MILF, Christian leaders to discuss 'policy agenda'
Published Sep 7, 2018 04:30 pm
By Camcer Ordonez Imam
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Top officials of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Christian church leaders are set to meet in Davao City to discuss a "policy agenda" that will towards peaceful co-existence of Muslims and Christians under the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM.
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chief Negotiator Mohagher Iqbal (Getty Images / MANILA BULLETIN)
Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the MILF Implementing Panel and commissioner of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) confirmed that the MILF hierarchy has already received the consolidated “Christian policy agenda” submitted by a group of Christian church leaders from Cardinal Orlando Quevedo during a media forum, recently, here.
With Iqbal during the media forum, here, were Atty. Nabil Tan, deputy presidential peace adviser and chair of the Government Implementing Panel for the GPH-MILF peace accord, and Atty Jose Iribani Lorena, member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission.
Through the program "Christians for Peace (CFP)," Christian leaders based in the new Bangsamoro political entity that will be established following the passage of Republic Act 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) had done a consensus-building to consolidate their policy agenda in welcoming the transition.
The BOL is set to create the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and will replace the existing Autonomous Region in MuslimMindanao (ARMM), with the MILF taking the helm of leadership.
The consolidated document, which was the result of a series of consultations organized through CFP will be discussed in the forthcoming meeting in Davao City, Iqbal said.
Among the points raised in the policy agenda, once BARMM is established, was the security of tenure of Christian employees working in the ARMM regional government, participation of Christians in the political process, transitional justice, and the status of the Christian educational system in the Muslim-dominated territory.
Also included in the agenda is the point on provision of block grant, or funding from the national government that a local authority such as BARMM can allocate to a wide range of services.
On the matter of transitional justice, Iqbal said Quevedo put forth the question regarding the administering of justice to Christian residents in the BARMM.
“Quevedo asked us -- How about the injustices that were committed against the Christians? When you’re talking about historical injustices, you are not selective,” he said, adding that “it would be an inclusive process.”
“The MILF will not answer it (Christian policy agenda) alone; of course, (it will be) with the consultation of the BTC and ,” he added.
In a dialogue the CFP conducted in Opol, Misamis Oriental recently, church officials said they fear of Christian communities being left out in the political process of the BARMM, and that they must take a participative and proactive approach rather than adopt a "wait and see" attitude.
"Our fear in going through the transition is the fear of having the wrong information and non-preparedness in the changes that will come and being left out," Fr. Ramonito Torres, vicar general of Marawi Prelature, said.
"It consists of ‘wait and see’ attitude and the downside of it is if we do not move and participate,” Torres added.
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chief Negotiator Mohagher Iqbal (Getty Images / MANILA BULLETIN)
Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the MILF Implementing Panel and commissioner of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) confirmed that the MILF hierarchy has already received the consolidated “Christian policy agenda” submitted by a group of Christian church leaders from Cardinal Orlando Quevedo during a media forum, recently, here.
With Iqbal during the media forum, here, were Atty. Nabil Tan, deputy presidential peace adviser and chair of the Government Implementing Panel for the GPH-MILF peace accord, and Atty Jose Iribani Lorena, member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission.
Through the program "Christians for Peace (CFP)," Christian leaders based in the new Bangsamoro political entity that will be established following the passage of Republic Act 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) had done a consensus-building to consolidate their policy agenda in welcoming the transition.
The BOL is set to create the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and will replace the existing Autonomous Region in MuslimMindanao (ARMM), with the MILF taking the helm of leadership.
The consolidated document, which was the result of a series of consultations organized through CFP will be discussed in the forthcoming meeting in Davao City, Iqbal said.
Among the points raised in the policy agenda, once BARMM is established, was the security of tenure of Christian employees working in the ARMM regional government, participation of Christians in the political process, transitional justice, and the status of the Christian educational system in the Muslim-dominated territory.
Also included in the agenda is the point on provision of block grant, or funding from the national government that a local authority such as BARMM can allocate to a wide range of services.
On the matter of transitional justice, Iqbal said Quevedo put forth the question regarding the administering of justice to Christian residents in the BARMM.
“Quevedo asked us -- How about the injustices that were committed against the Christians? When you’re talking about historical injustices, you are not selective,” he said, adding that “it would be an inclusive process.”
“The MILF will not answer it (Christian policy agenda) alone; of course, (it will be) with the consultation of the BTC and ,” he added.
In a dialogue the CFP conducted in Opol, Misamis Oriental recently, church officials said they fear of Christian communities being left out in the political process of the BARMM, and that they must take a participative and proactive approach rather than adopt a "wait and see" attitude.
"Our fear in going through the transition is the fear of having the wrong information and non-preparedness in the changes that will come and being left out," Fr. Ramonito Torres, vicar general of Marawi Prelature, said.
"It consists of ‘wait and see’ attitude and the downside of it is if we do not move and participate,” Torres added.