Friday, February 10, 2006
President sees peace pact with Moro rebels 'within the year'
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Thursday expressed confidence that a final peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would be signed within the year.
Arroyo, in a statement, said the signing of peace accord before the year ends is possible after the two panels have agreed to work on it. "For the first time, both sides have now agreed on a clear timetable for a final accord within this year amidst a truce that has held steady for more than two years, growing international support, the effective constriction of extremists groups, increasing grassroots support, and strong regional economic growth - all unaffected by political noise or turmoil," she said.
The President also commended the two panels for their firm resolve to permanently end hostilities in Mindanao and to pave the way for a just and durable peace. She also acknowledged Malaysia, which hosts the negotiations, for its unremitting support.
"This peace process will roll out a new era of stability, security and prosperity that will reverberate throughout Southeast Asia. I am determined to align this peace process with the overall quest of the Filipino people for economic strength and political renewal, all towards the vision of a first world country in 20 years," she added.
Jesus Dureza, presidential adviser on the peace process, said the two panels would immediately start working on the overall framework for the final peace agreement in March.
Dureza said aside from the framework, the two panels would also sign the accord on the ancestral domain when they meet next month. The accord on the ancestral domain stemmed from the agreement of the two panels on several consensus points during their three-day meeting in Port Dickson, Malaysia from February 6 to 8.
The consensus reached includes the joint determination of the scope of the Bangsamoro homeland based on the technical maps and data submitted by both sides; the measures to address the legitimate grievances of the Bangsamoro people arising from their unjust dispossession and/or marginalization; the Bangsamoro people's right to utilize and develop their ancestral domain and ancestral lands; and the economic cooperation arrangements for the benefit of the entire Bangsamoro people. (JMR/Sunnex)
(February 10, 2006 issue)
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