Friday, August 01, 2008 Palace won't dissuade Piñol to okay MILF deal
MALACAÑANG is not about to talk to North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol and dissuade him to back out from his opposition to the signing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
In their weekly press conference at the Palace, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said it would be improper for them to be talking to the vice governor when he already filed a case before the Supreme Court (SC).
Ermita said they will just abide by whatever the high court decides upon on the writ of mandamus and prohibition filed by Piñol last week.
The vice governor is also asking for the issuance of a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to compel the National Government to divulge details of the MOA-AD to the public and stop its signing scheduled on August 5.
Ermita maintained though that the peace negotiation with the MILF is an executive function and they have not violated any law for that matter.
As to the demand of Piñol for the MOA-AD to be made public before it is signed, Ermita said they could not make public anything that is not yet final.
"Mahirap naman yun, baka naman kasi may mga hindi pa final na detalye dyan. Only after the MOA-AD is signed dun pa lang namin pwede ito gawing public," Ermita said.
Press Secretary Jesus Dureza meanwhile said that it would be best for the issue on MOA-AD to be settled by the Supreme Court.
"We would rather leave the particular issue to the court to dispose of," Dureza said.
Piñol and the people of North Cotabato are opposing the signing of the MOA-AD for fear that half of their province would be included in the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity to be placed under the control of the MILF.
Piñol said their province is now enjoying much progress and development and they do not want to fall the same fate with the provinces under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm). (BOT)
