ISABELA CITY, Basilan, May 30 (PIA) --
Government of the Philippines (GPH) peace panel chair Dean Marvic Leonen
underlined that “meaningful autonomy,” which the GPH and the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front (MILF) have been eyeing to achieve for the Bangsamoro people, is
“collective” and “democratic."
In his opening statement during the 28th
formal exploratory talks that started on Monday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
Leonen underscored that “meaningful autonomy is and has always been a
collective effort of all Moros with the various other identities represented by
the national government complementing their roles.”
He added that given this, meaningful autonomy
for the Bangsamoro is also a “democratic autonomy.”
The GPH and the MILF have embarked on the
substantive agenda, such as wealth and power sharing between the national
government and the envisioned new autonomous political entity (NPE), following
the signing of the Decision Points on Principles during their last round of
negotiations in April.
In the decision points, both sides have
agreed to create an autonomous area with a democratic arrangement replacing the
current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Sharing his insights from the recent
consultations with various sectors in preparation for this round of talks,
Leonen said that many of those they have consulted fear whether “the
government, in saying that the status quo is unacceptable, is ready to
marginalize the many other efforts done in the past and still continuing in the
present in order to sign a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front (MILF)."
Allaying such fears, he stated that “any
democratic arrangement, even within an autonomous area, always concedes
tolerance."
“Negotiated political settlements with armed
insurgencies therefore should be careful that we do not supplant, devalue or
marginalize the efforts of the good souls who…worked valiantly to achieve the
laudable aspirations of those who took arms,” he explained.
He also said that efforts of civil servants
and some political leaders “who have painstakingly engaged in the many other
different struggles needed to put some of the conditions for meaningful
democratic autonomy in place” should not be forgotten.
Leonen also stressed that economic viability
is necessary for political autonomy to succeed.
“There will always be a failure of political
autonomy if the conditions for economic viability of the autonomous area are
not given as much priority,” he stated.
The panel chair explained that for one,
poverty distorts the people’s democratic choices as indigent voters tend to be
enticed with the offer to purchase one’s vote without realizing how this can
affect their livelihood opportunities.
“Provision of social services and economic
development therefore plants the seed for good governance,” he stated.
Further, Leonen said that along with good
governance, “economic development should enable the autonomous government to be
less dependent on national fund transfers.”
“Less dependency on national fund transfers
matters in the continuing negotiations for competence between the national and
autonomous government,” the panel chair added.
He related that the government has been
implementing various socio-economic projects that have been neglected in the
past.
“I am certain that this will complement the
political and legal adjustments that we can agree to in this negotiating
table,” Leonen said. “When we sign a comprehensive peace agreement, the two
components will then be in place to ensure that this time around we will have a
meaningful and democratic autonomous government in place.”
As the GPH and the MILF continue to discuss
substantive issues on the table, Leonen expressed hopes that both parties will
come up with a peace agreement soon.
“We remain optimistic that the sincerity of
both sides will pull us through what we expect would be difficult conversations
ahead.”
The five ARMM governors arrived in the
Malaysian capital to provide full support to the on-going peace negotiations,
citing the primacy of the peace process especially in Mindanao.
“We are here to provide support,” Sulu
Governor Abdusakur Tan said. “There will always be one of us sitting there
(referring to the room where the negotiations is taking place) as an observer.”
“We want to show everybody including the MILF
that the five executives of the ARMM are one in supporting the peace efforts of
the government with the MILF,” Tan added.
Joining Tan are Maguindanao Governor Esmael
"Toto" Mangudadatu, Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong, Basilan Gov.
Jum Akbar and Tawi-Tawi Gov. Sadikul Sahali.
North Cotabato 1st District Rep. Jesus
Sacdalan, chairman of the House Special Committee on Peace, Unification and
Reconciliation also joined the GPH contingent as a consultant of the peace
panel.