Thursday, October 02, 2008 2 city councilors differ on proposed conflict body
TWO of Davao City's councilors expressed difference in stance regarding the establishment of a Mindanao Land Conflict Settlement Commission (MLCSC) proposed by North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol.
Councilor Diosdado Mahipus supports the idea, saying it will pave the way to finding a solution truly owned by the stakeholders.
"If it is theirs, I'm positive they will make sure it works, Mahipus said.
Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, on the other hand, said that though the proposal may prove effective, it is essential that the President should be a part of the panel.
"An issue this big should not just be relegated to a body but the president should lead the dialogue with the MILF and be a hands-on probelm solver. Kasi kung meron silang mapag-usapan tapos pagdating kay presidente ayaw, wala pa rin. it's better that she is personally involved," Dayanghirang said.
He added that the Bishop-Ulama Conference's lead in the process should be retained.
"For me, the Bishop-Ulama approach is still okay. It is less political," Dayanghirang said.
Piñol's proposal is reportedly supported by Senator Mar Roxas who crafted a draft bill and forwarded it to Piñol for comments and inputs.
The draft bill calls for the creation of an independent and culture-sensitive quasi-judicial body that will work for the peaceful settlement of ancestral and public land ownership disputes in Mindanao.
Senator Roxas will introduce the bill on the creation of a Mindanao Land Conflict Settlement Commission (MLCSC) in the Senate in response to North Cotabato Provincial Resolution 416 authored by Vice Governor Piñol calling for the creation of a concrete and realistic mechanism to address the problem of unresolved land disputes affecting the Moro people, the tribal communities and Christian settlers in the South.
Vice Governor Piñol, in introducing the resolution before the North Cotabato Provincial Board (PB) last month, said the MLCSC is expected to address squarely the issue of forcible land dispossession especially during the Christian-Muslim conflict in the 1970s.
He emphasized that the body would really be able to give justice to those who were truly dispossessed of their land through force.
"Those who have legitimate complaints will now have a venue for redress. On the other hand, the MLCSC will also be able to decide on false claims," he said.
Senator Roxas, meanwhile, said the MCLSC will be vested with the exclusive jurisdiction to resolve controversies concerning land ownership and possession in Mindanao which are critical in nature considering the large number of parties involved and the presence of social tension arising from such land dispute.
"The MLCSC is mandated to resolve disputes amicably in the most expeditious manner and in doing so adpot alternative procedures for the peaceful resolution of cases, including the use of conflict resolution institutions of indigenous cultural communities within their respective communities," he said. (GLP/With BOT)
