was issued by the non-Moro IP group at the culmination of an activity held at the Tanghalang Michael Clark, Notre Dame University, Cotabato City sponsored by the Institute of Autonomy and Governance (IAG) and other notable groups. The IAG is currently undertaking series of engagements with various sectors relative to the BBL.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/1219-timuay-justice-and-governance-supports-gph-milf-peace-agreement
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