by Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan May 28 (PIA) – Government
of the Philippines (GPH) peace panel chair Dean Marvic Leonen assured Mindanao
business sector that output of the negotiations and of the peace process as a
whole will be inclusive.
Leonen was speaker before a forum supported
by The Asia Foundation (TAF) dubbed “Engaging Business in the Peace Process”
spearheaded by the Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) and the Davao City Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) held on Friday in Davao City, which was
participated in by key business organizations and private corporations from
regions all over Mindanao including the Muslim Business Forum, Inc. and the
Mindanao Tourism Council.
Leonen said that the government is fully
aware that many groups and voices besides the MILF are working towards the same
aspirations for peace in Southern Philippines. “We are therefore vocal in
saying that negotiations and all outputs should be inclusive and that all
parties should be accommodated within that aspiration,” he stressed.
Leonen also lauded the initiative of business
leaders in southern Philippines for supporting the peace negotiations with the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“President Benigno Aquino III is sincere
about the peace talks and he has no other agenda except to bring a just and
lasting solution to the armed conflict in Mindanao,” he added.
Moreover, Leonen underscored the vast
economic potentials of Mindanao in terms of tourism, fisheries,
agro-industries, as well as its potential ability to harness and mobilize its
highly skilled and experienced Moro professionals, technical and managerial
human resources.
“I’ve personally seen them, I have seen the
young Moro as we have a legal team dominated by excellent young Moro
professionals,” he said. “I have seen a lot of good Moro leaders, public and
private who can actually be our leaders of the future.”
“We
are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to bring about a peace agreement
soon enough – hopefully within this year,” Leonen positively declared, “but as
government negotiator I can only promise our aspirations within the government
panel.”
“We are all in this together; we believe that
this is a national issue and not a local one, for the sooner we realize this
peace, the better for our country,” he added.