COTABATO CITY (PNA) – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) acting Gov. Ansaruddin Adiong is pushing for active participation of ARMM constituents in the national government’s peace initiatives in southern Philippines.

As this developed, Adiong has directed his key personnel in the regional government to come up with a series of consultations in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and the city of Marawi.

“This is to solicit relevant ideas and perspective from stakeholders that have not been forwarded or given recognition in the past consultations,” ARMM Executive Secretary Naguib Sinarimbo said.

To commence on July 20, the ARMM peace summit will conduct a series of consultations, opinion, and suggestions gathering and giving voices to the voiceless-stakeholders.

Sinarimbo said the consultations will not only deal on the current peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), but also the existing GRP-Moro National Liberation Front peace deal.

“It is high time that the sentiments of our constituents be factored in the peace process and that the regional government, as the formal representative of the Bangsamoro, must now take a lead part in seeking solutions to the conflicts,” Adiong said in a statement.

Sinarimbo, who was Adiong’s representative in the recent GRP-MNLF-OIC tripartite meeting in Indonesia, said recommendations on the full implementation of the GRP-MNLF 1996 peace accord overshadowed other issues of the agreement.

“The MNLF wanted full implementation of the non-implemented provisions of the accord,” he said.
ARMM was born as a result of the MNLF struggle in the 1970s.

Sinarimbo said the ARMM is in the process of crafting a six-year peace and development agenda with the result of the consultations to be integrated in the agenda.