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Mindanao Bishops, MILF: pursue peace process, call for ceasefire

August 15, 2008
Mindanao Bishops, MILF: pursue peace process, call for ceasefire
News

August 15, 2008

Rasid Ladiasan, Correspondent

The Mindanao Bishops and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) reiterated their commitment to pursue the realm of peace, justice, solidarity and development as well as the peaceful resolution of the Mindanao conflict and Bangsamoro problem through the ongoing peace process between the government and MILF.

“The MILF and the Bishops reiterate unwavering moral commitment to pursue the path to peace, solidarity, justice and development in Mindanao, and resolve and support to the continuation of the peace process between the MILF and the government until its successful conclusion is achieved,” stated in their Joint Communique’ issued after their peace dialogue held at the Archbishop’s Residence in Davao City on August 14, 2008.

The dialogue was the first-ever between the Catholic Bishops of Mindanao and MILF which the sides described as epitomizing utmost sincerity, trust and cordiality, and a historic significant initiative as a way forward in advancing the common quest for genuine peace, unity and development in Mindanao.

Archbishop Fernando Capalla of Davao, co-convenor of the Bishops-Ulama Conference, led the Bishops and the MILF officials by Mohagher Iqbal, MILF Chief Peace Negotiator.

“We are indeed very happy to host this historic occasion. This is the very first time that high officials of the MILF were able to come to the Bishop’s House and we are very glad to be with,” said Archbishop Capalla, adding that His Eminence Cardinal Rosales, Cardinal Vidal and the Papal Nuncio in Manila were informed of the dialogue.

For his part, Chairman Iqbal said “We went our way to be here with you in the hallowed name of peace with our strong appeal for strong cooperation from all sectors in our stride to achieve peace in Mindanao .”

“We all know that peace is so precious for all of us and so in the spirit of openness and frankness, we shall move forward with the process in searching for truth and justice as paramount foundation towards peace in Mindanao ,” Iqbal said.

Joining them for the dialogue were Archbishop Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato, Auxialiary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Cotabato, Bishop Honesto Pacana of Malaybalay, Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos of Butuan, Bishop Neri Ochimar of Tandag, Surigao del Sur, Bishop Edwin dela Pena of Marawi City, Bishop Anonieto Cabahug of Surigao City; MILF Senior Peace Panel Member Atty. Datu Michael Mastura, Ustaz Mohammad Montasir and Ustaz Mohammad Abdullah, both members of the MILF Central Committee, MILF AHJAG Chairman Atty. Abdul Dataya, MILF Peace Panel Head Secretariat Jun Mantawil,  MILF Peace Panel Secretariat Member Mohajirin Ali, and MILF Ceasefire Committee Secretariat Head Rasid Ladiasan.

During the dialogue, the Bishops asked the MILF on its stand on the present status of the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD), clashes in some towns of North Cotabato, concerns on the indigenous peoples’ issues, and how can the Bishops be help to the GRP – MILF peace process.

Reverend Archbishops Quevedo, who in his recent write ups said the MOA-AD could bring lasting peace in Mindanao for all its people, said the “new information” shared by the MILF on the MOA-AD are very helpful in appreciating further the document.

However, Bishops Quevedo stressed the imperative of holding more dialogue and education campaign to avoid the negative repercussions that the MOA – AD could possibly unfold.

“The Bishops and representatives of the highest leadership of the MILF called on all sectors of the society for sobriety and calmness in confronting and resolving the issues besetting the forging of the GRP – MILF: MOA–AD,” said the Joint Communique.

It also stated “Both Parties also manifested their strong appeal for an immediate declaration of ceasefire to the ongoing armed clashes in some towns of North Cotabato, and immediate delivery of relief assistance and rehabilitation programs for the affected communities by all concerned institutions, local and international.”

Both parties resolved that dialogue and educational programs must be intensified, particularly by the religious leaders and academic institutions, relative to the ongoing peace process in Mindanao.

www.luwaran.com 
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Moro group to march to SC in support of domain pact

  GMANews.TV - Friday, August 15

MANILA, Philippines - A Muslim civil society group is set to march to the Supreme Court on Friday to hear the oral arguments on the controversial ancestral domain pact between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

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A radio report said the Bangsamoro People Solidarity for Peace which is holding a picket rally at Palanca St. in Manila’s Quiapo district is intending to march to the Supreme Court compound where a hearing on the ancestral domain agreement has been scheduled.

Pendatun Disimban, the group’s spokesperson, said the Supreme Court should lift the temporary restraining order on the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) on ancestral domain, saying it is the key to peace in the Mindanao region.

The group likewise slammed the agreement’s critics, alleging that they have vested interests that they are trying to protect.

“Si ( North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel) Piñol ay tumututol dito, at ang kanyang mga kasamahan, dahil meron silang mga personal na interest. Si Mayor (Celso) Lobregat ng Zamboanga City, may mga lupa yan sa Lanao del Sur, sa Balabagan municipality, na kinuha nya mula sa mga Moro kaya ganon na lang ang kanyang pagtutol,” said Disimban.

The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear the oral arguments of the parties involved in the agreement at 9 a.m. Friday.

Shortly before 10 a.m., however, High Court magistrates went into an in-chamber hearing to discuss the government’s motion to postpone the oral arguments. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV

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Mindanao’s bishops, MILF meet behind closed door; call for "sobriety and calmness"

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Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews   
Friday, 15 August 2008 11:35

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/14 August) – While Mindanao’s governors had “lengthy and heated discussions” with four Cabinet secretaries behind closed doors on the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in one of the function rooms of the Pryce Plaza Hotel in Cagayan de Oro Thursday, Mindanao’s bishops met behind closed doors with the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) at the Arcbhishop’s Residence here.

The meetings were held a day before the August 15 Supreme Court hearing on the temporary restraining order (TRO) it issued afternoon of August 4, preventing the government peace panel chair from signing the MOA-AD in the formal ceremonies scheduled August 5 morning at  the Grand Putrajaya Ballroom 2 of the Marriott Hotel in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

The MOA-AD, containing the agreement on the last of the three agenda items of the peace talks (after security and relief and rehabilitation), was initialed by government peace panel chair Rodolfo Garcia and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., and MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal, on July 27 in Kuala Lumpur.  

The Davao meeting, the “first-ever peace dialogue between the Catholic Bishops of Mindanao and the MILF” concluded with the issuance of a one-page Joint Communique that called on “all sectors of the society for sobriety and calmness in confronting and resolving the issues besetting the forging of the GRP-MILF Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain.

A day earlier, Mindanao’s bishops met with Garcia, Esperon, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales to discuss the controversial MOA at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Davao City. 

The bishops, led by Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla, co-convenor of the Mindanao Bishops-Ulama Conference and the MILF, led by peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal, also appealed for an “immediate declaration of ceasefire to the ongoing armed clashes in some towns of North Cotabato, and immediate provision of relief assistance and rehabilitation programs for the affected communities by all concerned institutions, relative to the ongoing peace process in Mindanao.” 

The bishops and the MILF reiterated their “unwavering moral commitment to pursue the path of peace, solidarity, justice and development in Mindanao, and resolve and support to the continuation of the peace process between the MILF and the government until its successful conclusion is achieved.”

Both parties agreed that “dialogue and educational programs must be intensified, particularly by the religious leaders and academic institutions, relative to the ongoing peace process in Mindanao.” 

The Joint Communique was signed by Capalla and Iqbal.

The other Mindanao bishops who were present were Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo who has written an extensive five-part series on the MOA-AD, Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, Malaybalay Bishop Honesto Pacana, Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos, Surigao del Sur bishop Neri Ochimar, Marawi Bishop Edwin dela Pena and Surigao City Bishop Antonieto Cabahug.

Capalla and Quevedo once served as president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Quevedo serving two terms from 1999 to 2003 and Capalla from 2003 to 2005.  

The other MILF leaders with Iqbal were senior peace panel member Datu Michael Mastura; MILF Central Committee members Ustaz Mohammad Montasir and Ustaz Mohammad Abdullah; Atty. Abdul Dataya, chair of the MILF in the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) with the GRP; MILF peace panel secretariat head Jun Mantawil; MILF peace panel secretariat member Mohajirin Ali and Rashid Ladiasan, head of the MILF secretariat in the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities. (Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews)
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