Thursday, August 14, 2008 Gov't seeks lifting of TRO vs territorial deal
THE government is asking for the lifting of the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued on the signing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after copies of the proposed document were distributed to the concerned sectors including the petitioners.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera already filed the government's response, which is a prayer to dismiss the case.
Oral arguments had been set by the Supreme Court (SC) for August 15 following the TRO sought by North Cotabato Vice Governor Manuel Piñol which was granted on August 4, the eve of the signing of the MOA-AD.
"Petitioners have already been given copies of the agreement, thus the TRO should be lifted," he said.
Ermita said Malacañang is aware that there were other petitions filed by interveners and they are leaving it to the SC to decide the case and determine how the government response and other petitions would affect the oral arguments.
He hoped that the high court would uphold the government's position on the MOA-AD.
He reiterated that the signing of the MOA-AD is just a third of the whole compact of agreement of final peace agreement and would not be implemented unless there is an enabling law that is passed by Congress.
The executive secretary said after the MOA-AD, there would still be other discussions and these would be included in the Final Peace Agreement (FPA). He added that the Constitution would also need to be amended to enable the expansion of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) into the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE).
He said no one was "shortchanged" when the MOA-AD was not signed, adding that it is just a piece of paper to be signed and to be included in the FPA.
Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said the MOA-AD is important in the sense that it would help unify the Armm and other Muslim-occupied places.
"(It) will set up a system that will provide opportunity to all the people of Mindanao," he said. (JMR/Sunnex)
