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Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Zambo opposes inclusion in bangsamoro entity
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Mayor Celso Lobregat said Zamboanga City fully supports peace efforts but totally rejects move to include the city or any of its barangays in the proposed establishment of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.
Lobregat made the announcement as he called on all sectors to unite and express their sentiments against any move to include some of Zamboanga City's 98 barangays and other parts of the region in the proposed entity.
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"We have been very emphatic ever since, we are for peace, just, long and lasting peace but people of Zamboanga just like the other provinces in Mindanao have spoken. They want to maintain their status as part of Region 9 (Western Mindanao)," Lobregat said.
Lobregat said he received information that some parts of Zamboanga City are included in the soon to be proposed Bangsamoro Homeland and Bangsamoro Juridical Entity under the ancestral domain issue in the ongoing Philippine government-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace talks.
The government and MILF peace panels have finally settled last week the issues on governance of the ancestral domain aspect of the Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001.
The mayor said additional plebiscites are not required as the city rejected its inclusion to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) in two separate plebiscites.
In the 1989 plebiscite, 90,152 residents voted not to be included in the Armm as against 5,499 residents who voted yes. In 2001, during another plebiscite, 11,2623 voted no while 5,650 voted yes to the inclusion.
Lobregat said he handed out letters over the weekend to Senator Edgardo Angara, Senate President Manuel Villar through wife Congresswoman Cynthia Villa seeking support and assistance for Zamboanga City's non-inclusion in the proposed entity.
These include City Council resolutions, letter of commitment from business sector, resolution from the Liga ng mga Barangay and the results of the plebiscites held in 1989 and 2001. Also, letters he sent to then Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza and other national officials.
Lobregat lamented that the peace panels are keeping records of the peace talks under wraps leaving the people in Mindanao in general and this city in particular unaware of any decision reached during the negotiations.
He said he fully supports the move of North Cotabato Vice-Governor Manuel Piñol, who was set to file a case in court that would in effect order the peace panels to make public the agreement reached during the talks, specifically on the ancestral domain issue.
According to him, the move to include some of Zamboanga City's barangays in the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity is like gerrymandering, an act that seeks to dismember one part from the entire area.
"As what Senator Angara said in his speech during the Rotary Club induction last Saturday, the strength of the community is its culture and so don't separate the Muslims from Christians and the Subanons. We are all part of the city, so why dismember and segregate the city?" the mayor asked.
He said the City Government is presently looking into all options available to make the government-MILF panels know that the city residents are against the move.
Lobregat is also set to send a similar letter to Hermogenes Esperon Jr. who now sits as presidential adviser on the peace process.
He also asked Zamboanga City's two representatives in congress namely Congresswoman Ma. Isabelle Climaco and Congressman Erico Basilio Fabian to undertake moves in Congress relative to the issue. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (July 23, 2008 issue)
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