Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro

[cliff_drew]

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Precisely! The peace pact would only create more circus. Peace man kaha sa Mindanao? Then let's not focus only on one entity. Let's get other parties be heard and be involved, and consolidate all efforts. Kay bcn unya ug sa papel ra na taman ng "PEACE" nga ilang giingon...

Tinuod man na, nga ang MNLF karon, mura ra ug giduwa-duwaan sa Gobyerno. Samot na nga ang comment ni PNOY sa ARMM is a "failed experiment". I wouldn't expect a leader to go public about this kind of comment. Muabot ang time, mag-unay ra ni sila.

Unya karon, kay mi-commit naman ang gobyerno nato as if PNOY has control over congress' decisions... Paktay ta ani.. Ulbo na sad kaspa nato ani... Aw noon, maayo man kaayo si Butch Abad moduwa-duwa aning DAP.. Aw, nilawganay na sad ni sa congresso...

Ang mahitabo ana kay mag constitutional amendment sa before magbuhat ug balaod ang Congress unya kung masuta sa SC nga unconstitutional eh di waste of time and money sa mga taxpayer. Ug ang dakong pangutana diha, sure ba si Pnoy nga ma amend ang constitution ug makapasar ug balaod ang Congress within sa iyang administration. Kay for sure debatihon na sila ni Miriam. Hilom sad raba ning ubang lawmakers basin paling2 unya sad na sila.

[KlaytoN]

Do you think it will bring peace to Mindanao?

Personally, I don't.
It will be the same with Pakistan who made a peace agreement with the Taliban by giving them the Valley of Swat. Different names, different faces but the same scenario.

It may not guarantee a 100% turnaround overnight, but majority of the Mindanao population is very hopeful. I'm sure the only exception would be those who had personal ambitions and agenda that were bypassed and left behind by these agreement and of course there are some groups espousing the more extremist ideology like umbra kato and abu sayyaf.

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^like the government did with the MILF of Nur Misuari? only made to be the milking cow and stood against the government over again when they already had money?

We're hoping these would be different now.That experience with MNLF and Misuari with ARMM is the primary reason why the MILF of Hashim Salamat decided to contiue with the struggle.

[cliff_drew]

Tanan man siguro hopeful not only Mindanaoans kay affected sad bya labina diri sa Visayas unsay mahitabo sa Mindanao. Kinsa man dili gusto ug peace. Pero sa ingon ani nga paagia nga padung sa way klaro maypa i plan ni ug tarong. Peace is not just for one group but to all else we will suffer the consequence.

[KlaytoN]

I grew up in Mindanao.. I saw Cities run by Muslims and almost same scenario from admin-to-admin... Corruption left & right, ghost employees ug uban pa.

Would it make any difference? NOPE! Kay kini sila, wa ni'y katagbawan... Ilang character ani, when you reach them through your hand, they'll gonna take your entire arm...

While your idea is being shared by many non-muslims in Mindanao, there has to be a deeper understanding of this issue on why things happened the way it is.. Those incidence of overtaking townhalls and municipalities, though barbaric in our own interpretation, it didn't happen out of random or just because they wanted to.. If you look at the pattern of events leading to such atrocities, it happened everytime major peace talks fail and clearly it was a sign of desperation by rebel commanders on the ground. As for corruption, there is no study that declares Moros are more corrupt than other tribes.. Heck if you want wholesale corruption involving billions upon billions, then look at Marcos and Napoles.

[<SMILE>]

Unsaon mana natong peace pact where in the first place unconstitutional man. Dili lagi pwede nga we should give peace a chance kung walay klaro padulngan. Mangambot nalang ko unsay mahitabo basin mahitabo gyud ang dakong gubot hinoon

What makes it unconstitutional is that the agreement would create a substate which is not in the provision as per the constitution. Mao ra man nang istoryaha sa autonomy, if they wish to make their own laws then so be it. Let them be confined in those places and do progress for themselves as they wish, but they could never separate themselves from the central government and those lands still belongs to the Philippines of course. As long as the congress would ratify the deal then it's okay, no need to change the constitution kay daghan pud mga politiko diha nga gustong mag-hari sa ilang lugar, mao daghang gusto ug federalism, kana noon gubot kaayo na.

[000.bulldozer.000]

THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON THE BANGSAMORO (FAB)




What is the FAB? The Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro is an agreement between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) at the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that aims to end the armed conflict between government forces and the MILF. The FAB lays down the principles for the establishment of an autonomous political entity for the Bangsamoro, as a way of recognizing their distinct history and their aspirations as a distinct people.




Why is the negotiation between the GPH and the MILF?

Even after fighting between the parties has gone on for several decades in contemporary history, it is recognized that it is the common interest of the 2 parties to find a political settlement that would resolve the root causes of the conflict.

The negotiations between the Moros and the GPH started in 1975 between the GPH and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) negotiating with government in 1997.




What have been agreed upon by the parties in the FAB?







The parties agreed that the status quo is not acceptable. One of the more important steps in changing the present situation is the establishment of the “Bangsamoro”— the new autonomous political entity in Mindanao. The Bangsamoro will have the necessary powers to run its own government, including the powers necessary for taxation, availment of funds and the creation of wealth, and sharing of revenues from the utilization, development and exploitation of natural resources within its territory.

In recognition of the distinct history, culture, and aspirations of the Bangsamoro, the Bangsamoro Government shall enjoy stronger autonomy compared to the local government units of the Philippines. The Bangsamoro shall also have a different form of government, while the rest of the Philippines has a “presidential” form. In the parliamentary form of government, there will be a closer relationship between the legislative and the executive branches of government. In addition, the Bangsamoro Government shall have competence over the Shari’a justice system, and indigenous systems of conflict resolution.




Who are the Bangsamoro?

Aside from establishing the Bangsamoro political entity, the FAB also recognizes the Bangsamoro identity, i.e., those who at the time of conquest are the original inhabitants of Mindanao, the Sulu archipelago and the adjacent islands including Palawan, and their descendants. They have the right to the Bangsamoro identity by ascription or self-ascription.

Included in the category are the spouses and their children.

Other indigenous peoples in said areas shall have the freedom of choice on whether to ascribe to such identity or not.




What will happen to the ARMM?

The ARMM shall remain as an autonomous political entity unless and until it replaced by the Bangsamoro political entity through the ratification of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). On May 13, 2013, there will be elections for the leadership in the ARMM. But once the BBL is ratified, the ARMM shall be abolished, and in its place shall be established the Bangsamoro.




What is the territory of the Bangsamoro?

The Bangsamoro shall be composed of the following areas:
1.the present areas of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM);
2.the cities of Cotabato and Isabela;
3.the municipalities of Baloi, Munao, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagoloan at Tangkal in the province of Lanao del Norte that voted for the incldusion in the ARMM at the 2001 plebiscite;
4.the barangays in the municipalities of Kabacan, Carmen, Aleosan, Pigcawayan, Pikit and Midsayap in the province of (North) Cotabato, that voted for the incldusion in the ARMM at the 2001 plebiscite;
5.all other contiguous areas where there is a resolution of the local government unit or a petition of at least 10% of the qualified voters in the area asking for their inclusion at least 2 months prior to the conduct of the ratification of the BBL. If the votes for inclusion to the Bangsamoro reach a majority, then the said area will be included in the Bangsamoro territory.

Contiguous areas where there are substantial populations of the Bangsamoro may also submit a petition of at least 10% of the residents for the inclusion of their local government unit in the Bangsamoro. The petition may be submitted even after the ratification of the BBL. Should a majority of the residents vote for inclusion, the local government unit will become part of the Bangsamoro.




What is the process in the establishment of the Bangsamoro?






1. Conclusion of a comprehensive peace agreement




The peace panels of the GPH and the MILF will work for the finalization and signing of a comprehensive peace agreement. Aside from the FAB, the following “Annexes” will be part of the said agreement: (1) delineation and sharing of powers between the central government and the Bangsamoro government; (2) the delineation and sharing resources and the powers to be devolved to the Bangsamoro government for its creation of wealth, (3) the process for “normalizing” the situation in the Bangsamoro; and (4) processes to be undertaken for the establishment of the Bangsamoro.






2. Drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law




After a comprehensive peace agreement is signed, the Transition Commission will draft a Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). The BBL is the legal basis of the establishment of the Bangsamoro. It will lay down the structure of government of the Bangsamoro, the relationshop of the Bangsamoro with the Central Government, the rights of the residents, and other important matters in the governance of the Bangsamoro. In drafting the BBL, the TC will be guided by the provisions of the comprehensive peace agreements, and by the recommendations of the different sectors that the TC will consult.




The Transition Commission is composed of 15 Bangsamoro who have been entrusted with the responsibility of writing the Bangsamoro Basic Law that will be submitted to Congress. Also included in the responsibilities of the TC are the tasks of proposing amendments to the Philippine Constitution, if needed, and the coordination of development programs and projects in the Bangsamoro.




3. Submission of the draft BBL to the President



The draft BBL will be submitted by the TC to the Office of the President. The bill shall be certified by the latter so that it can be urgently acted upon by Congress.




4. Recommendation for the amendment of the Constitution, if needed




If there is a recommendation to amend the Philippine Constitution, such recommendation shall be submitted to the Office of the President so that it can be given appropriate action and for the process for the amendment of the Constitution can be initiated.




5. Enactment of the BBL




Ang proposed BBL will be submitted to Congress and will be subjected to deliberations by the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, for passage into law. In the enactment of the law, both chambers should be able to muster a majority vote of the members present. If and when the required number of votes are achieved, the law shall be submitted to the President for his signature.




6. Ratification of the BBL



When the law is enacted in accordance with the procedure stated above, it will be submitted to the registered voters of the Bangsamoro territory for their ratification.




7. Bangsamoro Transition Authority



When a majority of the registered voters in the Bangsamoro vote for the BBL at the plebiscite, the ARMM shall be abolished and the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) is established.




Majority of the BTA will come from the MILF. Its primary task is to set up the structure of government in the Bangsamoro, in accordance with the provisions of the angsamoro Basic Law. At this point, the residents of the Bangsamoro shall be prepared for the regular election of those who will sit in the Bangsamoro government.




8. Election in the Bangsamoro



There will be elections in the Bangsamoro in year 2016, together with the elections elsewhere in the Philippines. In these elections, the registered voters in the Bangsamoro—whether they are Bangsamoro in identity or not—shall choose the leaders who will run the Bangsamoro Government




Myths and Facts







Myths


Facts








The Framework Agreement discriminates against those who are not “Bangsamoro” in identity.





The FAB recognizes that there are different peoples and identities in Mindanao and in the Bangsamoro. The FAB also recognizes rights already recognized in laws and other legal documents, including the following rights:



Right to freedom and expression of religions and beliefs
Right to freedom of speech
Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspiration
Right of women to meaningful political participation, and protection from all forms of violence
Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and the public service, regardless of class, creed, disability, gender and ethnicity
Right to establish cultural and religious associations
Right to freedom from religious, ethnic and sectarian harassment










Based on the FAB, the political entity that will be established will no longer be part of the Philippines, and thus, there is a need for the drafting of the entity’s constitution, i.e., the Bangsamoro Basic Law.





The Bangsamoro will remain to be a part of the Philippines, but it will be an autonomous region. This means that it will enjoy a different set of governmental powers, compared to the local government units. The Bangsamoro Basic Law will be enacted by Congress and such shall lay down the structure of the Bangsamoro Government, in accordance with the provisions of the comprehensive peace agreement.










Because they are the ones who negotiated with the GPH, the MILF will run the ARMM up to 2016.





According to the Framework Agreement, both parties agreed that the status quo is not acceptable. Part of the status quo are the structure and the processes in the ARMM, and its relationship with the Central Government. Thus, even if the ARMM has been repeatedly offered to the MILF, the latter has not accepted the leadership of the ARMM. The MILF’s interest is a change in the relationship between the Central Government and the Bangsamoro, and not the leadership of the ARMM.




In fact, there will be elections in the ARMM (and the rest of the Philippines) this Mayo 2013. Whoever wins in the elections in the ARMM in May 2013 will lead the region for the coming term.







The Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is tasked to monitor the implementation of the FAB.








The mechanism for the monitoring of compliance of the parties of their obligations under the agreement is the “Third Party Monitoring Team” (TPMT). This will be composed of 2 local non-government organization (NGOs) and 2 international non-government organizations (INGOs), and to be led by an eminent person.










In the FAB, local government units will be dissolved once the Bangsamoro is established.





The local government units inside the territory of the Bangsamoro shall remain and will continue to serve their constituents. Unless and until a Local Government Code is enacted in the Bangsamoro, the powers and functions of the LGUs will remain as they are.










According to the FAB, only men are allowed to run as leaders of the communities and of the Bangsamoro.





The FAB does not say this. In fact, what the FAB says is that the women will have the right to meaningful participation in the Bangsamoro. Furthermore, the FAB also provides that everyone is entitled to equal opportunity in social and economic activity and the public service, regardless of class, creed, disability, gender and ethnicity










The FAB will negate the 1996 Final Peace Agreement





The 1996 Final Peace Agreement is one of the bases of the negotiations between the GPH and the MILF. It is not negated but even used as a baseline in the current negotiations.


































At what stage is the peace process in right now?




After the signing of the FAB, the parties started working on the 4 Annexes. But only one of the four annexes has been signed by the parties. Three more still need to be finalized and signed-- (1) Power-sharing, (2) Wealth-sharing, and (3) Normalization.




Why should every Filipino know this?

The peace process is not only for the benefit of the Moros, but also for all Filipinos. If there is going to be peace, it is more hopeful that there will be development in Mindanaw. Such development will also propel development in the whole country.




Is there a connection between the 2013 election and the peace process?



Yes. As stated earlier, the Bangsamoro Basic Law will pass through Congress (House of Representatives and the Senate). Hence, our choice of leaders in this election is important because they will be the ones who will sit as legislators tasked to deliberate and decide on the BBL.




(Publication of this primer was made possible through the assistance of OXFAM)

[cliff_drew]

^ Asa naman na ron? Nalubog na?

[battouter]

OK mao diay

usban nato sa mga wala kakita... chill2x lang ta mga kaigsuonan. let diplomacy and peace triumph.

[Romeojin]

mahimo gyud ni Philippine version of Gaza strip, swat valley etc. that could lead to religious conflict or sectarian conflict.

problem pud kanang mga private army like ni ampatuan, unsaon pag repel kung naay full autonomy.

[SioDenz]

There are People in this world that DONT Want PEACE. We should Not be too Naive to believe that ALL People Want Peace...