The Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on August 4, stopping the August 5 morning signing of the MOA-AD in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The MOA was initialed on July 27 by government peace panel chair, Secretary Rodolfo Garcia and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., and MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal.

The eight-point statement was agreed upon “unanimously” by 15 of 27 Mindanao governors and Palawan Governor Joel Reyes, after a closed-door caucus with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Esperon, Garcia and former Presidential Adviser on Political Affaires Gabby Claudio.  

Sarangani Governor Miguel Dominguez, who was one of the signatories to the statement, told MindaNews they had “lengthy and heated discussion” with the government peace panel chair and the Cabinet secretaries. “All voiced their objections to the MOA-AD. We all agreed that we must move forward to prevent another Cotabato experience.”

“Mistakes were committed because of lack of transparency and other shortcomings,” he said.

To move forward, Dominguez cited the points they agreed on: “support quest for lasting peace; transparency in negotiations with GRP-MILF; wait for SC decision (implications of decisions we are preparing for to avoid further bloodshed).”

In their statement, the governors agreed that aside from urging the Supreme Court to act on their appeal, they would:

-          regardless of party affiliations or religious persuasions, “remain united for peace and progress amidst the controversy arising from the proposed Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) prepared and initiated by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) Peace Panel and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which seeks to provide the preliminary parameters for the establishment of genuine and enduring peace in Mindanao.”

-          “fully support” the peace process and “the efforts of the GRP Peace Panel in pursuing measures that would finally put an end to more than 35 years of fratricidal conflict that have claimed the lives of so many people, destroyed billions worth of properties and brought untold sufferings to innocent civilians caught in the crossfire of the longest-running secessionist war.” 

They also called on the government peace panel to “adopt actions and decisions relative to the MOA-AD within the legal framework and the rule of law, and make them the foundation for subsequent agreements.”

They also urged the government panel to “conduct wider and comprehensive consultations with local government units (LGUs) to help resolve issues that would affect the peace process in Mindanao.” 

The Mindanao leaders urged their colleagues, particularly “the leaders of the country at all levels, to exercise utmost restraint, prudence and statesmanship in their actions and statements pertaining to the present controversy considering that the MOA-AD is not the final Peace Agreement and will be always be (subject) to Congressional actions.”

They called on the national government to “apply the full force of the law” against groups or individuals sowing violence or undermining the pursuit of peace “which tend to escalate the conflict and derail the Peace Process.”

They also called on the National Government and the concerned local government units to “immediately provide all the needed assistance to the displaced and affected civilians in the areas of conflict.” 

Based on the copy e-mailed by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, the Statement was issued by governors  Mamintal Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur;  Erlpe John M. Amante  of Agusan del Norte;  Jum M. Akbar of Basilan; Aurora Cerilles of Zamboanga del Sur; Douglas Cagas of Davao del Sur; Miguel Domiguez of Sarangani; George Hofer of Zamboanga Sibugay; .Oscar S. Moreno of  Misamis Oriental; Loreto Leo S. Ocampos of Misamis Occidental; Maria Valentina Plaza of Agusan del Sur; Jurdin Jesus Romualdo of Camiguin; AbduSakur Tan of  Sulu; Rolando Yebes of Zamboanga del Norte;  Joel Reyes of Palawan; Vice Gov. Elvis dela Merced of Dinagat Island;  Vice Gov. Norris C. Babiera of Misamis Oriental;17. Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte;  Rep.Bobby Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte and  Jesus Sacdalan of North Cotabato.

Sultan Kudarat Governor Teng Mangudadatu, whose province’s 11 of 11 towns are included in “Category A” was not in the meeting. He did not send a representative. Mangudadatu’s father, Pax, now a representative, was a member of the government peace panel from 2003 until his last term as governor ended last year.

Category B is a list of 1,459 conflict-affected areas outside the BJE area that will be treated as “special intervention areas” and will still be “subject to further negotiations.”   

A plebiscite will be held in these areas “not earlier than 25 years from the signing of the Comprehensive Compact” if they want or do not want to be in the BJE. If the Compact is signed as  scheduled by November 2009, the plebiscite will be held not earlier than 2034.

Of Mindanao’s 27 provinces and 33 cities, the areas that are listed under Category A are four cities and six provinces; in Category B, 10 provinces and one city.  

The four cities under Category A are: 45 of 45 Isabela barangays; six of Zamboanga City’s 98 barangays;  eight of Iligan’s 44 barangays; and  37 of 37 Cotabato City

barangays.

In Category B, Pagadian City’s 54 of 54 barangays and 40 more of  Zamboanga City’s 98 barangays.  

Together, 46 of 98 Zamboanga City’s are listed in Categories A and B.

The six provinces listed in Category A are Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay and Bukidnon which has one town each listed in Category A and Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat which has several towns listed. 

The 10 provinces listed in Category B are Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Sarangani, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Zamboanga del Norte.

In Zamboanga del Sur, eight of 30 barangays of Dinas are listed in Category A. The province has 26 towns.

In Category B, 14 of 26 towns are listed, including the remaining 22 of 30 barangays in Dinas. The 13 other towns are Aurora, Dimataling, Dumalinao, Kumalarang, Labangan, Lapuyan, Margosatubig, San Pablo, Tabina, Tukuran, Pitogo, Vicenzo A. Saguin and Guipos. 

In Zamboanga Sibugay, five of 18 barangays of Magsaysay are listed in Category A. the province has 16 towns.

In Category B, all 16 towns of the province are listed, including the remaining 13 barangays of Magsaysay. 

In Bukidnon, one barangay out of 14 barangays in Kalilangan is listed in Category A. Bukidnon has 20 towns. There is no are in Bukidnon under Category B.

In Lanao del Norte, six of its 22 towns that voted yes to inclusion in the 2001 plebiscite for an expanded Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are part of the core of the proposed BJE, along with the ARMM’s six provinces (Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Shariff Kabunsuan, Basilan, SUlu, Tawi-tawi) and two cities (Marawi and Lamitan). 

The six towns that form part of the BJE’s core are Baloi, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagoloan and Tangcal.

Listed in Category A are four of 16 barangays in Bacolod. 

In Category B, 193 of 260 barangays in 13 towns are listed,  including 11 more barangays in Bacolod.

In North Cotabato, 12 out of 17 towns are listed in Category A:  Alamada’s six of 17 barangays; Aleosan’s seven of 19; Banisilan’s 18 of 20; Carmen’s 17 of 28; all 24 barangays of Kabacan; three of M’lang’s 37; 12 of 34 barangays in Matalam; 19 of 57 barangays in Midsayap; 20 of 40 in Pigkawayan; all 42 barangays of Pikit; one of 25 in President Roxas and seven of 29 in Tulunan or a total of 178 of 372 villages in 12 towns.  

In Category B, however, all 20 barangays of Libungan; all 38 of Makilala; and all 28 of Arakan are listed along with the remaining 11 barangays of Alamada; 17 more of 28 barangays in Carmen; remaining 22 of 34 barangays in Matalam; remaining 38 of 57 barangays in Midsayap; remaining 34 of 37 barangays of M’lang;  remaining 24 of 40 barnagays in Pigkawayan; remaining 24 of 25 barangays in Pres. Roxas; remaining 2 of 20 barangays in Banisilan and the remaining 12 of 19 barangays in Aleosan.  

In Sultan Kudarat,  10 of its 11 towns are listed in Category A: Bagumbayan, Columbio, Esperanza, Kalamansig, Lambayong, Lebak, Lutayan, Palimbang, President Quirino and Senator Ninoy Aquino and three of 17 barangays in Isulan or a total of 214 of 228 villages in 11 towns.

In Category B., the remaining 14 barangays of Isulan are listed.  

Also in Category B are three out of 10 towns of South Cotabato: Polomolok’s 23 of 23 barangays, Tampakan’s 13 of 13 barangays and Tupi’s 15 of 15 barangays

The multinational company, Dole Philippines’ pineapple plantations are in Polomolok and Tupi towns while Tampakan is home to what is said to be gold-rich and has the “largest undeveloped copper deposit in Southeast Asia”

Also in Category B are five of seven towns: Glan, Kiamba, Maasim, Maitum and Malapatan.  

Davao del Sur’s island town of Sarangani is listed in Category B. The province has 14 towns.

Davao Oriental’s Tarragona town is also listed in Category B. The province has 10 towns. 

Compostela Valley’s Pantukan is also listed in Category B. The province has 11 towns.

Outside Mindanao, Palawan is listed in both Categories A and B.

Palawan has 23 towns. Of these, two towns are listed in Category A: Balabac’s 20 of 20 barangays and Bataraza’s 22 of 22 barangay. In Category B, two more towns are listed: Brooke’s Point’s 18 of 18 barangays and Rizal’s (Marcos) 11 of 11 barangays. (Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews)

(source:http://www.mindanews.com/)