MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon today hailed the peace panels from both the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in their recent signing of the Annex on Normalization, and said that the Senate is “more than prepared to work on legislation capacitating the peace accords,” which would end four decades of armed conflict in central Mindanao.
“The completion of all the annexes has proven that we Filipinos are not ruled by our differences, but by our shared desire for peace, equality and prosperity as a nation,” he said.
"The admirable commitment and hard work of both parties- the government, the MILF panel, and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process- have led to a historic stride in this decades-old quest for peace in Mindanao," he added.
The normalization annex- the last of the four documents that make up the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro – dictates the deactivation of the 11,000-strong MILF fighting force, and the eventual turnover of their arms.
Drilon stressed that the cessation of using arms and violence is “arguably, the most vital step in the comprehensive peace agreement process.”
“Without the threat of reckless violence, the various infrastructure projects and socio-economic activities can then be implemented properly in parts of Mindanao that have long needed genuine political, social and economic development,” he explained.
“Peace in Mindanao will bring about political stability and socio-economic development in the entire country,” he pointed out.
The Senate President said that the Senate “looks forward to seeing and finally scrutinizing the proposed Bangsamoro law that will institute the necessary reforms called for in the Agreement,” and that the law will be given utmost priority in the Senate.
“The Senate is more than ready to work on the new Bangsamoro basic law – one that would be universally fair, practical and Constitutionally-consistent," Drilon emphasized.
“We would absolutely welcome the chance to be a part of this historic undertaking, and we look forward to cooperating with the various stakeholders in building the legislative tenets of what would finally represent our collective capacity for harmony and cooperation," he concluded.
No comments:
Post a Comment