|
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Gov't to bare territorial deal in a week
MANILA -- Those demanding transparency in the ancestral domain deal between government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) may get their first "official" glimpse of it on Friday, a Malacañang official said.
Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez Jr. said this will be when the government defends the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) before the Supreme Court (SC).
Visit the Beijing Olympics 2008 blog
"This is going to be perfect time for everyone to sit down, listen, and get to know what others are asking," Golez said.
Last Monday, the SC issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the signing of the MOA-AD, at the request of groups questioning the lack of transparency in the deal.
Opponents of the MOA-AD argued that their cities and villages are being sold to the MILF's Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.
"This will be a chance for leaders of Muslim Mindanao to understand the MOA-AD, and relay what they learned to their constituents," Golez said.
On the other hand, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) posted on its website (www.cbcpnews.com) a primer on the MOA-AD by Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo.
Quevedo questioned the lack of transparency in the MOA on whether the Bangsamoro entity is part of the Philippine republic.
"The MOA is silent about the issue whether or not the Bangsamoro entity is part and parcel of the Republic of the Philippines. Instead it recognizes the Central Government, and establishes associative relationship and associative arrangements between Bangsamoro entity and Philippine government, as well as shared authority over territory, shared responsibility, sharing of resources, etc., with a period of transition specifying the relationship," he said.
"But the MOA also states that 'The Parties shall faithfully comply with their commitment to the associative arrangements upon entry to force of the Comprehensive Compact.' Therefore, it may be understood that the relationship of associative arrangements will continue even after the Bangsamoro entity shall have been fully entrenched and established in the basic law of the Bangsamoro entity," the prelate added. (JMR/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (August 10, 2008 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
