Aug
06
2008
| Interview with Bro. Eid Kabalu, Head of the Civilian-Military Relations Department, MILF |
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| Written by Reihana Mohideen | ||||||
| Wednesday, 06 August 2008 | ||||||
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The MOA “The MOA spells out the definition of the territory which will be under the Bangsamoro Judicial Entity (BJE). The core areas are the present ARMM territory. The barangays and villages adjacent to the ARMM territory and dominated by the Bangsamoro Muslim population, will be subjected to plebiscite through which the people will be consulted and asked if they are willing to be a part of the BJE. Through this [plebiscite] we will be observing the democratic process.” “This is the first time there is a concrete proposal to address the root cause of the problem [in Mindanao]. We are a minority in our homeland. Many of us have no where else to go. We live here and we will die here. We can’t go and live in Visayas or Luzon. If we try to rent an apartment in Metro Manila and they [the owners] know that we are Bangsamoro Muslims, they won’t allow us to rent it.” [We will be able to interview members of the MILF negotiating panel on the details of the MOA when they get back from Kuala Lumpur.] The Christian-led opposition to the MOA in Mindanao He explained that some of the LGU leaders of the Christian dominated areas who oppose the MOA “are conducting a campaign of misinformation. They oppose it, but they are not putting forward any alternative to address the problems of the Bangsamoro people. They are pursuing their own agenda and their personal interests.” “For example in Zamboanga City, the mayors are trying to mislead the public. [They claim] that the heart of the city, Zone 3 and Zone 4 are included in the BJE. But this is nonsense. It’s not true. The core area is still the ARMM and only the adjacent barangays dominated by the Bangsamoro Muslim population will be asked, via plebiscite, [if they want to join the BJE]. The MILF response to the Supreme Court TRO: a “done deal” “The TRO is addressed to the government and it restrains them from the ceremonial signing of the MOA. The Supreme Court is not judging the content of the MOA. The TRO was issued because the petitioners were complaining about the lack of information about the MOA. They were requesting a copy of the MOA and proper information and were not questioning the merits of the agreement. The Supreme Court made this very clear.” When questioned about Esperon’s response to the MILF position of a ‘done deal’, that the SC decision does matter, Kabalu commented “Esperon is speaking on behalf of the government. The MILF is a revolutionary organisation. As far as we’re concerned it’s a done deal, which will be signed later on.” On the lack of transparency and consultation “The government has said that they have conducted the necessary consultation, including with the LGUs on the ground. Maybe some of the people opposing it were not informed and included. It’s their right to protest about this. “Our people are not complaining about not being informed. We have explained that the barangays will be consulted through a plebiscite. “But some people are afraid and there are those wanting to exploit the situation. They’re spreading rumours that ancestral domain is a confiscatory agreement. They are afraid that territory owned by someone will be confiscated by the BJE. But this is not the case. It’s not a confiscatory agreement. If people who own property have sufficient legal proof with titles and a moral right, they don’t have to be afraid.” On uniting with the MNLF on the MOA “Our lines with them are open. Our relations with the MNLF is an internal matter and we can resolve it amongst ourselves.” The opposition from the anti-GMA politicians “They oppose it, but they are not putting forward an alternative formula, an alternative solution to the problem. But then they are the opposition. They will oppose whatever the government does.” How sincere is the GMA regime in carrying it through? “Signing the MOA is not the end. Implementation is another issue. [There is a] long and tedious negotiation period of the compact agreement [where the] powers to granted [to the BJE] has to be explained. “So many things could happen. This is a long and tedious negotiation process. Those opposing it right now should understand this.” Trackback(0)
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