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16 June 2015

President Aquino calls on lawmakers to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law
(SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao) President Benigno S. Aquino III has affirmed that the laying down of arms by “our Moro brothers” is a testament to their unreserved and honest participation in the talks to find lasting peace in Mindanao.

“Panawagan ko po ay suklian naman natin ang pagtitiwalang ipinakita nila (Moro Islamic Liberation Front – MILF) sa atin. Sikapin nating umabot sa puntong masasabi nating: Talagang binigay natin ang lahat ng pagkakataon upang mabago nila ang kanilang buhay at maabot ang kanilang mga pangarap,” he said during the turnover of 75 firearms belonging to the MILF and the decommissioning of 145 combatants under the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, held at the Old Capitol, in Simuay here Tuesday.

The President however deemed as unfortunate some lawmakers’ move to halt the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which was crafted by the government and the MILF to end the decades-long conflict in Mindanao that has left more than 100,000 people dead and has stalled economic development in the region.

“Nakakalungkot nga po na ang gustong isagot ng ilan sa ating mambabatas sa imbitasyong ito ay itigil ang BBL. Imbis na itanong: ‘Paano ko ba mapapabuti pa ang BBL para matugunan ang hinaing ng mga kababayan natin?’ tila pinag-iisipan pa ng iba ay ‘Paano ko ba ito pipigilan o haharangin?’,” he said.

He noted that he has personally invested his time and effort to ensure that the BBL is passed, recalling that he had one meeting with members of Congress, where it took them until the following morning to discuss and resolve the concerns of legislators, in an effort to come up with a refined version of the law.

“Daang libo na ang napinsala at namatay, at di na mabilang ang nawalan ng tirahan at nasira ang komunidad, dahil sa apat na dekadang hidwaan. Kung di ka pa papanig sa kapayapaan, ilan pa ang mamamatayan ng mahal nila sa buhay? Ilang pamayanan pa ang maiipit sa putukan at kawalang seguridad? Ilan ang naghihirap na lalo pang maghihirap? Gaano pa katagal bago kumatok sa sarili mong pintuan ang kaguluhan at madamay ang sarili mong mag-anak?” he said.
The President emphasized that the country has a debt to “our brothers and sisters in the Bangsamoro”.

“May pagkakataon tayo ngayon upang itama ang naratibo ng pagdurusang sama-sama nating kinaharap. Panahon na po natin ito. Ito ang ipinaglaban ng mga nasawi nating kababayan. Ipakita natin sa mga nag-alay ng kanilang buhay, sa ating mga kababayan, at sa buong mundo: Magkakaiba man ang ating pinanggalingan at paniniwala, dahil pinagbubuklod tayo ng tiwala at pagmamalasakit sa isa’t isa, walang hamong hindi natin kayang lampasan bilang isang bansa,” he said.

Present during the ceremony were Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Mujiv Hataman, Maguindanao Governor Ismael Mangudadatu, Moro Islamic Liberation Front Central Committee Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, government peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr., and Archbishop Orlando Beltran Quevedo. PND (ag)


President Aquino witnesses turnover of rebels’ weapons, decommissioning of combatants
(SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao) President Benigno S. Aquino III here Tuesday witnessed the historic turnover of 75 firearms by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) and the decommissioning of 145 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces.

“Heto ang pruweba ng kanilang katapatan sa ating harapan. Kusang-loob pong inilatag ng ating mga kapatid ang kanilang armas. Ginagawa nga nila ito kahit nakabitin pa ang Bangsamoro Basic Law, at mangyayari pa lang ang Bangsamoro Transition Authority,” the President said during the event held at the Old Capitol in Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao province.

“Ito po ay napakatibay na patunay ng buo at busilak na pakikiisa ng MILF sa ating usaping pangkapayapaan, at sa kanilang kahandaang talikuran ang landas ng hidwaan. Iniaabot nila ngayon ang kanilang palad bilang imbitasyon patungo sa higit na pagtitiwala at pagtutulungan,” he said.

The 55 high-powered firearms and 20 crew-serve weapons that were turned over, as well as the returnees, were registered by the IDB, which was formed in 2014 and mandated to oversee the decommissioning of the MILF’s forces and weapons.

The IDB is composed of chairman Turkish Ambassador Haydar Berk, a former Turkish representative to the North Atlantic Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; and members Major Muhammad Aiman Syazwi Bin Abdul Rahim of the Royal Brunei Land Force; retired Norwegian Brigadier General Jan Erik Wilhemsen, who served in the United Nations peacekeeping forces to Honduras, El Salvador, Central Sudan, Nigeria and Nepal; Professor Mario Aguja; retired Lieutenant General Rey Ardo, who served as Commander of the Western Mindanao Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; Von Al Haq, spokesperson of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces; and Isah Bato.

The decommissioning program for the MILF forces was inspired by the different peace processes done in Nepal, Northern Ireland, and Aceh, Indonesia.

Moro returnees can avail of any of the socio-economic programs deemed suitable for them, such as the livelihood package, where former combatants may undergo training through the Technical Education and Skilled Development Authority or a literacy program through the Department of Education; and a college study or high school grant, both of which are provided with allowances to enable them to start schooling.

All returnees will be given immediate assistance and health insurance as part of the socio-economic package.

For his part, MILF Central Committee Chair Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim thanked President Aquino for pushing peace and development in Mindanao.

“We cannot thank President Aquino enough for his unwavering commitment in our partnership to build a truly democratic, peaceful and safe society in the Bangsamoro,” Ebrahim said in his message during the ceremony.

“Today, we begin the long walk towards transformation, not surrender, to a higher struggle, the start of the transformation of the MILF from a revolutionary organization to a political organization ready to govern and serve the Bangsamoro people,” he added.

Present during the ceremony were Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Mujiv Hataman, Maguindanao Governor Ismael Mangudadatu, Moro Islamic Liberation Front Central Committee Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, government peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr., and Archbishop Orlando Beltran Quevedo. PND (ag)


MILF’s turnover of weapons an important confidence-building measure, says Palace official
The turnover of weapons and the decommissioning of combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Tuesday is an important confidence-building measure that shows that both sides are committed to achieve enduring peace in Mindanao, a Palace official has said.

The decommissioning is important to attain peace in Mindanao, and it is part of the normalization annex of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said during a press briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday.

The CAB serves as the basis for the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which is still in Congress.

Secretary Coloma was reacting to some lawmakers’ comments that despite the decommissioning, the BBL will still face scrutiny in Congress.

“Mahirap namang paghiwalayin ang pagkilala na ang decommissioning na inumpisahan na sa araw na ito ay isang mahalagang confidence and trust building process,” he said.

“Talaga namang ito ay maiuugnay doon sa pagsulong sa prosesong pangkapayapaan na bahagi pa rin nito ay ang pagkakaroon ng isang enabling act, ang Bangsamoro Basic Law.”

Coloma also addressed public concerns on how the government would account for the weapons turned over by the MILF, saying these firearms will be the responsibility of an international monitoring body.

He explained that based on the normalization annex of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, there are concrete guidelines on the decommissioning of the weapons of the MILF.

“Nagtatag na ng International Decommissioning Body na ang tagapangulo o chairman ay ang ambassador ng Turkey, His Excellency Ambassador (Haydar) Berk, isa sa nagtalumpati kaninang umaga,” he noted.

The decommissioning body, which has been tasked to verify and make inventories of the weapons to be turned over by the MILF, consists of members from Norway and Brunei Darussalam, as well as four people nominated by the government and the MILF, Coloma said, adding that there will be a verifiable process in the accounting of weapons to ensure that the normalization annex of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro is followed, with regards to the decommissioning process. PND (as)