We must understand that the current Bangsamoro deal that Sen Defensor brands as illegal or unconstitutional is a result of several years of discussions and negotiations with the MILF (and their supporters in Muslim Mindano) towards self-determination or self-rule for 13 provinces in Southern Mindanao, which, to put succintly, is a concept and a step towards independent statehood. In fact, successive PH peace negotiators with the MILF have always affirmed that the Republic of the Philippines is committed to granting Bangsamoro full autonomy or self rule as exemplified by the following*: Secretary Silvestre C. Afable, Jr., Chairman of the Government Peace Negotiating Panel in the talks with the MILF, in his letter to Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel, on November 9, 2006, which stated that the GRP would like to explore with the MILF in the next round of talks, “the grant of self-determination and self-rule to the Bangsamoro people based on an Organic Charter to be drafted by representatives of the Bangsamoro people.” In Tokyo last May 2007, he again reiterated the Philippine government position: “On the negotiating table, we have offered a political settlement based on self-determination that strives to unify the Bangsamoro people rather than divide them, for them to finally live in a homeland rather than a rented territory paid for in blood and suffering. We are crossing bridges of understanding that others have never ventured to do in the past.” We have been made to understand that the resulting Bangsamoro deal signed in October last year will definitely fall under that mantra of full self-rule but under the sovereignty of the Republic of the Philippines. As things stand, legal experts have opined that the deal is unconstitutional. To reverse the unconstitutionality of the deal, there apparently is a need to ammend the Constitution. Questions: - Are we all prepared to ammend the Constitution to allow the Bangsamoro deal to work? - Shall we all accept the risk that once up and running, the Bangsamoro with the countrys 13 provinces in the South will ultimately declare its independence? - Are we all prepared to accept the risk that the Bangsamoro will join the Malaysia Federation? (We must not lose sight of the fact that this Bangsamoro deal has been engineered by Malaysia, a country with whom the Philippines has an outstanding conflict of interest, i.e., the North Borneo/Sabah question, which, to me, renders the deal highly suspect.) - In as much as the deal has opened doors for future applications by other indigenous groups of people in Southern Mindanao for self rule, eg., Erumanen ne Menuvu indigenous tribe**, which want to be excluded from the proposed Bangsamoro, do we accept that it is only right to grant Erumanen ne Menuvu self-rule by following the same process that the GPH-MILF went through? IF THE ANSWERS to all the above questions are YES, then so be it. If the decision is by consensus, we will have no other recourse but to abide by that decision. ========= *The recognition of the Bangsamoro right to self-determination was affirmed by Secretary Silvestre C. Afable, Jr., Chairman of the Government Peace Negotiating Panel in the talks with the MILF, in hisl etter to Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel,on November 9, 2006, which stated that the GRP would like to explorewith the MILF in the next round of talks, “the grant of self-determination and self-rule to the Bangsamoro people based on an Organic Charter tobe drafted by representatives of the Bangsamoro people.” In Tokyo last May 2007, he again reiterated the Philippine government position: “On the negotiating table, we have offered a political settlement based on self-determination that strives to unify the Bangsamoro people rather than divide them, for them to finally live in a homeland rather than a rented territory paid for in blood and suffering. We are crossing bridges of understanding that others have never ventured to do in the past.” Understanding the Bangsamoro Right to Self-Determination Self-determination as a Right academia.edu/3381995/Searching_for_Peace_in_the_Southern_Philippines_A_Conversation_with_Nur_Misuari ============ ** “We cannot accept Bangsamoro as our identity. We have our own identity and this is the Erumanen ne Menuvu,” Erumanen Datu Ronaldo Ambangan said as he read the declaration of the Erumanen ne Menuvu tribe during the June 24 congressional consultations on the proposed Bangsamoro in Midsayap, North Cotabato. Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net/615262/indigenous-tribes-want-ancestral-lands-excluded-from-bangsamoro-autonomy#ixzz363KJ2dJp
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:05:00 +0000
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