Junctures, A Book On The Bangsamoro Peace Process

JUNCTURES
JUNCTURES
SELECTED SPEECHES AND STATEMENTS
GPH-MILF Peace Process
20122016
GPH Panel Secretariat
Editor
JUNCTURES: Selected Speeches and Statements, GPH-MILF Peace Process, 2012-2016

Copyright Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, 2016.
Published and exclusively distributed by the
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
Agustin 1 Bldg.
F. Ortigas Jr. Rd., Ortigas Center
Pasig City, Philippines
Telephones: (+632) 636-0701 to 06
Fax: (+632) 638-2216
Website: www.opapp.gov.ph
About the cover:
Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed
Forces of the MILF (BIAF-MILF) help each other mend the roof of Sandab Elementary School
located in Brgy. Sandab, Butig, Lanao del Sur during a Brigada Eskwela activity held in June 2015.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to express appreciation to the different authors for permitting the publication
of their speeches, statements and/or essays included in this book.
Special thanks go out to the members of the Editorial Team for their hard work as well as
to the rest of the staff of the GPH Panel Secretariat for their assistance in collecting the
manuscripts that have been compiled in this book. We also thank the OPAPP Creatives
Team and Bangsamoro Communications Unit for the cover design and photographs.
We acknowledge the assistance of Engr. Mohajirin Ali from the MILF Panel Secretariat,
and Mr. Abdulla Cusain from the Bangsamoro Transition Commissions Communication
Team for their inputs.
Lastly, we are grateful for the financial assistance of the the Australian Department of
Foreign Affairs and TradeTechnical Assistance Facility (DFAT-TAF) in the publication of
this book.
This book is a publication of the Government Peace Negotiating Panel for Talks with the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (GPNP-MILF) of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
Managing Editor
Associate Managing Editor
Copy Editors

Indexer
Layout Artist
Cover Artist
Front Cover Photo
Farrah Grace V. Naparan

Mark Sherwin C. Bayanito
Iona Gracia Jalijali
Arvin A. Mangohig
Arvin A. Mangohig
Zenaida N. Ebalan
Daryl Lasala
OPAPP Communications Unit
To those who dream

And work for peace
And others who shall spring forth
To build on whatve been done:
Leave not our losses nor our gains
Only to be put in vain.
Contents
List of Acronyms
xi
PART I. Speeches
Signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro
15 October 2012
Malacaan Palace, Manila
Speech of President Benigno S. Aquino III
Speech of OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles
Speech of MILF Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim
3
8
11
Launch of the Sajahatra Bangsamoro

11 February 2013
Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao
16
23
26
Signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro

27 March 2014
30
38
41
Peace Is Living Together: Religions and Cultures in Dialogue for Peace

and Reconciliation in Mindanao
67June 2014
Notre Dame University, Cotabato City
Speech of GPH Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer
Speech of MILF Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal
47
51
55
vii
viii
Junctures: Selected Speeches and Statements
International Conference on the Consolidation for Peace for Mindanao (COP6)

2325 June 2014
Hiroshima, Japan
Keynote Address of OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles
Concluding Remarks of GPH Panel Member Former Sec. Senen C. Bacani
60
65
68
71
78
COP6 Side Event: Womens New Role in Peace Building

24 June 2014
Hiroshima, Japan
80
Transmittal of the Proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress

10 September 2014
85
Launch of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission

11 October 2014
Makati Shangri-La, Makati City
90
96
Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The Asia Foundation

and Australian Aid Forum on the Bangsamoro Basic Law
21 October 2014
Manila Hotel, Manila
Speech of GPH Panel Member Former Sec. Senen C. Bacani
99
2014 Philippines Development Forum the on Bangsamoro Development Plan

06 November 2014
SMX Convention Center, Davao City
Opening Remarks of NEDA Sec. Arsenio M. Balisacan
Welcome Statement of OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles
Keynote Address of President Benigno S. Aquino III
103
106
110
76th Xavier University Convocation

26 March 2015
Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City
Commencement Address of OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles
115
126
133
Contents
ix
Awarding Ceremony, Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for Advancing Women,

Peace, and Security
22 April 2015
Georgetown University, Washington DC
Acceptance Speech of GPH Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer
137
Ceremonial Decommissioning of MILF Weapons and Combatants

16 June 2015
Old Maguindanao Provincial Capitol, Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao
Speech of IDB Chair Ambassador Haydar Berk
142
145
151
153
156
159
28th International Meeting for Peace: Peace is Always Possible,

Religions and Cultures in Dialogue
68 September 2015
Tirana, Albania
Speech of MILF Panel Member Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga
165
169
GPH and MILF Panels Special Meeting

1011 February 2016
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening Statement of GPH Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer
Opening Statement of MILF Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal
173
179
Public Launch of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission

Final Report
15 March 2016
Alnor Convention Center, Cotabato City
Message of OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles
183
Second Anniversary of the Signing of the Comprehensive Agreement

on the Bangsamoro
28 March 2016
Notre Dame University Gym, Cotabato City
Welcome Remarks of GPH Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer
Welcome Remarks of MILF Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal
Closing Remarks of OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles
Closing Remarks of MILF Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim
192
196
202
205
Junctures: Selected Speeches and Statements
Decommissioned Combatants Skills Training Closing Ceremony

25 April 2016
Old Maguindanao Provincial Capitol, Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao
Speech of MILF Panel Alternate Member Timuay Melanio Ulama
Speech of MILF Decommissioned Combatant Ustadz Jacob Palao
210
216
218
PART II. Other Statements

Statement of GPH Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer on the Proposed
Bangsamoro Basic Law (Pre-GPH-MILF Special Meeting in Kuala Lumpur) (7 July 2014)
222
Statement of GPH Panel Chief Negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer on the
Status of the Draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (21 July 2014)
224
Statement of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles

on the Draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (8 September 2014)
227
Statement of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles

on the Transmittal of the Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress (10 September 2014)
228
Statement of GPH Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer on the Transmittal
of the Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress (10 September 2014)
230
Statement of GPH Panel Member and NCMF Secretary Yasmin Busran-Lao on the
Transmittal of the Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress (10 September 2014)
232
Statement of International Supporters for Peace in the Philippines (15 October 2015)
234
Let Us Not Lose Time: Open Letter to the Philippine Congress from the Government
and MILF Peace Panels (26 November 2015)
237
Statement of OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles on the Latest Developments

in Congress Deliberations on the BBL (16 December 2015)
240
Statement of GPH Chief Negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer on the Adjournment
of Session of the 16th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines (for the Christmas
Season) (17 December 2015)
241
Statement of GPH Chief Negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer on the Adjournment
of Session of the 16th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines (to give way
to the May 2016 National and Local Elections) (3 February 2016)
242
Press Release: Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

Meets Leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (1 March 2016)
244
Joint Statement of the GPH and MILF Peace Panels at the Special Meeting in Kuala
Lumpur (30 May 2016)
246
Index
249
List of Acronyms
AFP
Armed Forces of the Philippines
AHJAG
Ad Hoc Joint Action Group
AFP PPO
ALS
ARMM
ASEAN
BBL
BCF
BDA
BGEN
BIAF
BIFF
BIR
BLBAR
BOI
BTA
BTC
CAB
CCCH
CHED
COGs
CPC
CPP
CSOs
Armed Forces of the Philippines Peace Process Office

Alternative Learning System
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Bangsamoro Basic Law
Bangsamoro Coordination Forum
Bangsamoro Development Agency

Brigadier General
Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces
Bangsmoro Islamic Freedom Fighters

Bureau of Internal Revenue
Basic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region

Board of Investments
Bangsamoro Transition Authority
Bangsamoro Transition Commission
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro
Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities

Commission on Higher Education
Cause-oriented groups
Civilian Protection Component
Communist Party of the Philippines

Civil society organizations
xi
xii
List of Acronyms
DA
Department of Agriculture
DD
Doctor of Divinity
DC
DepEd
DENR
DFAT-TAF
DILG
DND
DOF
DOH
DPWH
DSWD
DW
EDSA
EU
FAB
FASTRAC
FET
GDP
Decommissioned combatant
Department of Education
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade-Technical

Assistance Facility
Department of the Interior and Local Govermment
Department of National Defense
Department of Finance
Department of Health
Department of Public Works and Highways
Department of Social Welfare and Development

Development worker
Epifanio delos Santos Avenue

European Union
Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro
Facility for Advisory Support for Transition Capacities

Formal Exploratory Talks
Gross Domestic Product
GEN General
GPH
Government of the Philippines
GZO
Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute
GRP
HB
H.E.
HiPeC
HoR
ICG
ICP
ID
Government of the Republic of the Philippines

House Bill
His Excellency
Hiroshima University Partnership Project for Peacebuilding and

Capacity Development
House of Representatives
International Contact Group
Independent Commission on Policing

Identification card
xiii
List of Acronyms
ID
Infantry Division
IDPs
Internally displaced persons
IDB
IMT
INGOs
IPs
IPRA
J-BIRD
JCMP
JICA
JNC
JPSC
JPST
JVMAT
LEO
LGU
LTC/LtCol
LTGEN
MGEN
MILF
MinDA
MNLF
MOA-AD
NCMF
NDF
NEDA
NGO
NPA
NSC
OMI
Independent Decommissioning Body

International Monitoring Team
International non-government organizations

Indigenous peoples
Indigenous Peoples Rights Act
Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development

Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Post
Japan International Cooperation Agency

Joint Normalization Committee
Joint Peace and Security Committee

Joint Peace and Security Team
Joint Verification and Monitoring Assistance Team

Law enforcement operations
Local government unit
Lieutenant Coronel
Lieutenant General
Major General
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Mindanao Development Authority

Moro National Liberation Front
Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the

GRP-MILF Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001
National Commission on Muslim Filipinos
National Democratic Front
National Economic and Development Authority

Non-government organization
New Peoples Army
National Security Council
Oblates of Mary Immaculate
xiv
OIC
List of Acronyms
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (formerly Organisation of

Islamic Conference)
OIC Officer-in-charge
OP
Office of the President
PAPP
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
OPAPP
PDAF
PDC
PhilHealth
PNP
R.A.
RPGs
SB
SJ
SLP
SMS
SONA
TESDA
TFDCC
TIN
TJRC
TOR
TPMT
UN
UNDP
UNSCR
US
USAID
VMAT
WE Act 1325
XU
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process

Priority Development Assistance Fund
Peace and development communities
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation

Philippine National Police
Republic Act
Rocket-propelled grenades
Senate Bill
Society of Jesus
Sustainable Livelihood Program

Short messaging system
State of the Nation Address
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants and their Communities

Tax Identification Number
Transitional justice and reconciliation

Terms of reference
Third Party Monitoring Team

United Nations
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Security Council Resolution

United States of America
United States Agency for International Development

Verification and Monitoring Assistance Team
Women Engaged in Action on UNSCR 1325

Xavier University
PART I: SPEECHES
Signing of the
Framework Agreement on the
Bangsamoro
15 October 2012
Speech
His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III

PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
is Excellency Dato Sri Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak,
Prime Minister of Malaysia; Madame Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor;
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; members of the Senate present; Speaker
Feliciano Belmonte; members of the House of Representatives; Secretary Albert
del Rosario; Secretary Ging Deles; Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa and the
other members of the Cabinet present; Datuk Sri Anifah Haji Aman, Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia; Datuk Seri Mustapha Mohamed, Minister of
International Trade and Industry; Datuk Sri Dr. Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi,
Minister of Defence; of course, Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, Chairman of the MILF;
Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman of the MILF Panel; Dean Leonen, Chairman of
the Philippine Negotiating Panel; His Excellency Ekmeleddin hsanolu of the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation; Datuk Tengku Dato Ab Ghafar Tengku
Mohamed, the very able Malaysian facilitator of the GPH and MILF peace talks;
excellencies of the Diplomatic Corps; members of the Malaysian delegation;
members of the MILF and GPH panels; fellow workers in government; honored
guests; mga minamahal ko pong kababayan:
Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat.
Today, we sign a Framework Agreement that can finally seal genuine, lasting
peace in Mindanao. In full view of the Filipino people, and witnessed even by
our friends from different parts of the world, we commit to peace: a peace that
will be sustained through democratic ideals; a peace that heals and empowers;
a peace that recognizes the many narratives of the Filipino people and weaves
them into a single, national aspiration for equitable progress.
We understand all too well the cycle of suffering that our people have had to
go through for the past two generations. We have seen children torn from their
homes, and communities, driven away from the land they have tilled. We have
seen lives lost and justice sought, but because of the systems failure to provide
avenues for understanding and effective redress of grievances, many resorted to
the path of vengeance and violence.
I understand the temptations that can be borne of anger. I myself lost my

father to an oppressive system; I myself thirsted for justice, and was deprived of it
then by the dictatorship. I empathize with our Bangsamoro brothers and sisters,
and can only vow to work as hard as I can to see that the culture of impunity is
dismantled, and that the foundations of righteousness and cooperation are laid.
We will give our people what is truly due them: a chance to direct their lives
towards advancement in a democratic, peaceful, and safe society.
This agreement not only marks a new chapter in our history; it now defines
the very path we take as a peopleone where opinions are heard and hope is
shared; where understanding and consensus breed meaningful solutions for
all stakeholders; one where every child is offered the opportunity to shape his
own destiny.
Again, on behalf of the entire Filipino nation, I thank Prime Minister

Dato Sri Muhammad Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak and his countrymen, whose
commitment to our peace process shone as a beacon of peace to the international
community. Again, let me thank Tengku Dato Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed,
the Malaysian facilitator whose wisdom and experience served as a bridge
towards mutual understanding. They approached this process devoid of personal
aggrandizement, and acted with the honesty, earnestness, and resolve that
brought both panels closer and closer to each other until consensus was reached.
I reiterate my gratitude to Secretary Ging Deles and Dean Marvic Leonen,
who not only had to work tirelessly with their counterparts from the MILF,
but also had to exercise great patience in the face of probing inquiryfrom
me especially. Aside from their work at the negotiating table, Secretary Ging
and Dean Marvic produced voluminous memos that thoroughly threshed out
all the issuesand which I then had to wade through thoroughly also. I am
grateful for the dedication, commitment, and sacrifice of these true exemplars
of public service.
May I thank also the MILF Chief Negotiator Mohagher Iqbal, who
approached the process cognizant of our shared aspirations for peace. Mohagher
Iqbal kept an open mind which enabled compromise without sacrificing the
interests of the Bangsamoro people.
Of course, I must also express my gratitude to Chairman Al Haj Murad

Ibrahim of MILF, whose very able and genuine leadership provided us with a
partner who, even while striving for the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people,
Malacaan Palace, Manila15 October 2012
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (top center left) and President Aquino, along with Malaysian
Facilitator Tengku Ghafar (bottom center), MILF Chair Murad (third from left), and Office of the
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles (third from right)
applaud as MILF Peace Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal and GPH Peace Panel Chair Dean Marvic
Leonen shake hands at the signing of the FAB. (Photo by OPAPP)
remained an astute statesman who realized that progress lay in building consensus
among the many stakeholders in the region. He led not with dogmatism or
hardened ideology, but with a flexibility and open mindedness borne of trust.
We all owe him our collective thanks.
I first had the opportunity to interact with Chairman Murad in Japan,

in August of 2011. Back then, some commentators expressed concern; I was
criticized for supposedly demeaning the Presidency by meeting with a rebel
group. But I approached the meeting with Chairman Murad as a fellow
Filipino; not as combatants with opposing views, but as fellow victims of a
non-responsive system which has so often driven our people towards bloodshed
and suffering. We looked at each other as brothers, responsible and committed
to the attainment of the aspirations of our people. This mindset, I am certain,
percolated throughout the negotiating process and our respective panels. We
now all share in the triumph of this Framework Agreement.
I also thank the governors of the ARMM provinces for their support of
this agreement, and thank them in advance for the hard work they will certainly
exert so that todays signing leads to positive changes in their provinces. To
ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman, and Governors Jum Akbar of Basilan,
Mamintal Adiong Jr. of Lanao del Sur, Toto Mangudadatu of Maguindanao,
Abdusakur Tan of Sulu, and Sadikul Sahali of Tawi-Tawi: With your support,
it is now only a matter of time before your region truly fulfills its promise. May
I also acknowledge the presence today of the following other governors of areas
beyond the ARMM but are adjacent to it. Starting with Governor Emmylou
Mendoza, Governor Migs Dominguez, Governor Plaza, Governor Dolfo del
Rosario, Governor Dimaporo. Their presence today tells me that they will help
our ARMM governors work even harder to obtain their goals.
Let me now echo both panels challenge to the people: Much work remains
to be done in order to fully reap the fruits of this Framework Agreement. We
have commitments to fulfill, people to lead, and dreams to achieve. The details
to be laid out in the annexes, in particular, provide us with a solid opportunity
to expand the common ground whose principles we have already articulated
through the agreement. I am confident that our faith in each other, and in the
Filipino people, will not waver, and in fact will only grow even stronger in the
years to come.
But as the saying goes, the devil is in the details. We are now at the beginning
of a comprehensive agreement that will map out the detailed steps, detailed
commitments, and detailed programs that will lead to the fulfillment of our longterm goals. We are committed to enabling our partners to transform themselves
to a genuine political party that can help facilitate the regions transition towards
a truly peaceful and progressive place. This year the government has committed
8.59 billion pesos for the Transition Investment Support Plan, on top of the
12.93 billion pesos already allocated through our budget. We are committed
to giving the region its rightful share, not just now but each and every time,
confident that it will redound to the benefit of all citizens, and will not just line
the pockets of a very select few.
And to all the partners who have long sought this peace, and who have
committed to its fruition in the coming yearsour friends from the international
community, the academe, and civil societythank you from the bottom of our
hearts. The Filipino people share this victory with you.
The ceremony was also graced by senators, congressmen, members of the Cabinet, and
ambassadors. (Photo by OPAPP)
I ask the entire nation, and the entire world, to join me in imagining: a
Mindanao finally free from strife, where people achieve their fullest potential.
A child in Lamitan will be offered the same education as a child in Quezon
City; the sick of Patikul will gain access to the same healthcare as those in Pasig;
tourists visiting Boracay will also have Sulu in their itineraries; a businessman
will earn a profit whether he sets up shop in Marikina or Marawi. People will
be empowered; they will gain knowledge and marketable skills that will thrust
the economy forward. From constant displacement, there will be now a stable
employment. Children who have had to witness immeasurable suffering will
now get to witness a harvest; sons and daughters who have had to sweep bullet
casings from their yards will now get to pick fruit; families who once cowered
in fear of gunshots will now emerge from their homes to a bright new dawn of
equity, justice, and peace.
Together, we move forward with a conviction to lift each other, so that
in turn, our nation may grow and reach greater heights. We implore God, or
Allah, to continue guiding all of us, so that our dreams may turn into concrete,
tangible realities.
Thank you and good afternoon.
Speech
Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles

PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER ON THE PEACE PROCESS
ood afternoon. Magandang hapon. Assalamu Alaikum.
I am deeply honored and overjoyed to be in this place, at this time, in this

moment.
And somewhere in Mindanao, a girl named Salama also shares our joy today.
She was in grade school in the town of Kabuntalan, Maguindanao, when, one
day in August 2008, the first sounds of gunfire broke out as military and rebel
forces engaged in battle.
Salama tells the story of that afternoon: I was so scared that I cried. Our
teacher yelled at us, telling us to take cover, but we wanted to go home because
we were worried about our parents and siblings I was a grade three pupil then.
I had to stop my schooling because of the war.
Another story: when 13-year old Reina Marie Doria of Koronadal City
learned about our Framework Agreement, she said: I received this news with
joy, especially for us who may be the ones to experience the fruits of the peace
process.
One of our peace ambassadors, famous Filipino-American singer apl.de.ap

of the Black Eyed Peas, when told about the framework agreement, said, This
is great news! I want to be involved. I want to build a school in Basilan and
donate books to the children.
These stories tell us how a beautiful morning has dawned after Salamas
nightmare, and I am in awe of how many more mornings like this we all can
wake up to.
One person in this room never gave up hope. From day one of his leadership,
he seized the peace, forged and hammered it and polished it to its sterling
radiance.
His mother, our beloved President Corazon C. Aquino, was known
throughout the world as an icon of democracy.
President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, from this day forward, shall be
known as the president who made the Bangsamoro possible.
Thank you, Mr. President, for being the moral compass of the Mindanao
peace process, for guiding us through the negotiations, and for keeping our
minds firm and our hearts, buoyant.
Today, a child will grow up in our generation embracing the identity of
the Bangsamoro and grow up with pride in a political, cultural, and geographic
identity respected in the four corners of the world.
We see the beginnings of a once-rended family that has finally come together
as onediverse in beliefs, passionate always, and perhaps, arguing all the time,
but still a family resolved to face the future and all its challenges, together.
We pay homage to the women in communities ravaged by conflict, women

who valiantly clutched their babies to their chests to hush them amidst the din
of gunfire and the scream of falling bombs; who stayed and tended the children,
the sick, and the aging through days and weeks of seemingly endless night.
We extol the men forced to gather their families in refugee tents and
reassuring them in whispers that it will be better tomorrow. It will be better
tomorrow. It will be better tomorrow even in the darkest days of despair.
And to those who have died without seeing the sunlight of peacethose
felled by bullets, and those cut down by hunger because of the ravages of warwe
bow our heads in offering you this day.
I have been an advocate of peace almost my entire life, but this is the first
time that I have seen such broad and overwhelming support as we are now
seeing for the agreement that we are about to sign today.
My gratitude goes to the courageous work of our civil society partners who
coaxed and prodded and pushed us forward.
The same is true for our partners in the international community, who
brought enduring aid and camaraderie from their respective organizations,
nations, and peoplesdirect to the arena of conflict.
We extol the media, including the social media, for sowing the messages of
peace that kept our peoples hopes up all over the world.
Please join me in applauding and honoring the work of the GPH and MILF
peace negotiating panels and our esteemed Malaysian facilitator, Tengku Dato
Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed.
10
Dato Tengku Ghafar once said that both panels were on the same page
but looking at different paragraphs. He was the editor-in-chief who aligned the
paragraphs on the page.
So many challenges await us, but the bridge of trust that spans this room
is strong enough to withstand the trials ahead, however difficult they may be.
Never again shall we allow that bridge to be undermined, weakened, or

destroyed by the forces of greed, avarice, and envy.
We shall hold up that bridge with the force of our dreams and ideals, enabling
it to bring our entire society together and enrich the democratic institutions
we all hold dear
Until we all breach the firmament of hope and arrive together, finally, in the
bright realm of greatness as one people, under one Republic, sharing one destiny.
May God bless us all.
Maraming salamat po. Shukran.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles greets MILF Chairman Al Haj
Murad Ebrahim at the doors of Rizal Hall, moments before the signing of the Framework Agreement
on the Bangsamoro on 15 October 2012. (Photo by OPAPP)
Speech
Al Haj Murad Ebrahim

CHAIR, MORO ISLAMIC LIBERATION FRONT
ood afternoon.
His Excellency President Simeon Aquino III; His Excellency Prime
Minister Dato Sri Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak; Her
Excellency Datin Sri Rosmah Mansor; Ms. Kris Aquino; His Excellency,
Professor Ekmeleddin hsanolu, OIC Secretary General; excellencies of the
Foreign Diplomatic Corps; honorable members of the Presidents Cabinet;
honorable members of the Prime Ministers Cabinet; honorable members of the
Government Peace Panel; members of the MILF delegation; honored guests,
friends, brothers, sisters in Islam:
Again, good afternoon.
Assalamu Alaikum.
Your Excellencies:
I must confess that this is the first time in my life to step in the grounds of
Malacaang. Never in my wildest dreams since I was a child or when I joined
the Bangsamoro struggle more than forty years ago I did imagine that one day, I
will see the interior of this building that once housed the Spanish and American
Governors General and now, the Presidents of the Philippines. Today, I am here
not as a tourist, nor as a politician who seeks personal political favors from the
President of the Philippines, but as the humble Chairman of the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front mandated by our brothers and sisters on the ground and by
the Bangsamoro people to witness a historic agreement with the Government
of the Republic of the Philippines under the leadership of President Benigno
Simeon Aquino III that would, InshaAllah, usher in a just and enduring peace
in the Bangsamoro homeland.
It is in this context that I come in peace and to forge a partnership of
peace on the basis of the Framework Agreement between the MILF and the
Philippine Government.
Your Excellencies, almost five centuries of foreign invasions and dominations
have given birth to what we now call the Bangsamoro question. In the course of
11
12
these centuries of conflict, we have seen the loss of our traditional Moro Sultanates.
Expropriation of our sovereignty as a free Moro Nation and consequently, our
relegation into a state of captivity, that eradicated our Bangsamoro identity and
reduced our ancestral homeland into small parcels of gerrymandered territories
called provinces all of which led to the marginalization of our people within a
larger dominant Philippine society that barely took cognizance, if at all, of our
forebears and broken struggle for freedom even before the Philippine Republic
saw the light of day in 1898 and in 1946.
This unjust condition that sustained this conflict in our generation made
it inevitable for the Moro Liberation Movements to emerge. And from the
womb of the Moro Liberation Movement, would be born the Moro National
Liberation Front and consequently the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The peace
negotiations that took place first in 1976 in Tripoli, Libya, under the auspices of
the Organization of Islamic Conference and unto 1996 in Jakarta, Indonesia,
between our brethren in the MNLF and the Philippine Government were all
geared towards addressing historical and foreign grievances of the Bangsamoro
people. But unfortunately, the negotiation came short of going further deep into
the root cause of the Moro question. Thus, the appropriate political formula
to correct the historical and current injustices committed on the Bangsamoro
people remain elusive. Political palliatives and economic cosmetics under the
rubric of counterinsurgency which were successively put in place to resolve
the Moro question prove to be failed experiments in political autonomy, the
latest of which is the ARMM, and so that conflict remain that has invariably
taken a heavy toll on the lives, properties, and livelihoods of our peopleMoro
indigenous communities and settlers in Mindanao and Sulu.
Under such dire circumstances, peace negotiations were unable to alter let
alone normalize the adversarial relationship between the Bangsamoro people and
the Philippine State, and it was this adversarial relationship that continued to
fund the armed sovereignty-based conflict in our homeland and that construct
the attainment of a just and enduring peace as requisite to normalization. It was
for this reason that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front under the leadership of
the late Chairman and Mujahideen Sheik Salamat Hashim, may Allah Subhanahu
Wa Taala accept his sacrifices, decided to engage in peaceful negotiations with
the Philippine Government in 1997. The basic principle underlying this most
important decision by the MILF leadership is that negotiated political settlement
is the most civilized and practical way to solve the Moro problem. This principle
laid down by Sheik Salamat Hashim became a consistent policy.
13
We in the MILF Central Committee did not waiver and vacillate in pursuing
it to the end despite the devastating three all-out wars in 2000, 2003, and 2008
waged by previous regimes against the MILF. This was the legacy of Sheik
Salamat Hashims leadership which I, when I took over the leadership of the
MILF after he passed away in 2003, inherited and continued to pursue with
unflinching determination and with great personal sacrifice despite tremendous
pressures from some restive quarters of our Moro populace on one hand, and
provocation by forces hostile to the Bangsamoro cause on the other, to abandon
peaceful negotiation and relentlessly take the path of war.
Today, it humbles me to say before you that we have stayed the course. Our
perseverance has prevailed over those whose obsession is to perpetuate war and
conflict in Mindanao and Sulu for self-aggrandizement. Today, after almost
sixteen years of hard negotiations, interfered with armed confrontations on
the ground, we have inked the most important document in the chapter of our
historya landmark document that restores to our people their Bangsamoro
identity and their homeland, their right to govern themselves, and the power
to forge their destiny and future with their very hands.
Today, we are here to celebrate a victory for the Bangsamoro people and the
Filipino nation that is shared by the international community and the Muslim
world, the victory earnednot by warbut by that collective desire tempered
by the inner nobility of human nature to restore justice and peace to a troubled
land. Today, we are here to put an end to the adversarial relationship between the
Bangsamoro and the Philippine nation and what makes this more significant and
quite touching on our part is that this is happening under the administration of
President Noynoy Aquino whose martyred father, Senator Ninoy Aquino, and
mother, the late President Cory Aquino fought on the same side of the fence
with us against the dictatorship that devastated our homeland and the lives of
thousands of our people.
Today, we extend the hands of friendship and partnership to the President
and the Filipino people as we jointly embark on the historic journey to rebuild
our homeland, institute justice and occupation, end the reign of violence, and
restore normalcy to the lives of the masses of our people in Mindanao and Sulu
with the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro. We pray never to see
again refugee camps crammed with old folks, women, and children wallowing
in squalor and misery, as well as never again witness the recurring wholesale
violation of human rights that comes with oppression, all of which deface the
landscape of our Bangsamoro homeland and denigrate the lofty human values
long held by its civilized and just society.
14
Today, I would also like to announce to all that we dedicated this Framework
Agreement on the Bangsamoro to our departed leaders: the late MILF Chairman
Salamat Hashim, the late MILF Vice Chairman Ali Abdul Mimbantas, Ustadz
Abuhalilyaya, Ustadz Sainon Zaman, among others, and to all our Mujahideen
martyrs whether MILF or MNLF. They sacrifice their lives for the cause of
Allah and for the Bangsamoro. To them and to all peace loving people in this
country, this agreement shall stand as our greatest tribute.
Let me also have this opportunity to call on an appeal to our MNLF brethren
to support the Framework Agreement and take this historic journey with us to
rebuild our Bangsamoro homeland on the gains given to us by the agreement.
This is not the time for recriminations; this is the time for unity, the time for all
of us to think, act, and speak as one Bangsamoro as we summon all our strengths
to face the daunting task of home rule.
Finally, on behalf of the Bangsamoro people and the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front, may I extend our heartfelt thanks to His Excellency President Benigno
Simeon Aquino III; His Excellency Prime Minister Dato Sri Najib bin Tun
Haji Abdul Razak; His Excellency Dr. Mahathir Mohammad the former Prime
Minister in whose term of office, peace negotiations were done in Malaysia; to
His Excellency Ekmeleddin hsanolu, Secretary General of the Organisation
of Islamic Cooperation, OIC; and to the Malaysian Facilitator and Secretariat;
likewise, to all the state and non-state actors that composed the International
Contact Group (ICG), the Government of the United Kingdom, Turkey,
Saudi Arabia, Japan, and its international NGO components, Conciliation
Resources, Muhammadiyah, The Asia Foundation, Centre for Humanitarian
Dialogue, The International Monitoring Team (or the IMT) and its Civilian
Protection Component, Malaysia, Brunei, Libya, Japan, Norway, Indonesia,
and the European Union, the Non-Violent Peace Force, Mindanao Peoples
Caucus, Mindanao Human Rights Action Center, and Muslim Organization
of Government Officials and Professionals, and to all those world organizations
and countries that sent their message of support to the Framework Agreement
such as the United Nations, the European Union, United States of America,
United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and the Organisation
of Islamic Cooperation, as well as to those individuals and those in and out of
the homeland who believed in the justness of our cause, and who bear with us
through thick and thin in our long struggle for justice and peace. We convey
our sincerest gratitude.
Thank you and May Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala may be with all of us.
Launch of the
Sajahatra Bangsamoro
11 February 2013
Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao
Talumpati
Kagalanggalang Benigno S. Aquino III

PANGULO NG PILIPINAS
hairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim; Chairman of the Peace Panel, Mohager

Iqbal; Governor Esmael Mangudadato; Governor Mujiv Hataman;
Representative Jess Sacdalan; Representative Daisy Fuentes, alam po nyo ito
yung Deputy Speaker namin nang ako poy baguhan sa Kongreso at kasamahan
ho rin natin siya noong mga panahon ng Martial Law; ating workhorse sa
Liberal Party ating Secretary General Mel Senen Sarmiento; yong Gabinete po
ipapakilala kong isa-isa dahil sila po kasama ko nangangako sa inyo, para pag
dumating at hindi nai-deliver, alam po nyo kung sino ang tutukuyin at sisisihin.
Umpisahan po natin sa dulo, iterno na natin ang cabsec at comsec. Diretso
na tayo sa DepEd, si Bro. Armin Luistro; Kalihim ng Transportasyon at
Komunikasyon, Jun Abaya; si Procy Alcala po ng Agriculture, yan po ang
maraming commitment sa inyo; siyempre si Lou Antonino ng Mindanao
Development Authority; Tati Licuanan ng Commission on Higher Education;
Dinky Soliman ng DSWD; Voltz Gazmin ng DND; Ike Ona ng Department
of Health; at siyempre yong pinakaimportante po dito, yong sa Budget and
Management, na baka hindi magpalabas ng pondo, Butch Abad.
Liliwanagin ko lang ho ulit, pag may kulang, tukuyin po nyo yong Secretary
[na] nagkulang at idamay nyo si Butch Abad dahil siya po ang ang may tangan
ng pananalapi.
Atin pong Chief of Staff Manny Baustista and the Major Service
Commanders; Lt. Gen. Lauro Catalino de la Cruz; Vice Admiral Jose Luis
Alano; Lt. Gen. Noel Coballes; PNP Dir. Gen. Alan Purisima; representatives
of our international partner organizations; members of the MILF Central
Committee and Peace Negotiating Panel; beneficiaries of the different services
of the government and members of the MILF community; fellow workers in
government; honored guests; mga minamahal ko pong kababayan:
As-salamu alaykum!
16
Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao11 February 2013
17
Nagsimula po ang kasalukuyang kabanata ng ating paglalakbay tungo sa

kapayapaanhindi rito sa Sultan Kudarat, at hindi rin sa Maynila. Una ko pong
nakaharap ang ating kapatid na Al Haj Murad Ebrahim sa bansang Hapon,
noong Agosto ng 2011. Medyo naging masalimuot po ang pagmumuni ukol
sa una kong pakikipagkita kay Al Haj Murad; natural ang magkaroon ng mga
agam-agam kung maganda ba ang maidudulot ng aking personal na pagharap sa
liderato ng MILF. Sa huli, nagdesisyon po tayo: Kailangang magpunla ng tiwala,
upang sa wakas ay maiusad na ang Pilipinas tungo sa landas ng kapayapaan.
The first seeds of trust were planted as the MILF leadership and I met
face-to-face in Japan in August of 2011. We watered those seeds with patience
and fortitude and nourished them with hope: When some quarters called for
a blanket, all-out war against Moro rebels in October of 2011 after a bloody
encounter between lawless elements and the military, we responded with a
targeted pursuit of all-out justice against the bandits involved. And again wed
like to thank the MILF who are partners in seeking this all-out justice. The
peace negotiations moved forward unhindered by secrecy and manipulation, and
propelled by solidarity towards the shared goal of empowering every Filipino in
the ARMM. Others have stumbled in the past, and we were determined not to
make the same mistakes, we were determined not to succumb to indiscriminate
knee-jerk reactions borne out of anger, or to cast aside true consensus, or favor
concealment over transparency in negotiations. And so, in October of last year,
the first fruits of our hard work became enshrined in a Framework Agreement
on the Bangsamoro, which was signed by both panels and was witnessed by
Moros, civil society, and government stakeholders in Malacaang.
At ngayon po, ang ipinapakita natin sa pamamagitan nitong Sajahatra

Bangsamoro Program: Hindi na kailangang maghintay ng mahabang panahon
upang madanas ang pagbabago; ang puwedeng simulan o ipatupad ngayon,
sisimulan at ipapatupad natin ngayon. Hindi na kailangang tumanda ng labingisang libong benepisyaryo ng MILF nang hindi nasasaklaw ng PhilHealth
coverage o ng Cash-for-Work program. Hindi na po kailangang mamuti ang
buhok ng mga komunidad sa kakahintayat kung katulad ko poy wala nang
mamumuti talagang napakatagal po nonpara ma-upgrade ang kanilang health
facilities. Hindi na kailangang mag-abang ang limandaang kabataang Moro ng
maraming taon para makapag-aral dahil sa ipamamahaging mga scholarship sa
ilalim ng programang ito.
18
President Aquino is welcomed by MILF Chair Murad OPAPP Sec. Deles at the Bangsamoro
Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on 11 February
2013 for the launch of the Sajahatra Bangsamoro.
Our goal: to accelerate the transition of MILF communities steeped in

armed struggle to a productive citizenry that buys into the national agenda and
contributes to our shared goal of equitable progress. When once they treated
themselves with herbs from the jungle, soon they will have health insurance and
will be cared for by trained doctors and nurses in state-funded health centers.
When once children were taught merely the histories of suffering inside their
madaris, soon they will also learn that peace can triumphso long as we open
our hearts and allow ourselves to trust our fellowmen. And when once they felt
oppressed under the cloud of conflict, soon they will feel empowered, illumined
by the daylight of peace.
Simula pa lamang po itong Sajahatra Bangsamoro Program; isang sangay

sa malawak na istratehiya ng pag-aangat ng buhay ng ating mga mamamayan,
at pagsigurong walang Pilipinong maiiwan sa pagtahak ng Tuwid na Daan.
Halimbawa po, ang butihing Secretary Procy ng Department of Agriculture
ay may isang kwento: May isa raw pong dating fourth-class municipality,
19
Pres. Aquino speaks before guests from national and local government agencies, various
civil society organizations and beneficiaries of the Sajahatra Bangsamoro Program. (Photo by
Malacaang Photo Bureau)
sinuportahan sa pamamagitan ng goat-raising initiative. Ang balita niya po sa

atin ngayon, alas diyes pa lang daw ho ng umaga, nabili na ang lahat ng karne
ng kambing na pinagbebenta dito sa municipality na ito at mula fourth-class po,
ngayon daw po ay second-class municipality na. Ganoon kalaki ang idinagdag
na income dahil lang po sa kambing. Pag lumingon po tayo sa kapaligiran,
napakaberde po ng tanawin. Marami pong nakatiwangwang na puwedeng
pagkakitaan ng mga nagbubungkal ng lupang ito. Bakit hindi puwedeng
mangyari ang nangyari sa iba pang mga lugar na asenso dito po sa inyo? Ang
mga isda pong hinuhuli sa mga laot ng ARMM, kapag nabuo ang bagong
nautical highway, puwede nang umabot sa ibang bahagi ng Pilipinas nang hindi
nabibilasa. Alam po nyo, yong bagong nautical highway, inaasam-asam, na imbes
na tatlong araw ang lakbay, Luzon-Mindanao, magiging labinlimang oras na lang.
Kinakaya po nating pangarapin ang mga ito, dahil sa tiwalang ipinapakita ng
liderato ni kapatid na Al Haj Murad at ng central committee ng MILF at pati
na rin po ng inyong mga fighters. Alam ko pong hindi madali ang magbukas
20
President Aquino, MILF Chair Murad, OPAPP Sec. Deles and TESDA Director General Emmanuel Joel
Villanueva award scholarship grants to beneficiaries. The Sajahatra Bangsamoroliterally peace
and prosperity upon the Bangsamorois aimed at delivering quick-gestation and high-impact
health, education and livelihood projects to Bangsamoro communities. (Photos by Malacaang
Photo Bureau)
ng puso sa gobyerno matapos ang apat na dekadang pakikipaglaban. Ngunit

nakita po ni Al Haj Murad: Ito na ang pagkahinog ng mga sakripisyo ninyo,
ni Hashim Salamat na nauna sa kanya, at ng napakarami pang mga kapatid na
dumaan sa pasakit upang makamtan ang kapayapaan at sapat na kalinga mula
sa estado at sa gobyerno. Hindi na kailangang baril ang ipamana sa susunod na
henerasyon ng mga Moro.
Ang dati pong magkatunggali, ngayon,

naghahatakan na sa iisang direksyon. Parang may
bunga sa tuktok ng matayog na puno ng niyog
na kaytagal na nating tinatanaw. Nagdesisyon
po tayong tuntungan ang balikat ng isat isa, buo
ang tiwala na walang biglang aalis at iiwan tayong
nakalambitin sa puno habang pinipitas ang bunga
ng niyog na pagkatagal-tagal na nating inaasam.
MILF Chair Murad and President

Aquino share a light moment.
Tandaan din po natin: May ilan pa ring

nagtatayo ng balakid upang hadlangan ang ating
tagumpay. Isipin po ninyo, kapag pumalpak ang
ating mga inisyatiba, sa amin ni Al Haj Murad,
ang bato ng sisiisasama ko na lang ho si Butch
Abad. Lahat po ng naghirap para makarating sa
puntong itong liderato ng MILF, mga LGU
na nakikiisa sa ating adhikain, mga coordination
21
agency, mga ulama, mga CSOpati na rin po ang ating security sector lahat
po ng pinaghirapan natin, mapupunta sa wala. Abot-kamay na po ang bunga ng
kapayapaang kay tagal nating inaasam-asam; ngayon pa ba tayo panghihinaan
ng loob?
Noong kami po ay na-exile noong panahon ng Batas Militar, nakatira

po kami sa Boston, at isa pong pamosong event sa Boston ang tinatawag na
Boston Marathon. Dito po sa marathon na to, halos sa huling milya na lang
noong marathon, darating kayo sa isang puwesto ng Boston, ang tawag po
nilay Heartbreak Hilldahil pagkahaba-haba ho ng takbo, darating kayo sa
dulo na, natatanaw na halos iyong finish line: biglang paakyat. Imbes na pababa
ho, paakyat. Kumbaga ho, nandoon na tayo sa puntong ito. Ang haba ho ng
prosesong tinahak ng mga nauna sa atin para umabot tayo sa puntong itong
nagkakaunawaan at nagkaka-intindihan.
Alam po natin na mayroong mga taong nakinabang noong may sigalot.

Alam rin natin na mayroon pa ring naghahangad na ibalik ang dating sitwasyon,
na may naghahari-harian at ang nakararami ay naaapi. Kumbaga ho doon sa
marathon, iyon daw ho ang subukan. Pagdating sa Heartbreak Hill, mayroon
ka bang puso? Mayroon ka bang dibdib talaga? O ikaw bay handang sumugod?
Habang lumalapit tayo sa tuktok po nitong Heartbreak Hill, lalong magiging
parang maintriga, mahirap ang proseso. Pero ang nagdala sa atin sa puntong ito,
pagtitiwala sa isat isa. Kaninang umaga po, kahapon, ang dami hong nagsasabi
sa akin na good luck sa pagdalaw ko sa inyo. Sabi ho nila sa akin, mag-ingat
ako. Yung isa ho, sabi, Kailangan bang pumunta ka diyan? Ang sabi ko, ganito
na lang ho: Kung magiging tulay ako, sulit na yata iyong sakripisyo ng isang
Noynoy kapalit ng napakarami nating mga kababayan. At sinusuklian ko lang
naman ang pagtitiwala ninyo, na talaga namang malayo-layo ang inaabot nating
pag-uunawa dahil handa tayong magbigay sa bawat isa. Dahil handa tayong
isipin ang kapwa bilang kapwa Pilipino, at hindi miyembro ng magkatunggaling
mga paksyon. Nang dati poy nag-aaway tayo at naging pahirapan para umangat,
ngayon naman ho nagkasama-sama tayo. Palagay ko ho, bago ako bumaba sa
puwesto, ang magiging problema natin iba na ho: hindi na po putukan. Ang
problema natin, traffic. Baka ang problema na ho natin pag peace and order
baka hindi na po kidnapping; baka bank holdup dahil marami na pong pera
dito sa lugar ninyo.
Pero bago po ako magtapos, ito po ang pinakaimportante, bakit po tayo
nagkaunawaan? Ididiin ko po, iyong MILF central leadership ay parang kabaro
22
ko ho talaga. Pag nagsasalita sila, walang nagsasabing: Ano ang akin? Parating:
Ano ang para sa amin? Parating inuunawa iyong pinakamaliit, bago yong
pinakamataas. Iniintindi yong nakakarami bago yong sarili. Eh kung ganyan po
ang mga numumuno sa atin, eh paano po tayo mapipigilan sa ating pag-asenso
at maging kaganapan na po iyong lupa ng pangako ng Mindanao ay maging
pangakong nakita na, namalasan na, at talaga namang nangyayari na?
Ako poy hindi na magpapakahaba, tulad ho nyo, tama na yung salita,
dirediretsyo na tayo sa gawa. Mayroon pa tayong natitirang three years and four
months. Dapat naman ho sanay, sabi nga kanina ni Chairman, kailangan maging
permanente ito at hindi depende sa mga taong nag-uusap ngayon. So kailangan
po nating paspasan lahat ng ginagawa natin para nga maging permanente na
ito. At pagdating ng panahon nga ho, siguro naman ho pag natapos na po yong
termino ko, baka naman may ipagkaloob na ho sa atin ang Diyos, maghohoneymoon ho tayo. Siyempre, baka maimbita ako ni Chairman at sabihin
niya dito ka muna magmeryenda at turista na tayo sa ARMM dahil ganoon na
katahimik. Dahil ako naman po ay pareho nyo. Darating ang panahon, kung
papalarin po akong may susunod ho sa akin, ay maipamana natin sa susunod na
salinlahi: hindi na karahasan, hindi na pananakot, hindi na kaba ngunit talagang
tanda na lahat ay maaatim o makukuha ng Pilipinong nakakaisa. Magagawa po
natin yan wag lang tayong bibitaw sa pagtitiwala sa isat isa.
Magandang araw po. Maraming salamat po.
During one of the

preparatory activities
for the launch of the
Sajahatra Bangsamoro
Program, members of
the AFP and the MILFBIAF shake hands as a
symbol of their sincerity
and commitment to
the peace process. A
boodle fight followed for
this joint activity team
organized for the event.
(Photo by OPAPP)
Speech

ood morning. Magandang umaga po. Assalamu Alaikum.
Sajahatra Bangsamoro! Blessings, prosperity, and peace upon the

Bangsamoro!
It was not so long ago when we were in a similar jam-packed event to witness
a milestone in our history unfold. Apat na buwan na po ang nakakaraan mula
nang sinaksihan ng buong bansa at ng ibang panig ng mundo ang paglagda
sa Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro noong Oktubre 15, 2012 sa
Malacaang. The event, and the agreement, which we now refer to as the FAB
for brevity, promised the dawning of a beautiful morning to wake up to after
the nightmares of violent armed conflict.
Ngayon po, ako ay nagising sa umagang kay ganda. A beautiful sunny
morning full of happy anticipation to take part in yet another milestone in our
peace efforts.
Ang FAB ay isang kasunduan na nagbigay ng roadmap para sa kapayapaan
at kaunlaran sa rehiyong ito na matagal nang apektado ng digmaan. Sa loob
ng nakaraang apat na buwan, tatlong beses na pong nakabalik sa negotiating
table ang ating mga peace panels, kasama ang kani-kanilang mga eksperto na
bumubuo ng Technical Working Groups or TWGs, para sa patuloy na paguusap at pagsusulat ng mga annexes na, kasama ng FAB, ay magbubuo ng
comprehensive peace agreement.
As stated in the FAB, there are Annexes (1) on Power-Sharing, (2) on
Wealth-Sharing, (3) on Normalization, and (4) on Transitional Arrangements
and Modalities. Ang mga aneksong ito ang magdedetalye ng pagbuo o
pagtatalaga ng Bangsamoro na ipapasok sa panukalang batas na bubuuin ng
Transition Commission at isusumite para isabatas ng Kongreso bago mageleksyon sa 2016.
Tulad ng nasabi natin noong nakaraang Oktubre, marami pa ang mga
pagsubok na ating kakaharapin sa prosesong pangkapayapaan. Subalit
23
24
lahat ng ito, gaano man

kahirap ay kakayanin
nating matagumpay na
malampasan, dahil sa
matatag na pagtitiwala
na nabuo sa gitna ng
dalawang panig.
An elderly Muslim man studies

the PhilHealth card issued
to him during the launch of
the Sajahatra Bangsamoro
Program. He is one of about
25,000 beneficiaries of
PhilHealth medical services
under the SBP. The program
was a joint undertaking of
the GPH and the MILF that
aims to uplift and develop
the health, education, and
livelihood conditions in
Bangsamoro communities.
(Photo by OPAPP)
Like we said on
that historic day in
October 2012, so many
challenges await us, but
the bridge of trust that
we have painstakingly
built is strong enough to withstand the trials ahead, however difficult they may be.
The trust is exhibited anew in a partnership with the leadership of MILF
to immediately bring the benefits of peace to its combatants, their immediate
families and communities, and those most vulnerable to conflict, particularly
the internally displaced persons, women, and children. This partnership is what
we are launching today as the Sajahatra Bangsamoro Program.
Ang Sajahatra Bangsamoro ay inisyatibo ng Pangulong Aquino, ang

ating minamahal na P-Noy, bilang paunang paghahatid ng mga dibidendo
ng kapayapaan sa mga komunidad ng Bangsamoro habang patuloy na inaayos
ng administrasyon ang paghahatid nito ng mga kasunduang politikal sa FAB
na ating makikita sa mga susunod na araw at buwan. Our commitments on
delivering political commitments under FAB remain unflinching, even as we
start with delivering peace initiatives to Bangsamoro communities.
Sajahatra Bangsamoro is composed of several components that will provide

beneficiaries with, first, enhanced health services led by the DOH through
PhilHealth insurance coverage and upgraded health facilities in targeted
barangays and municipalities. On the education component, college study
grants will be awarded by CHED, and vocational scholarships from TESDA,
as well as provision of mobilization grants to selected private madaris catering
to children in Bangsamoro communities to help prepare them for accreditation
in DepEd programs. For livelihood, beneficiary communities will undergo
needs assessment to determine what kinds of livelihood suit their needs and
25
circumstance. While this is ongoing, there will be beneficiaries for DSWDs

Cash-for-Work program.
Ang Sajahatra Bangsamoro ay ipapatupad sa ibat-ibang komunidad ng

Bangsamoro sa loob ng labing walong buwan. Ang kabuuang pondo ng programa
ay manggagaling po sa gobyerno.
Even though Sajahatra Bangsamoro already involves seven national
government agencies, and in todays launch, a number of the Cabinet members
are in attendance, Sajahatra Bangsamoro is not the main or only socioeconomic
program for the entire Bangsamoro. There are already programs in place both
by the National Government and the ARMM government.
Ang Sajahatra Bangsamoro ay parte lamang ng mas malaki, mas malawak,

at pangmatagalang programang ilulunsad na sasagot sa mga pangangailangan
sa imprastraktura tulad ng mga kalsada, at paglinang ng mga industriya na
popondohan ng gobyerno at pribadong sektor. In due time, the long-term
program will determine investment priorities, and propose mechanisms for
implementation, taking always into consideration the transition mechanisms
laid out under the Framework Agreement.
Because both sides have seen that working together in true partnership can
result in a program that not only makes sense to both parties and the bigger
public that serves as a testament that doing things side by side is the only way
to go, we are hoping and expecting that this bigger planning activity will also
come from the partnership started in Sajahatra.
As members of the MILF Central Committee are sitting together with

members of Cabinet, as the security forces of the GPH are now securing this
area together with the BIAF, as doctors from the DOH are working side by side
with MILF doctors in the medical mission down the road, what we have today
is truly historic. It is a paradigm shift. It is a clear signal that we have broken
from the past where Government and the MILF sat across a divide that many
thought was too wide to bridge.
Muli, marami pa tayong mga pagsubok na haharapin. Kung magtutulungan
tayoInshaAllahsa ating magkasamang pagtahak ng tuwid na daanal sirat
al mustaquimunti-unti nating malalagpasan ang mga ito patungo sa iisang
pangarap natin para sa mapayapa at masaganang bukas.
Muli po, isang umagang lubos ng ganda. Shukran.
Welcome Address

ismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Alhamdulillah. Wassalaatu Wassalaamu Ala Rasulillah.
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatoh
His Excellency President Benigno Simeon Aquino III and the
members of his delegation
My brothers from the Central Committee of the MILF and fellow
mujahideen
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Heads and Representatives of different INGOs, NGOs, and Partner
Donor Organizations
Our people, the Bangsamoro people, for whom we have fought and
dedicated the best of our years in the hope that one day you can
stand among all peoples of the world as equals.
A very pleasant good morning to all of you.

Today, almost four months after we signed the Framework Agreement
on the Bangsamoro in Malacaang Palace, we welcome on this humble yet
historic grounds no less than the President of the Republic of the Philippines,
His Excellency Benigno Simeon Noynoy Aquino III.
Truly, we are humbled by this grand gesture of the President of personally
launching several socioeconomic projects dubbed as Sajahatra Bangsamoro on
this hallowed ground that has seen many of the battles that we have fought to
win freedom and the right of our people to chart their own destiny. This place
has been a living witness to many of our struggles during the Martial Law years.
It is also significant to note that todays launching is being held at the BLMI.
The Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute is another landmark
achievement in this long and arduous peace process that we have embarked on.
It is a unique testament of our resolve to transition and an openness to acquire
26
27
new set of skills necessary for the governance of our people. To the credit of the
GPH, it is certainly a bold step for government to partner not with the usual
institutions of government, but with one of its adversaries, in a remarkable
journey to peace. This building is a towering commitment of that partnership
and an edifice of our shared hope and vision for the future of our people.
It is equally an enduring symbol of the partnership between us and the
international community, notably the Japanese people, who shared with us the
vision of peace and who so kindly funded the construction of this building which
is now becoming a popular venue for workshops and trainings to capacitate
our people. Mr. President, I shall be candid with you as I have always been. We
welcome these initial dividends of peace. We welcome development. We welcome
the continuing partnership between the MILF and the GPH. Indeed, as Muslims
and revolutionaries, we dream of the dawning of peace and development for our
people. But while we indeed welcome this sincere gesture of government to make
immediate the dividends of peace to our people, we caution all not to lose sight
of the imperative and the challenges of the works aheadthat of achieving in
the soonest possible time the signing of a comprehensive compact between the
MILF and the GPH. Development is so important. Yes, it is so important that
it must stand, and stand alone, on the solid foundation of permanent peace. A
peace that is achieved by addressing the fundamental political issues that has
fuelled this conflict and consumed the energy and resources of this region and
this country. This goal, therefore, must remain the single most important task
of this partnership, for only when we achieve this can we truly be assured of
real development not only in this region but also for this country. The MILF
stands ready as your partner in this journey.
Further development can only be effective where it is people-centered.
One that is determined and undertaken by its ultimate beneficiaries. One that
empowers people and its processes, empowering. It cannot be dictated from
the center, for ownership is essential. We recognize, however, that the type
of development strategy that the President has undertaken today, where the
beneficiaries determine the kind of development, is remarkable. This, however,
must be institutionalized and should not depend on the kind of President that
sits in power. This must be institutionalized, and it can only be institutionalized
when we shall have signed a comprehensive compact that creates a new relation
between us and the central government. We recognize also that by undertaking
joint development projects with government even before a comprehensive
compact is signed, we might be putting in jeopardy some critical strategy that
has guided our struggle for a long time. We are indeed, treading on uncharted
28
and certainly dangerous path. But this revolution beyond strategy has been
guided by one single principlesincerity and trust in Allah. Allah says in the
Holy Quran, Surah Al-Anfal, verse 61: But if they incline to peace, you also
incline to it, and (put your) trust in Allah. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the
All-Knower. Beyond the question of strategy, we have always believed in the
justness and the legitimacy of our cause. This and the enduring commitment and
dedication of our people cannot be defeated by any strategy. It is this thought
and the oft-repeated pronouncement of sincerity of the President that give us
solace in this difficult process. For, indeed, it takes more courage to wage peace
than to wage a war.
We appeal then to the international community for patience and
understanding. It is our sincere belief that we cannot jump immediately into
massive programs for development without the solid foundation of a permanent
and durable peace. We cannot mislead you and lure you into investing the
hard-earned money of your taxpayers into development without the assurance
of durable peace. The last thing we wanted to see would be development and
infrastructure laid to waste in seconds because of war. Help us achieve that peace,
and together we can move with confidence towards development.
Thank you and Wassalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatoh.
DOH Sec. Enrique T. Ona (left) and Pres. Aquino distribute PhilHealth cards during the Sajahatra
launch at BLMI in Maguindanao.
Signing of the
Comprehensive Agreement on the
Bangsamoro
27 March 2014
Speech

agandang hapon po sa inyong lahat.
In August of 2011, I flew to Japan along with six members of my Cabinet

and Marvic Leonen, who was then chair of the government peace panel, to
meet with our brothers Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and Mohagher Iqbal, and their
companions from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. This move took many
by surprise. There were those who reacted with intense skepticism followed
by criticism: The MILF, after all, was a group that had long been locked in
combat with our troops. The most vocal of these naysayers expressed tremendous
criticism, assailing my integrity, alleging that I had ulterior motives, and casting
doubt on my administrations commitment to transparency. Some asked: Were we
not granting the MILF undue leverage in the negotiations? Of what significance
was a face-to-face meeting in ending an insurgency that had raged and festered
for two generations?
Even as a congressman, I had often wondered how two panels, representing
intense antagonists in a decades-long conflict, could be expected to possess
the modicum of trust needed to advance the peace process. As a member of
the opposition, little did I know that only a few years later, upon taking office
as President, I would be the one tasked to solve this dilemma. When the
negotiations with the MILF had reached a very serious deadlock, I decided that
the time had come to personally reach out and try to achieve that modicum of
trust that could advance the peace process. I asked to meet Chairman Murad so
that we could talk in an earnest manner, and our long-time ally Japan graciously
and instantly agreed to host our meeting.
Talking personally with Chairman Murad, I felt that he, like me, was
prepared to come to the table not as an adversary, but as a friend who shared
a singular aspiration for peace. After all, if both parties approached the table
asking only how to win, or how to give up the least, then there could never be
a meeting of the minds. His points made it apparent that neither he nor any
30
Malacaan Palace, Manila27 March 2014
31
of his companions were out to consolidate power or to perpetuate a feudal

and oppressive system. They were seeking fair and equal representation in
institutionsand most of all, they wanted peace. Their proposals marked a real
difference from the failed experiment that was ARMM, and gave one reason to
hope that the talks will progress, and that lasting peace will finally be attained.
And so the seeds of trust were planted, and consequently nourished by
the hard work of all stakeholders. In October 2012, a Framework Agreement
on the Bangsamoro was signed, providing a roadmap and solidifying the trust
that the panels had for each other. Communities on the groundwhether
Muslim, Christian, or Lumadlikewise bought into the dream of consequent
development for the region. At the forefront were the panels and their mediator,
who hammered out annex after annex, aware that transforming our ideals into
tangible realities required consummate attention to the details.
And just as this chapter of positive engagement with the MILF began in a
foreign land, in a country that shares with the Filipino people the aspiration of
regional peace, stability, and harmony, so too did this current chapter in our saga
unfold. On the 25th of January, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the final Annex on
Normalization was jointly signed by the Government of the Philippines and
the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Today, we will witness the signing of the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
We thank the members of both panels: The sincerity of Professor Miriam

Coronel Ferrer, and her predecessor Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic
Leonen, permeated throughout the peace process. MILF Chief Negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal likewise set the stage for fair and sincere negotiations. The new
facilitator in the person of the Honorable Tengku Ghafar: Your fair and steady
hand was a key factor in the success of this process; our country thanks you. I
also reiterate my thanks to Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, who exhibited
genuine leadership for his people, and Secretary Ging Deles, who I presume
will allow herself some well-deserved rest before she braces herself for the next
challenge. You can have tomorrow off. Ging, in all seriousness, your decades
of work as a peace advocate have now borne their sweetest fruit. I assure you,
now that this Comprehensive Agreement will be signed, there will be less stress
between us. Let me also thank Governor Mujiv Hataman of the ARMM, who
has demonstrated what can be done through good leadership. From the outset,
we shared the view that the system as presently crafted is susceptible to abuse
by the wrong leaders. He has worked for true transformation that lends itself
32
MILF Chair Murad, Malaysian Facilitator Tengku Ghafar, Prime Minister Najib Razak, President
Aquino, and OPAPP Sec. Deles, together with the MILF and GPH Peace Panels applaud the signing
of the CAB as MILF Peace Panel Chair Iqbal and GPH Peace Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel
Ferrer exchange copies of the signed document.
to permanence. And now, after all his achievements, he willingly steps aside.
That is the sort of leader we need: Focused on the other, and not on himself.
We thank everyone whose faith never faltered in this journey. To the people
of Indonesia and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono: We truly appreciate
your solidarity. As a member of the International Monitoring Team, Indonesia,
along with Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, and previously the European
Union and Libya, was integral in creating the peaceful environment that
proved conducive to the negotiations. Our people extend their gratitude to the
members of the IMT. We also thank the International Contact Group: We
reiterate our gratitude to Japan, whose graciousness proved crucial in winning
a once elusive trust between the Philippine government and the MILF; the
United Kingdom, whose experience in resolving conflict provided a shining
example as we embarked on our own journey; other member-countries such
as Saudi Arabia and Turkey; and the NGO-members of the ICGthank you
33
The historic event was attended by senators, congressmen, members of the Cabinet, Mindanao
governors and local chief executives, officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(ARMM) Regional Government, ambassadors, and local and international civil society leaders.
Hundreds of MILF members also witnessed the event.
for supporting peace in the Philippines. To the members of the Independent

Commission on Policing: Canada, Australia, and again, Japanthank you for
your help. We thank the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which served as
an observer to these talks. We likewise thank all our partners who have aided us
throughout this process: the United States through USAID; Japan through the
Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development ( J-BIRD);
Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the United States once more, and
the European Union through their contributions to the Mindanao Trust Fund;
Australia and New Zealand for the Facility for Advisory Support for Transition
Capacities (FASTRAC); and Australia once more for the OPAPP-DFAT
Technical Assistance Facility and the Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao.
We also thank the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme,
the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and again the European Union for
the assistance that you have extended to us. You all have the enduring gratitude
34
of the Filipino people. We will never forget the support you have given, and
continue to give us.
And of course, the Filipino people will forever be indebted to Malaysia,

whose presence illuminated every step of the peace process. We have the
leadership of His Excellency, Prime Minister Najib Razak to thank for this. The
role that Malaysia played in forging this agreement is especially significant, given
that the Bangsamoro forms the nexus of bloodlines that links Malaysia and the
Philippines. And as we looked to the shared history of the Malay people for
kinship and inspiration, so too will we forge a future of shared stability, prosperity,
and inclusiveness through our bonds of shared success. Together, we have set an
example for the entire world: This Agreement stands as a testament to how far
trust and earnestness can move humanity forward; it shows how righteousness,
reason, and goodwill are the mightiest of instruments in ending conflict; it
proves that the search for common ground is infinitely more productive than
hegemonic ambition.
If we sustain the momentum for peace, by 2016, the MILF will have shed
its identity as a military force and transformed itself into a political entity,
casting its stake in democracy by vying for seats in the Bangsamoro elections.
The Bangsamoro shall form a perimeter of vigilance against the spread of
extremism; it shall act as a bridge of moderation among the great faiths of the
various constituencies in ASEAN. From this shared security, we shall enhance
the era of prosperity that is dawning upon our region, and harness its energies
towards creating a regime of opportunity and inclusivity where no one is left
behind. As the Bangsamoro matures, it shall serve as the gateway to trade,
investment, and cultural exchanges within the Brunei Darussalam-IndonesiaMalaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area and its environsigniting a
virtuous cycle of security, development, and equitable progress for the peoples
of the entire region.
This is our vision for the Bangsamoroand just as the Agreement we
are signing today did not appear magically out of thin air, so too will our next
steps have to involve the same trust and long-term thinking that brought us to
this shared triumph. At this point, the Bangsamoro Transition Commission is
hard at work in drafting a Bangsamoro Basic Law that is equitable, practical,
and empowering, and which serves the interests of the entire nation. It is a law
that will have to pass my personal muster as a President pledged to do justice
35
to all, before it is submitted to Congress. My administration will go all out to

forge a principled consensus for enduring security and prosperity; I expect the
deliberations in Congress to be characterized by a sincere desire to improve on
the Bangsamoro Basic Lawand not by self-interest that only aims to perpetuate
an untenable status quo.
Our mission now is to draft and pass this law so that it will be presented
to the people for ratification in a plebiscite. Our goal: to have the Bangsamoro
Transition Authority in place by 2015, when it will serve as the interim
Bangsamoro government until the elections in 2016. In this manner, the people
themselves will turn the tide of strife into an era of peace and equitable progress;
they themselves will prove that the democratic space is vast enough to address
every Filipinos grievances and concerns.
We thus call on everyone to widen the avenues for trust and positive
engagement; let us cast aside past prejudice and contribute to the atmosphere
of optimism that has, for the first time in a long while, become prevalent in
Muslim Mindanao. It should be the paramount concern of all people of goodwill
to do their part: Let us exchange our bullets for ripening fruit, our cynicism
for hope, our histories of sorrow for a future of harmony, peace, and prosperity.
We must remember that, for so long, Muslim Mindanao has been left in
the margins. The amount of attention that the national government granted
it ebbed with the electoral cycle, and this broken system was exploited by the
powerful few who lorded it over everyone else. For generations, fellow Filipinos
in the region were embroiled in a cycle of poverty, injustice, and violence. The
huge imbalance between Muslim Mindanao and the rest of the country served
to breed resentment, and consequently insurgency. When the Bangsamoro
people felt that they had no redress within the system, they then tried to address
their grievances from outside of the system. We must, therefore, give them a
significant boost up, so that they can catch up: If we are to truly address the
root causes of conflict, we must close the gap between the region and the rest
of Filipino society.
I have to state that I fully empathize with our Muslim countrymen. Like
them, my family experienced how impossible it was to achieve redress of
legitimate grievances, as we were oppressed by a dictatorial government.
What is being presented before us now is a path that can lead to a permanent
change in the status quo in Muslim Mindanao. But as with all change, its
36
success depends on our continuous vigilance. We must admit that there are
those who will champion the status quo to preserve themselves in positions of
power and wealth. Maintaining this requires holding back the majority, for any
sign of individual or collective advancement is a threat. Maintaining fear and
insecurity allows them to prey on the entrepreneur whose success is rewarded by
kidnapping; the farmer who improved the rough land only to have it grabbed;
the student whose very promising future is cut short by a bomb; the pensioner
who, seeking security, falls prey to the unscrupulous pyramid scammer; or those
mired in desperate times and desperate situations who fall victim to false prophets
from either side. These people ask, and have been asking, the legitimate question:
What did we do to deserve this? The simple answer is: You dont; no one does.
My father taught me: If you tolerate the abuse of the rights of one, it sets the
stage for the abuse of your own rights. The only correct action then is to stand
up for your brother whose rights have been abused; otherwise, we will only be
condemning ourselves to suffer the same fate.
The majority who deserve an opportunity to improve their lot in life, who
stand to benefit from the onset of peace, stand at the crossroads with us: On one
hand, will we be held back by an untenable status quo? Or, together, will we as
an entire nation rise and prosper? To those who will not join us, I ask: Are you
really that confident that we will have another singular opportunity like the one
we have today? Do you really think that the confluence of factors such that exists
today will happen againwhen the Filipino people and their government are
committed to redressing a historic injustice; where the international community
has thrown its full support behind the achievement of peace; and when we have
already fixed an electoral system that was designed to subvert the sovereign will
of the people?
May this also stand as a warning to those who wish to derail our path to a
final, lasting peacethose who wish to sow divisiveness for self-interest, and
those who continue to wield arms to pursue their own agendas: So many people
have suffered for so long; so many of our stakeholders have worked so hard to
arrive at this point. I will not let peace be snatched from my people again. Not
now, when we have already undertaken the most difficult and most significant
steps to achieve it. Those who want to test the resolve of the State will be met
37
with a firm response based on righteousness and justiceas we demonstrated

in Zamboanga City.
I have always said that being President is not the easiest of jobs; the fight to
change the status quo is even more daunting. I do not want to just take my turn
on a merry-go-round that goes nowhere but round and roundto perpetuate
or even exacerbate existing problems. I would rather ride the horse that actually
leads to a definite destination. And in this journey, there will always be obstacles
to national transformation, just as there will always be those who seek to disrupt
any sort of momentum that we have gained. At times it seems as if the selfish
few can fatally hamper the future of so many. There are, however, days like this:
days when our collective philosophy of sincere consensus-building yields the
most enduring of results; days when we can stand witness to the hard work
of our people; days when we can be filled with hope despite all the challenges
that remain. There are days when we can find time to reflect on what we have
achieved in less than four years: in this case, the end to decades of conflict, and
the beginning of development and prosperity for the Bangsamoro. Today, we
have proven that not only can our people dream again; but, in fact, we are now
beginning to achieve our dreams.
We have exhibited tremendous trust and commitment, which has gotten us
this far. Today, let us commit to being more energetic advocates of this rightful
path.
In the coming months and years, let us exert even greater effort into making
the path of peace more inclusive, inviting more to join this advocacy and to
contribute to the peaceful and progressive future that we are envisioning.
If our goals as a nation are fulfilled, my brothers, Al Haj Murad, Mohagher

Iqbal, and myself can all look forward to that one day in the not-so-distant
future, when we will all sit back and enjoy a quiet sunset in Mindanaoperhaps
with the company of friends such as Prime Minister Najib Razak. That day, we
will look back to the 27th of March 2014, and allow ourselves a little pride. For
now, more work needs to be done, and I look forward to building a peaceful,
prosperous, and inclusive Bangsamoro with all of you.
Thank you. Good afternoon.
Welcome Remarks

is Excellency, our President Benigno Simeon Aquino III;

To our esteemed guestsHis Excellency, Prime Minister Dato Sri Mohd
Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak of Malaysia, Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim,
Chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the chairs and members of the peace
negotiating panels of the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front, the Honorable Tengku Dato Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed,
our Malaysian Facilitator in the GPH-MILF peace negotiations, members of
the diplomatic corps, fellow members of the cabinet, Senate President Drilon
and Speaker Belmonte and members of Congress, our partners and friends in
peacemaking and peace-building from civil society organizations, the private
sector, and local government units, our grassroots communities, the international
community:
Good afternoon. Magandang hapon po. Assalamu Alaikum.
We have more than a thousand guests here today. And I am sure that more
than a thousand selfies and groupies have been taken by your smartphones, all
to be posted, if not already posted, on the web. And as we share with one and
all the feelings, smiles, and tears of this gathering, we will surely have a million
likes on Facebook before the sun rises tomorrow.
A day of joy and gladness to you all.
Today we embrace peace with the crushing might of a people and banish
war with the great power of a nation united.
Today we embrace peace with the courage of equals rather than the cowardice
of bigots, deceivers, and exploiters.
Today we embrace peace with deep gratitude and thanksgiving for the gift,
the blessing of peace, that only Providence can truly bestow upon humanity.
And speaking of blessings, I also remember the gift bestowed upon us in
the person of Ibrahim Rahman, a village leader of Pigkawayan, North Cotabato,
in Mindanao.
38
39
One night in August of 2008, amidst the distant clap of cannons and gunfire,
Ibrahim woke up to the sight of hundreds of children of all shapes and sizes,
in front of his house.
The children were apparently told by their parents to flee their homes for
safetyby themselves, without food, with only the clothes they wore on their
frail bodies.
In ragtag fashion and with the bravado of hardy sons and daughters of war,
they crossed the Libungan river in bancas to safer sanctuary, and landed, luckily,
at Ibrahims front door.
Ibrahim called out to others in the community. They took in the young ones
in different homes, fed them, and sheltered them in the madrasah.
In a state of confusion, the child refugees or bakwits would cry themselves
to sleep and wake up not knowing where their parents were. It was weeks later
that their parents came for them and brought them back home, when the guns
were silent for a while.
Ibrahim would later lend his 10-hectare ancestral land to these childrens
families, whose areas of residence kept changing, depending on where and when
it was safedepending on when and where the bombs fell or the guns roared.
Today those families are sheltered in Ibrahims ancestral land and are being
served by the governments shelter assistance program.
And on this day itself, as they hear the words said in this historic ceremony,
they are finally invested with hope in a permanent peace, the hope that their
children will finally have the chance not only to survive, but to live and to thrive
in an enduring community.
We stand here today to declare that, henceforth, no family shall be forced
to drive their children away for fear of their being maimed and wounded by
conflict, and that no child has ever again to cross a raging river and knock on a
strangers door to beg for protection.
Outside these gates, parents, students, and children are in Luneta flying kites
for peace, while our allies from many noble persuasions are in Mendiola and
Quiapo in solidarity with us. In various areas in Mindanao, people have turned
major roads green with waving peace flags and will be holding peace-tahan
events to celebrate todays momentous occasion.
The signal and prayers are so strong and unrelentingno more war, no more
children scampering for safety, no more evacuees, no more lost school days or
school months, no more injustice, no more misgovernance, no more poverty, no
more fear and no more want.
40
Tama na; we are all tired of it.

A new dawn has come, the dawn for books, not bullets; for paintbrushes,
not knives; for whole communities, not evacuation centers; and for rewarding
toil, not endless strife.
The work is far from over even as the pledges are sealed. But I bear faith
that our common intentions will drive us forward and that noble leaders will
clasp hands and pull our future together.
Most of all, I bear the deepest faith that the Almighty will hold us all in
the palm of His handconstantly delivering us from the instincts of war and
keeping us within the fold of peace each waking day.
Today, the Bangsamoro rises with Mindanao, the nation, the region, and
the worldpart of our great heritage and identity as a nation, a political and
economic force for all generations.
Mr. President, thank you for leading us forward with a clear vision and
indomitable steadfastness. Now I know that Tuwid na Daan also means peace
for all. We could not have made it without you, Mr. President. Everybody knows
that.
Mr. Prime Minister, allow me to express our gratitude to Malaysia for being
a faithful and patient partner of the peace process. We can ask nothing more of
a good and trusted neighbor.
Chairman Murad, you are truly a warrior for all seasons; we salute your
fortitude and tenacity in leading the MILF in war and now in peace.
To all who have been our partners in the journey, thank you from the bottom
of our hearts. I am humbled by your own love for peace and your willingness to
live and fight for the dream.
And to you all who have toiled by my side and chose to walk these difficult
paths and navigated the complicated currents of peace making as we know it
now. You know who you all arethe men and women of OPAPP, with our
families, I can only say: Thank you.
Though sometimes we are battered and bruised in body and spirit, we will rise
and rise again like a phoenix to continue our work, and achieve more triumphs
for peace, for our people and country.
With that, I say, welcome to the historic Signing of the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro. Isang mapayapa at makasaysayang hapon po.
Shukran.
Speech
Aj Haj Murad Ebrahim

is Excellency President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, His Excellency Prime

Minister Mohammad Najib Bin Abdul Razak; Hon. Senate President
Franklin Drilon and members of the Senate; Hon. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and
members of the House; Her Excellency Helen Clark, UN Asst. Sec. and UN
Administrator; His Eminence Cardinal Orlando Quevedo; His Royal Highness
Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia; Hon. Akihito Tanaka President of JICA; excellencies of the
Foreign Diplomatic corps; honorable members of the Presidents Cabinet;
honorable members of the Prime Ministers Cabinet; distinguished members
of the GPH Peace Panel; my brothers from the MILF Central Committee,
members of the MILF Peace Panel and Commanders of the Bangsamoro Islamic
Armed Forces; heads and representatives of different NGOs and partner donor
organizations, local government officials; honored guests, friends, brothers, and
sisters in Islam, Assalamu Alaikum and good afternoon.
Today, we celebrate the shared victory of the Bangsamoro and the Filipino
people.
The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro finally brings with it

the restoration of the identity, powers, and resources of the Bangsamoro. These
three things which have been ours since time immemorial and unjustly taken
through colonization and occupation, are now returned to us.
From the distant past to the present, the Comprehensive Agreement on

the Bangsamoro is the crowning glory of our struggle. The seventeen long and
oftentimes lonely years of negotiations are witnesses to the sincerity and sacrifices
of our people to find the final answer to the Bangsamoro question.
InshaAllah and Alhamdulilah, the Comprehensive Agreement on the

Bangsamoro is the most fitting solution to the undying aspiration of the
Bangsamoro to have the rightful decent and honorable standing as enjoyed by
41
42
our forty years in bygone eras and to leave the present in an age of lasting peace,
justice and prosperity.
Seventeen months ago we were also assembled in these revered halls of
Malacaang Palace to witness the signing of the Framework Agreement on the
Bangsamoro. In the midst of natural disasters and political turmoil, we have risen
above the challenges and braved the elements of adversity as we completed the
four indispensable Annexes and the Addendum to the Framework Agreement
on the Bangsamoro.
Now we have come full circle as we are again gathered here today to witness
the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. We in the
MILF and our counterparts in the GPH have pushed the ends of reason in
coming to this point of forging a negotiated political agreement that not only
promises but guarantees mutual recognition, respect and restoration of the
legitimate rights of the people in the Bangsamoro.
With the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro the
legitimate aspiration of the Bangsamoro and the commitment of the government
of the Philippines to recognize and address those aspirations are now sealed
and witnessed by all peace-loving peoples of this nation and the whole world.
Even if we are momentarily overwhelmed by profound happiness, we keep

our awareness that the negotiated political settlement such as the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro never by themselves implement automatically.
It requires the actions of both parties to give concrete forms to the intents and
contents of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. Only then
would the agreement become credible and acceptable to all, but we have not
come this far only to be dampened by doubts and worries.
In our midst is the confluence of favorable situations of abundant goodwill
and tangible support that put to rest all uncertainties, misgivings, and even fears
of what the future has in store for us. We believe we have reached the highest
respect for each others beliefs, principles and ideologies.
With sincerity in our heart, we offer the Comprehensive Agreement on the

Bangsamoro to the Filipino people as the grandest articulation of our aspirations,
and by it, our unyielding belief that the more cause worth pursuing, there will
be no more cause worth pursuing by force left for others to take.
The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro is built on the gains
of previous agreements entered into by the Moro liberation movements in the
43
past. The MILF recognizes as a milestone the 1996 GRP-MNLF Final Peace
Agreement, but its inherent flaws, weaknesses, and fate for the last eighteen
years must not hinder the MILF from securing for the Bangsamoro a far better
negotiated political settlement of the Bangsamoro Question.
After all, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro is not only

for the MILF. It is for the MNLF as well as much as it is for all the Muslim
ethnic tribes, the Christian settlers, and the indigenous peoples in the prospective
Bangsamoro government territory.
Thank you for the numerous declarations and commitment of support to
the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro from a greater number of
MNLF brothers and sisters and various sectors of the Bangsamoro including
settlers and indigenous people.
I would like to impress upon all of you that the MILF does not and will never
claim sole ownership of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
The MILF recognizes the unalterable reality that the valiant efforts and
sacrifices of countless people for freedom and self-determination of the entire
Bangsamoro contributed in no small way towards the achievement of this
agreement.
The only interest of the MILF is the emplacement of the system as agreed
upon by the parties. Upon the establishment of the new Bangsamoro political
entity, the role of the MILF may be likened to a gatekeeper for the duration
of the transition period where after such period, the keys to the gate will be
willingly handed over to the democratic will of the Bangsamoro. To be overly
emphatic, it will not be a government of the MILF, but the government of the
Bangsamoro.
I am foremost of the belief that the Comprehensive Agreement on the

Bangsamoro does not stand to benefit the Bangsamoro alone, rather, its successes
will inevitably reverberate beyond the borders of the Bangsamoro homeland.
With it, we aim to eradicate social isolation by advancing sustainable peace,
security, and stability not only in Mindanao, but also in the entire country.
We aim to provide mechanisms and activities that would reinforce capacities
of people of this nation to work together. We aim to build relationships that
would simultaneously create economic opportunities and promote reconciliation
and peace through pursuit of mutual interest across the country.
44
Even as todays historic occasion makes us happy and triumphant, we cannot

but honor and dedicate the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro to
our valiant leaders, brothers and sisters who by Allahs will and mercy could no
longer see the dawning of this new era for the very people they have sacrificed
their time, wealth, and lives for.
Please allow me to pay tribute to the departed leaders of the MILF whose
teachings and valor shall live within our hearts, namely, the late MILF Chairman
Salamat Hashim, the late MILF Vice-Chairman Abdulaziz Mimbantas, Ustadz
Abuhalil Yahya, Ustadz Ali Abdul Aziz, Ustadz Abdul Jamil, Ustadz Sainon
Zaman; the so called big 5, Commanders Tops Julhani Diego Silang, Adan
Abdullah, Tony Falcon, Mohammad James Bond, Yahya Luksadatu; and many
others and to all our Mujahideen martyrs whether MILF or MNLF.
The determination and resolve of these great leaders have catapulted us to
where we are today. To my fellow Mujahideen and the Bangsamoro people: Our
journey towards peace has borne us this agreement.
We accept the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro with

gratitude and enthusiasm. The signing of the CAB marks the starting point
of another level of struggle to ensure that the terms of the agreement will be
faithfully implemented and will ultimately be instrumental in realizing the
aspiration of the Bangsamoro people for lasting peace, justice, and prosperity.
We strongly pray for an accepting and not merely tolerant public that will
massively support and give a chance for this monumental agreement to succeed
and serve its purpose of restoring to our people their Bangsamoro identity and
bequeathing to them their right to self-determination.
Our urgent call for support include our brothers and sisters, Mujahideen and
revolutionaries in the other liberation organizations. The support we ask of you is
not merely in keeping your optimism in the whole process but more significantly
in lending your hands and participation in the realization of the objective of the
process. Let us all stand as willing witnesses to the end of atrocities and uprising
to the Bangsamoro homeland and see to it that it remains that way.
In parting, I commend the tireless and consistent efforts of all those
instrumental in forging this agreement particularly H.E. President Benigno
Simeon Aquino, H.E. Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, H.E. Dr. Mahatir
Mohamad under whose term in office as Prime Minister the peace negotiation
were started and done in Malaysia; the Malaysian facilitator Tengku Dato Abdul
Ghafar bin Tengku Mohamed and the able secretariat.
45
The MILF extends its heartfelt thanks also to all the state and non-state actors
that comprise the International Contact Group (namely the Governments of the
United Kingdom, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Japan) and its international NGO
components Conciliation Resources, Muhammadiyah, Centre for Humanitarian
Dialogue, and Community of SantEgidio as well as former member (The Asia
Foundation); the International Monitoring Team continuously led by Malaysia
since 2001 and joined by Brunei, Libya, Japan, Norway, Indonesia, and the
European Union and its Civilian Protection Components (the Nonviolent Peace
Force, Mindanao Peoples Caucus, Mindanao Human Rights Action Center,
and the Muslim Organization of Government Officials and Professionals);
and to the numerous world organizations and countries that have signified a
strong support to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro such
as the United Nations, European Union, United States of America, United
Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation.
Finally, to the GPH-MILF peace panels: GPH panel chair Professor
Miriam Ferrer, previous chairperson Secretary Jesus Dureza, Secretary Silvestre
Afable, Secretary Rodolfo Garcia, Ambassador Rafael Seguis, Associate Justice
Marvic Leonen and others; Brother Ghazali Jaafar and the late Ali Abdul
Mimbantas who both served as the chairman of the MILF peace panel, and
brother Mohagher Iqbal whose extent as chair of MILF peace panel this
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro has been signed. I also pay
tribute to the invaluable contribution of Lanang Ali, Datu Michael Mastura,
Robert Maulana Alonto, Abdulla Camlian, Datu Kinoc, and all those who serve
in the MILF peace panel and its various structures both currently and those
who served earlier.
Above all, thank you for the guidance of those people who stood and
continuously stand by in our journey towards just and lasting peace. Before I
end this message, allow me to extend my heartfelt and profound expression of
sorrow and condolence to the families of the victims of the missing Malaysian
Airlines flight 370 bound for Beijing from the Malaysian capital of Kuala
Lumpur last March 8. It was already officially reported that the fated plane
had crashed into the remote part of the Indian Ocean. I salute the Malaysian
government headed by H.E. Datu Najib Razak for the superb handling of the
tragic incident which claimed the lives of 239 passengers and crew. Thank you
very much. May Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala always bless us all. Allahu Akbar,
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
Peace Is Living Together:

for Peace and Reconciliation in
Mindanao
67 June 2014
Notre Dame University, Cotabato City
Speech

peaceful afternoon to all. Assalamu Alaikum.
Allow me to start by thanking the Community of SantEgidio together

with His Eminence Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, Archbishop of Cotabato, and
the Muhammadiyah from Indonesia, for convening all of us for this timely
and important dialogue. The theme that you have chosenPeace is Living
Togethercaptures the very essence of what the Aquino administration aims
to achieve through the peace process.
Ang proseso tungo sa kapayapaan ay para sa lahat ng Pilipino. Samasama tayong lahat sa pagsulong, pagbantay, at pagkalinga sa tunay at ganap
na kapayapaan, dahil sama-sama rin tayong makikinabang sa kaunlaran na
kaakibat nito.
We all know that we cannot simply talk peace forever. We need to build the
structures for it and prepare the communities for the transition from conflict to
peace, while bringing down the barriers that have kept it away. With the signing
of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro last March, all of these
components are not only possible, but very much within our reach.
Thus, the inclusive nature of and approach to the peace process in Mindanao
and across other peace tables is your theme personified. And I thank the
European Union, the Italian Government, and the Spanish Cooperation for
supporting this historic Conference on Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue
for Peace.
Should I start with some updates? First, let me allay some fears and slay a few
rumors about the so-called delay in the submission of the proposed Bangsamoro
Basic Law (BBL) to Congress. Our political road map is firmly in place and
we are fully confident that we are installing a process which will ensure, within
an acceptable and doable time frame, that the BBL which will be enacted by
Congress will live up to peoples expectations as a measure worthy of broad-based
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48
Peace Is Living Together
support, and one that is faithful to our Constitution. In this regard, all parties
concerned are striving to meet the standards set by the President at the historic
signing of the CAB for the BBL to be a law that is equitable, practical, and
empowering and which serves the interests of the entire nation.
Even as the draft submitted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission

(BTC) undergoes a thorough process of review, the Office of the Presidents
legal team, as well as the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
(OPAPP), the BTC, as well as local governments in partnership with civil
society groups and the private sector, have been conducting and supporting
stakeholders dialogues and consultations on the ground as well as on the level
of national government agencies and of the ARMM government, and even
with the leadership and some members of Congress. Perhaps we should look
at whats going on from a glass-half-full perspective: We have waited seventeen
long years for a mutually binding and acceptable peace process with the MILF;
and yet that has been achieved within three years of this administration. We can
be bold in taking a few more days, if not weeks, to ensure a more refined and
strengthened draft BBL to be stewarded by the leadership of both Houses of
Congress through the legislative process and, thereafter, for ratification through
plebiscite.
President Aquino is determined to wield the democratic process to install

the Bangsamoro as a partner in ensuring common prosperity, collective security,
and good governance in the four corners of our archipelago. We in government
take our shared journey to peace through the Bangsamoro very seriously. It is
just as personal to us, as it is to all of you in this room. And the President has
repeatedly committed to wield his leadership and muster the necessary political
capital to ensure the law will be passed and that the law that will be passed will
serve the welfare and interest of the Bangsamoro surely but also of other areas
in Mindanao, and of the entire Philippines.
Perhaps we should also be reminded that the political process is a major
stepping-stone in the attainment of something that is bigger than that process
itself: a national vision and peoples aspiration for genuine peace. Let me
articulate that vision for you.
Through the Bangsamoro, we shall strengthen the politics of reconciliation

and build an economy of equal opportunity. No oneMuslim, Christian, Lumad,
Notre Dame University, Cotabato City67June 2014
49
or of any other faithwill be left behind. Each will enjoy the benefits of good
governance, social equity, and most of all, the rule of law, in a society of cultural
and religious diversity. This inclusivity is mirrored by how the BTC was formed,
with representatives of Muslim, Christian, and indigenous people appointed as
commissioners. The envisioned Bangsamoro ministerial government will also
have allotted seats to ensure that diverse voices will be heard as part of policymaking and good governance. The central government will always uphold its
role to ensure that unity in diversity flourishes and that peaceful coexistence
and shared prosperity shall be the norm in a Bangsamoro era.
The good news is that even as we have yet to complete the political transition
as defined in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the work of
implementing the Normalization Annex has already begun and milestones
along this comprehensive post-conflict track will also soon become apparent.
The good news is that even as we have yet to complete the political transition
as defined in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, economic
gains are clearly on the horizon, and even in the pipeline.
Last Wednesday, a high-level business delegation accompanied by no less

than US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker met with the President, and they
expressed interest in putting up potential investments in infrastructure projects
for Mindanao. On the same day, ambassadors from member countries of the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation visited Bongao, Tawi-Tawispecifically, a
sample of MNLF Peace and Development Communities (PDCs). They lauded
the government of the Philippines for its continued efforts to improve the lives
of Muslims in Mindanao and likewise pledged to assist the development efforts
in every way possible and open to them.
Our neighbors in the ASEAN community are just as keen on bringing

in technical assistance and financial resources as investments in your region,
with our immediate peace partner, Malaysia, inquiring into how they can help
promote the Philippines halal industry as well as Islamic banking. In our own
backyard, we have our own innovative and dynamic private sector, looking at
the rise of the Bangsamoro as the tide that will lift our economic conditions
higher than ever before.
Together with the World Bank, the Government and the MILF have agreed
to organize a Development Forum on the Bangsamoro this coming September
50
to be participated in by the international development community and the

private sector to bring forward, discuss, and facilitate the delivery of concrete
and immediate peace dividends for their investment and participation.
To witness such an outpouring of support and optimism from individuals,

organizations, sectors, and countriesall clearly invested in a shared interest
to build a society founded on peace and unityis both encouraging and
overwhelming.
Peace is ultimately about coexistence and inclusion. In no way is it a oneway street. Peace is for all of us and, thus, requires a shared commitment from
all of us, as well.
Today, this commitment is fully fleshed out in this diverse assembly. I see
men and women of varying levels of experience and expertise, of divergent
faiths and ethnicities coming together yet again to secure the peace that we all
thought would elude this and future generations.
And yet, here we are. No longer just talking about peace but living in it and
for ittogether.
During this dialogue, let us open our minds and hearts, and be generous
in sharing what we consider our most important needs and heartfelt desires
in the Bangsamoro society that we want to shape. Conflicting opinions and
positions will arise, but that is what dialogue is all about. Amid such differences
lie our determination to identify the issues we need to address and iron out as
a reconciled, if not united, whole.
Remember what Nelson Mandela once said? He had posted the challenge:
Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that generation.
What our forebears dreamt about, we now have a duty to fulfill.
With that, I would like to end the way I beganwith extreme gratitude to
the organizers of this Interreligious Dialogue and to every participantthank
you for keeping the faith, thank you for supporting the peace process.
Salamat sa inyong mataimtim na pagmamahal sa bayan. Magsukol.
Our Ramadans at the Negotiating Table
Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer

CHAIR, GPH PEACE PANEL
he peace negotiations under President Benigno Aquino III passed through

four Ramadans. Marking developments with these meetings held during the
Holy Month of the Hijra calendar would easily reflect the difficulties we went
through. But in the same way that the fasting month ends with a celebration of
a new beginning, so did our four Ramadan cycles culminate in a big celebration
in Malacaang on 27 March 2014, the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement
on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
We have no record of the 2010 Ramadan, which happened shortly after

President Benigno Aquino III assumed the presidency. Talks were still restarting.
So I will focus on our three Ramadans of talks from 2011 to 2013.
In 2011, the month of Ramadan was supposed to be auspicious. It came at
the heels of the Presidents hush-hush meeting with MILF Chairman Murad
Ebrahim in Narita, Japan, organized with the help of the Japanese government.
Those who criticized this meeting blamed the Presidents advisers for the
supposed ill advice. But the truth is, it was the President himself who proposed
it. He said something like nahihirapan na yata kayo. And so he offered to meet
with the MILF Chairman. That first meeting between the President and Al
Haj Murad is now in the annals of the history of the peace negotiations on the
Bangsamoro Question.
The 2011 Ramadan meeting thus began on a high note even though it was
subdued by the fact that it was fasting month. Our negotiating partners had to
endure the hunger and thirst even though we had adjusted our meetings to end
by around noontime. By midday, the Muslims in the talks have had nothing
to eat and drink for around six hours, and had been awake since around 4 a.m.
They would also need to say their noontime prayers, and await the breaking of
the fast at sundown (which was around 7 p.m. in Kuala Lumpur).
During the 2011 Ramadan, on 22 August, the first day of talks, we handed
over GPHs proposal to the MILF Panel. This was our 3-for-1 package made
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52
up of proposals for socioeconomic development, a political settlement in the

form of autonomy, and reconciliation/acknowledgment of historical narratives.
The MILF read the document overnight. On the next day, grim-faced,
short of walking out on us, they said they rejected the proposal. The Malaysian
facilitator and the International Contact Group members present I believe had
persuaded the MILF to come back the next day to, at the very least, tell us their
rejectionand dejection.
Trying to stave off a total breakdown, then Chair of the panel, now Associate
Justice Marvic Leonen replied, We reject the rejection. These were the famous
last words that ended that fateful Ramadan meeting of 2011. It was then followed
by Iqbals pained public statement about the heaven and earth difference on
where we both stood.
After this, we resolved: Never should we meet during Ramadan again. We

believed the physical difficulties contributed in no small way to the sour ending
of the 22nd Round of Formal Exploratory Talks.
But it could not be helped, and so we did have negotiations in the Ramadan
that followed.
Our second Ramadan together was during the 30th FET that began on 7
August 2012. We had by then overcome the 2011 Ramadan impasse. In April
2012, the first substantive document was signed. This was the Decision Points
on Principles that reflected the initial consensus such as the recognition of the
legitimate grievances and identity of the Bangsamoro, the unacceptable status
quo, the creation of a new political entity with a ministerial form of government,
an agreement to define the power-sharing and wealth-sharing arrangements
between the Central and Bangsamoro governments, reiteration of respect for
vested property rights and other basic rights, including the right to meaningful
political participation of women.
By 2012, we were faced by the formal split of Umbra Kato and the coming
out of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). In the first week
of August, as we prepared for our travel to Kuala Lumpur, the BIFF attacked
several army detachments of the 6th Infantry Division in Barangay Bagan in
Talayan all the way to Brgy. Kauran in Ampatuan and Brgy. Tugal in Midsayap.
But unlike in 2011, we were now united to forge ahead despite this specific
challenge that had further complicated an already complicated process. In this
53
round we created our first two Technical Working Groups (TWGs)on Powerand Wealth-Sharing. So our delegations had increased significantly, with three
members each for each TWG.
As you know, it wasnt easy to get to the completed Annexes. The WealthSharing Annex was signed eleven months later, in July 2013. The Annex on
Power-Sharing was signed sixteen months after, in December 2013. But in any
case, prior to these signed Annexes, we managed to come up with the second
major document that laid down the road map. This is the Framework Agreement
on the Bangsamoro which was signed in October 2012 at the Malacaan Palace.
Things were looking up in Ramadan 2012, despite the difficult issues on the table.
Our third Ramadan was during our 38th Formal Exploratory Talks held
on 8-13 July 2013.
Much was expected of us in this round after a long interregnum due to the
holding of the May 2013 election. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
Ging Deles had sent out appeals to her prayer warriors: Please pray for patience,
insight, and understanding for the parties to find common ground in mind and
heart and bringing the good news for the Filipino people during the first week of
Ramadan. Individually, we whispered our individual hopes and intentions for
a good outcome.
We were a big group. In this round, the Third Party Monitoring Team was
convened for the first time. It was at that time the latest mechanism added to
the infrastructure, whose purpose is mainly to monitor the implementation of
the yet-to-come comprehensive agreement.
As usual, we adjusted our meetings to end around noon. Still, in our common
desire to accomplish our task, we worked overtime, day in, day out. The four-day
meeting lasted for six days.
The TWG on Wealth-Sharing had by then been disbanded. All unresolved

matters had been remanded or elevated to the Panels for resolution.
There were many tense and volatile moments throughout. The hard issues on
the table were on the taxes to be devolved to the Bangsamoro, and the sharing
formula with regard to government revenues on mineral and energy resources.
There was the matter of how to describe these resourcesfrom strategic and
non-strategic minerals in Republic Act 9054, to eventually our three categories,
namely, metallic and non-metallic minerals, and fossil fuels.
54
We were now on our sixth day. It was a Saturday, 13 July. Still unable to
settle the remaining issues, we broke off our session past midday. We were not
sure what would come next. Then it was agreed to convene again.
It was a close call. Our negotiation ended at around 10 p.m., with only the
document in final form still to be formally signed. Both sides made difficult but
also constructive decisions. With perseverance and clarity of purpose, we returned
home with the signed Annex on Revenue Generation and Wealth-Sharing.
After two annexes, we knew there was no turning back. Halfway through
the four annexes, you dont give up. You just move forward. And so we did and
completed the CAB.
This is our short story of the Ramadans during our formal negotiations.
Now we will enter our fourth Ramadan later this month of June, not as
negotiating partners but as partners in implementation, partners in building
peace and prosperity for one all in the Bangsamoro.
We wish our Muslim brothers and sisters renewed strength and vigor as they
embark on this years Ramadan later this month of June, so that together we will
be very strong in seeing through the implementation of our peace agreements.
Thank you very much.
GPH Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer (left photo) and MILF Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal
(right photo) exchange pleasantries with former MNLF Spokesperson Abasalom Cerveza at the
holding area of the conference entitled, Peace Is Living Together: Religions and Cultures in
Dialogue for Peace and Reconciliation in Mindanao held at Notre Dame University in Cotabato
City. Looking on is NDU President Rev. Fr. Eduardo G. Tanudtanud, OMI. The conference was also
organized by the Community of SantEgidio and the Archdiocese of Cotabato in cooperation with
Muhammadiyah. (Photos by OPAPP)
Peace Process on the Bangsamoro: Significant Experiences
Mohagher Iqbal
CHAIR, MILF PEACE PANEL
eventeen long years of hard and protracted peace process between the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front and the Government of the Philippines is by any
standard not a short engagement. Certainly, a lot of significant lessons both
good and hard have been earned as a result of this engagement.
Every conflict is unique by itself. Each one offers a unique combination

of factorsthe sources of the conflict; its history; the positions and interests
of the players; and so on. Therefore, experiences learned from other conflict
peace resolutions or the conflict itself can only be shared and studied but not
to copy-paste and apply them to the Bangsamoro. The peace process in the
Bangsamoro is a model by itself, but not yet fully a success story. There are still
many challenges ahead, and more importantly, the Exit Agreement, marking
the closure of the negotiation, has not yet been signed by the parties. When will
be that day, I do not know exactly, although theoretically, the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro says it would be in 2016.
Allow me to be candid in my recounting of personal experiences first as

a member of the MILF peace panel for three and a half years and, second, as
chair for more than eleven years. I will, therefore, discuss them here, as I see
them, setting aside as much as possible the official view of the MILF as an
organization and the MILF peace panel as a whole. It is the nature of storytelling
that the same event appears differently to as many people present, at times out
of conviction, and often by improvisation or embellishment.
Indeed, there are hard and soft lessons learned from all kinds of negotiations
whether political or business in nature, like you dont get all what you ask for
you get what you negotiate or when the other party says no to an offer, it is the
start of the real negotiation, etc. I will not discuss them here; they can be learned
from written books and articles, which dealt with them more thoroughly.
Objectively speaking, the nature of people, nature of government, and the
well-entrenched status quo benefitting the chosen few and the overwhelming
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majority with the minority and marginalized groups at the receiving end would
require a long haul, not only on the success of the revolutionary struggle but
even of the peace negotiation itself. Two things emerge to be too hard to share
and given by the state: power and resources. Add the hatred, mistrust, prejudices,
enmities between and amongst peoples and communities, and the oppressive
and exploitative laws and policies of governments, expect, as we experienced and
suffered excessively therefrom, the consequence that can hardly be doubted: a
hard and protracted peace process.
The personal factor in the peace negotiator plays an important role on how
the peace process develops and is being pursued. Individual styles, background,
and views can either hasten or impede the flow of the negotiation and its
outcome. It is not true to say that military men are not good negotiators. My
experience tells me that they can be as good as any negotiator of other profession
or training. However, the most effective negotiator is one who fully understands
the nature of the problem to be addressed and is fully committed to solve it. Of
course, the success still depends on the policies of the parties principals. They
are the real decision makers.
It is very hard to read real intention, but even in the case of good ones
there are always beyond, in terms of consequences, good or bad. Therefore, in
negotiation there is little difference, if any, between what appears to be good
and bad intentions. Both require anticipation, vigilance, and good planning, and
well-studied countermove. A successful negotiators motto is: Prepare, prepare,
prepare.
There is little room to doubt that the GPH-MILF peace process started, on
the part of government, not really to solve the Bangsamoro Problem despite its
billing that it is intended to solve it. However, for the MILF, the intention was
pure and untainted, but it was also fully aware that the process is going to be
long and hard. Therefore, it was more of a tactical move especially on the part of
government to use the pacific undertaking as image-building and to gain time
including strategic advantage over the MILF militarily while the MNLF was put
at the helm of power and groomed to deliver or lose direction as a consequence
of the never-before-experienced complex situation. Any revolutionary movement
which has lost its core values or had none at all in the various transitions or
changes that take place in the course of time will certainly be eaten up by the
system that it sought to replace.
57
Failure to comply with obligations solemnly entered into by the parties

stipulated in agreements is a betrayal of trust and deserves retribution, the least
of which is shaming and blaming. Sometimes, however, this non-compliance
results in the aggrieved partys gain. For instance, the all-out war waged against
the MILF resulted in the elevation of the GPH-MILF peace negotiation from
a domestic undertaking to the diplomatic stage with third party facilitation. The
second all-out war against the MILF in February 2003 paved the way for the
coming in of the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team which monitored
the effective implementation of the GPH-MILF ceasefire agreement. The third
all-out war between the government and the MILF, as a result of the failure of
government to sign the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain in
August 2008, brought about the International Contact Group which is tasked
to exert proper leverage on the party that is remiss in its compliance. I dont
know what happens next after the GPH and MILF signed the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro if one party deliberately refuses or fails to comply
with its obligations. Of course, first, the Exit Agreement, marking the closure of
the peace process, will not be signed and the party at fault will bear all the curses
and condemnations. What will happen next, I do not know; we have to hope
and work for the best. But my experience teaches me that achievement gained
through political means has to be asserted through political means.
Friends or supporters of the peace process naturally develop from among

cause-oriented groups (COGs) than say, politicians and businessmen. But
contrary to their billing, some COGs which are supposed to take a clear stand
on an issue are sometimes taking the wrong side of history. Some adopt an
ambivalent attitude and ultimately show off their true feathers all the way to
uncover the nature of the hands that organized them. Actually there are still
other COGs which are virtually guilty of outright practice of double standard
of morality or justice especially on the issue of the ancestral domain claim of
the indigenous peoples (IPs). When on the other side of the controversy are
Moros, these COGs adopt a very critical approach, as if they are the saviors of
the IPs, but when Christian migrants including mining companies intrude into
the lands of the IPs they turn away. Their lips are sealed.
All individuals, groups, and organizations can be trusted; it all depends on
the level of engagement and the amount of trust invested. However, absolute
trust is a myth even among the closest of friends and groups. This gives way to
58
the adoption of a policy of need to know basis to protect the unnecessary and
unintentional disclosure of information and, without stating, including betrayal
of comrades.
This willingness to trust people and engaging them wholeheartedly is

perhaps the reason why, borrowing the words of my esteemed counterpart in
government, Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer, the MILF is the most organized
revolutionary group in the country today. The top leadership of the MILF
unearths the power of trusting people. Trust begets trust, goodwill, and
cooperation of people. Similarly situated, ones character and attitude are more
appreciated by people rather what one said or wrote.
Alongside trust, truth is also an effective weapon in dealing with the strong
and the powerful. Truth hurts, the Bible says, but it sets you free. The truth is
as hard to tell, as it is to hear, but fairness, consistency, and strength flow from it.
You cant handle the truth! Thats the famous line from A Few Good Men,
a play by Aaron Sorkin produced on Broadway in 1989 and as a movie in 1992.
Thirteen years later, the American Film Institute named this line the twentyninth greatest American film quote of all time.
The MILFs boldness to engage even the most powerful states and
multilateral groupings like the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom,
Australia, and the European Union in the search for real and just peace in
Mindanao is anchored on this. We believe in the ultimate truthfulness and
legitimacy of the Bangsamoro peoples cause and therefore, we are not afraid
to engage anybody, groups or states.
There is also the ever-itching penchant of people in negotiation, usually

the stronger party, to take back whatever is conceded in signed agreements
through various means. The attempt to dilute or water down agreement always
appears enticing to some negotiators. Because of this, the basic lesson in the art
of negotiation that nothing is agreed until it is agreed is not enough guarantee,
as per our experience, that there is full agreement already, so that what we did
is to add the long dash () and signed. Some negotiators hold the view that
all is fair in negotiation, as in love and in war.
Finally, sometimes it is harder to negotiate with your own peer rather than
those sitting on the opposite side of the negotiating table.
Thank you very much, and good morning.
International Conference on
The Consolidation for Peace for
Mindanao (COP6)
2325 June 2014
Hiroshima, Japan
Keynote Address

peaceful morning to us all. Assalamu Alaikum. Ohayou gozaimasu.
First of all, I would like to congratulate and thank the organizers of this
conferencenamely, the Research and Education for Peace of the Universiti
Sains Malaysia (USM) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency
( JICA)for the perseverance and vision that have made possible the holding
of the 6th Consolidation for Peace Program (or COP6). Starting in 2006, the
two partner organizations have managed to organize this gathering of multistakeholders almost every year-and-a-half to look into and accompany the
peace processes in Aceh, Mindanao, and Southern Thailand, with three of the
six conferences, including this current one, focused solely on Mindanao.
To have kept faith with the Mindanao peace process for the last eight
years has certainly required patience and fidelitymaybe the better word is
tenacity?and I must surmise also a good dose of hope and imagination, as
these past years have seen some of the darkest hours of a peace process that,
truth to tell, hardly stayed on track, moving from good to bad sometimes in an
instant, yet somehow recovering ground in ways no one could have foretold.
That we are able to come together on the eighth year for the sixth such
gathering certainly speaks to us and to the world of the power of tenacity and
hope in making peace. And I thank USM and JICA for not letting go and not
giving up, together with the rest of us here and the many others who have been
part of this process and the many more who are joining us and expanding our
ranks everyday.
There are many veterans of the COP process who are with us this morning
may I ask those who have attended every COP from no. 1 to todays no. 6 to stand
up and be acknowledged? Let us give them a big round of applause for being
among the faithful pilgrims for peace. On the other hand, there are some who
are attending the COP for the first time. And the rest of us are COP veterans
in varying degrees. The COP has truly grown to embrace a wide communitya
60
Hiroshima, Japan2325 June 2014
61
large extended family

and this year is a very
special reunion indeed.
OPAPP Sec. Deles (left) and MILF Chair Murad deliver their
keynote addresses on 23 June 2014, at the 6th Consolidation
for Peace for Mindanao (COP6) entitled Post-Agreement
Implementation: Building Capacities for Peace of the Bangsamoro
Stakeholders at the Hiroshima International Convention Center.
COP6 Mindanao was organized by the Research and Education
for Peace Unit of Universiti Sains Malaysia and the Japan
International Cooperation Agency. (Photos by OPAPP)
On my part, this
is only my second
COP and, it turns out,
also my second time
to deliver one of the
Keynote Addresses. I
joined the COP family
only in 2012, for COP5.
When COP1
was held, I had just
left government and
the peace process was
beginning to move into
shaky ground, with
unsteady leadership in
OPAPP and the survival of the Arroyo presidency increasingly under threat.
In 2008, the striking down of the MOA-AD by the Supreme Court ushered in
a period of darkest despair and terror. Fortunately, enough people of goodwill
persevered to produce a Declaration of Continuity for Peace Negotiations
with which the past administration passed a battered peace torch to the Aquino
government.
COP5 was held in January 2012, in Penang, like all the earlier conferences.
The Aquino presidency was midway into its second year and the resumption
of formal peace negotiations was nearing the completion of its first year. And,
oh, what a year 2011 was for the peace process! Formal talks had restarted in
Kuala Lumpur in February, which renewed process, perhaps not so unexpectedly,
encountered difficult re-birthing pains which caused the President to embark
on a short trip that, however, gained gold mileage for the peace process and
firmly lodged Japan in the annals of Philippine peace history, by hosting that
first meeting between the President and Chairman Murad which startled the
world and reenergized the struggling and straggling peace negotiations.
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But it would still be far from easy. In September, with talks held during
Ramadan, the MILF rejected the GPH 3-for-1 proposal, which rejection the
GPH promptly rejected. Hardly had the parties recovered from the setback,
with the decision to go back to a clean slate at the peace table, when the Al
Barka crisis broke out in October. This tragic misencounter could have brought
us back to vicious violence, except that President Aquino firmly said no to allout war and instead sounded the true leaders call for all-out justice. Once we
heard it, we knew it was what the country needed to hear and to accomplish.
And, thus, the peace process crossed safely over to 2012.
Why do I recount the narrative of the peace process in 2011? Because it

helps us to realize better and appreciate more what the peace community has
been able to achieve between COP5 and COP6. When I reviewed the keynote
address I delivered at COP5 in January 2012, I could not but remark on what
a difference two years have made. In January 2012, peace talks were ongoing,
the ceasefire was holding well, the peace architecture was in place and robust.
Nevertheless, there was still so much uncertainty; across the negotiating table,
crossed wires and mixed signals still needed untangling. While trust between the
two parties had been planted, its roots had not yet grown deep into our souls.
Rereading my speech in 2012, I find that I was still very much engaged in
trying to convince people, including some in government, about the seriousness
of the Aquino administration in pursuing a genuine end of armed conflict. I
still felt the need to sell the idea that, despite its many challenges, peace was
possible and within our reach.
And so it is a very good thing, indeed, to be where we are today in our

peace process. It has taken the adoption of Decision Points on Principles, in
April 2012; which served as the foundation of the Framework Agreement on
the Bangsamoro signed in October 2012; thereafter fleshed out in four annexes
and one addendum completed over a fifteen-month period up to January 2014;
now all bound in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, together
with earlier agreements signed by the two parties.
The past two years saw many more heart-stopping moments, with special
days and seasons bringing us gifts of hard-earned consensus: particularly, the
Annex on Power-Sharing during the Ramadan of 2013, the Wealth-Sharing
Annex during Advent later that year, and the Annex on Normalization and
63
Addendum on Bangsamoro Waters on President Corys birthday in January,

this year. Thus, today and in the next two days, the Consolidation for Peace
Program can and will focus on Post-Agreement Implementation, specifically,
on Building Capacities for Peace. This is consolidation for peace on a whole
new plane, with different challenges and unprecedented opportunities.
And it is truly appropriate that we embark on this next stage of the COP
process here in Hiroshima, which is one place where we must shout at the top
of our voices to condemn war. Here we pause to reflect among ourselves and
gain strength, seeking to honor the unspeakable pain that has been wrought
here by war and which continues to claim victims to this day. Here we affirm
that, while war brings pain and destruction, it may also lead to new seasons of
joy and rebirth. We see it here in Hiroshima and, gathering here, we reassert our
claim on hope and new beginnings. Today, we start our gathering in a season of
joy and rebirth because peace is at hand in the Bangsamoro.
In July, when Congress reopens, the President will submit the proposed
Bangsamoro Basic Law for priority enactment. In turn, our legislators, through
the leadership of the House of Representatives and the Senate, have committed
to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law before the year ends, bringing about much
needed political and socioeconomic reforms under a new regional government.
This will be followed by a plebiscite early next year in the areas under the scope
of the law, ensuing a brief transition period until regional elections are held in
May 2016.
As we move to achieve these political milestones, the parties have also begun
to put in place a comprehensive and sustainable normalization process that will,
through a multi-track approach, ensure that the weapons and the forces of the
MILF are put beyond use and communities are transformed from conflict and
despair to hope, productivity, and a chance to rebuild and renew.
We dare to say it is a democratic process striving to burst into full bloom.
From that rare and historic meeting between our President and Chairman
Murad in Narita almost three years ago, we are now at the cusp of an enduring
peace. The Aquino administration, with the help, support, and encouragement
of our CSOs, local governments, other stakeholders and the international
community, shall continue to strengthen the politics of reconciliation and the
ramparts of a permanent peace.
64
Through the Bangsamoro, we shall strive to build an economy of equal

opportunity, where each will enjoy the benefits of good governance, social equity,
and, most of all, the rule of law in a society of cultural and religious diversity.
No one shall be left behind.
We have come to envision the Bangsamoro, with its favored location sharing
our common borders with our neighbors in the south, as the anchor and sanctuary
of common prosperity and collective securityin the Philippines, in Asia,
and across the globe. The partnership between the MILF and the government
continues to blossom into a feast of possibilities that continues to excite our
neighbors in Asia and beyond. The global community is furthermore in awe
and admiration of the strong flank of Filipino women at the forefront of the
Bangsamoro peace process.
Let us strive to identify and address potential problems and loopholes
involving the socioeconomic enablement of the newly minted region, the
formal establishment of its governance structure, and the most crucial process
of normalization. Through this forum, let us identify and strengthen our
preparations in developing the means to build the required capacities that will,
in turn, create legitimate and viable, all-inclusive and lasting peace for Mindanao
and the entire country.
Our work is never-ending but that is what great journeys are all about.
In the end, let me, on behalf of the Philippine government, thank each and
everyone of you here, and the institutions and communities you represent, for
accompanying us on this unique and historic quest for a just and lasting peace.
As we have struggled to overcome every obstacle in the past, let us carry on and
never falter, no matter what problems and challenges lie ahead.
In January 2012, I ended my speech with these words: I know that, in our
hearts, peace has won. I said then: I do believe, and I continue to believe that,
on the peace table are miracles waiting to happen.
Today I say again: Whatever difficulties lie ahead, and we can be sure
there will be many, let us not give up. Today I again say: I believeI persist in
believingthat miracles await to happen in the post-agreement implementation
phase to usher in the Bangsamoros sustained peace and development.
Maraming salamat and good day. Arigatou gozaimasu.
Challenges for the Bangsamoro Future: Post-CAB

o one and all, esteemed partners in building peace in Mindanao. Good

morning; Magandang umaga po; Konnichiwa; Assalamu Alaikum.
Everyone knows that the signing of the CAB on March 27, 2014 was just
the beginning. Like in a graduation ceremony, it marked what one has achieved
after years of hard work. But it also signals the beginning of the next phase in
a graduates life: survival, success in the real world.
The first challenge that we face is the element of time. The real world is
governed by calendars, and the endless ticking of the clock, marking time and
deadlines. We have so many things to do and so little time to put everything
in place:

passage of the basic law;
preparation for the transition from ARMM to the Bangsamoro;
preparation for the plebiscite;
making the peace felt on the ground through quick impact

socioeconomic projects;
putting in place the foundation for a more sustained development

including the transformation of the MILF camps into productive,
civilian communities;
decommissioning of MILF weapons and combatants;
overall demilitarization (through the disbandment of private armed

groups, the redeployment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as
the situation improves, the creation of a civilian, professional police
force for the Bangsamoro); and
transitional justice and reconciliation programs.
All of these we must accomplish by 2016.
65
66
But we cannot panic. We need to do things systematically and decisively.

Sometimes I think if only we had finished the annexes earlier, we would have
more time now. Less talk, more action. But all that is water under the bridge.
The whole government machinery is behind this process. The coming here
of the President tomorrow is the best evidence that this is the case. Our work
has involved working with all the departments and agencies of government,
and other branches as well (Congress and the Supreme Court). This remains a
continuing task. In the beginning we had to convince many people inside the
bureaucracy that this is the right track. Now there is good consensus.
But even with the best intentions, there will be delays. A bureaucracy is a
bureaucracy. Politics is politics. The road is not paved in gold.
My good counterpart, Mr. Mohagher Iqbal, once said that there is no perfect
agreement. I hasten to add: There are no perfect parties to an agreement.
The MILF too will have to confront their organizational challenges. They
will have to bring all their commanders, religious leaders, and mass base on board.
They will have to develop patience and confidence in the process. They will need
to tame the fears that cause paranoia, rumor mongering, and emotional outbursts.
They will need to go beyond their immediate circle of trusted personnel and tap
into the younger, professional pool of Bangsamoro and Bangsamoro supporters
who are willing to help. They will have to guard against the opportunists and
the envious.
In other words, our second challenge is ourselves, the main parties to the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
The third challenge is how to sustain public trust and support. As of now,
there is sufficient support that has carried us through this far. But this is not
enough. There are others who do not want this process to succeed, who continue
to use violence to derail our progress. There are many what ifs, and many
people do not give their full support unless they have all the guarantees. We
tell them that only God can give all the guarantees. But God will help those
who help themselves.
The fourth challenge has always been with us. That is the challenge of
inclusivity. Mindanao, the Bangsamoro, are not monolithic entities. There are
multiple narratives, multiple identities, multiple claimants, and stakeholders.
67
There must be a just share of the benefits for everyone. There must be a just
recognition of the rights and legitimacy of the different stakeholders. Peace
dividends are not spoils of war. There must be an equitable distribution of the
dividends of peace.
Because four is not a lucky number in most oriental societies, I must add a
fifth challenge. And that challenge is how to ensure that the goodwill coming
from the international community, from countries like Japan and agencies like
JICA, is used judiciously and effectively; that the support empowers a broad
base of the women and men in the communities, and not just some; that these
engender autonomy and self-reliance, not dependence.
Time is short and I hope I met the challenge of saying most everything
that has to be said in a few minutes.
In closing let me say how nostalgic I am to be back here in Hiroshima

where I spent a semester in my other life as an academic and attended many
conferences organized by Yoshida Osamu-sensei (who is here with us) of HiPec
at the Hiroshima University in Higashi-Hiroshima.
The spirit of Hiroshima lives.
Thank you very much. Arigatou gozaimasu. Shukran.
(From LR, seated): JICA President Akihiko Tanaka,

OPAPP Sec. Deles, MILF Chair Murad, and Universiti
Sains Malaysia Prof. Kamarulzaman Zam Askandar,
at the COP6 press briefing on 23 June 2016, with JICA
Department of General Affairs Director General Keizo
Takewaka at the podium. (Photo by OPAPP)
OPAPP Sec. Deles and JICA President

Akihiko Tanaka greet each other during
the welcome dinner reception hosted
by JICA for the COP6 participants.
(Photo by OPAPP)
Challenges for the Bangsamoro Future:

Post-Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB):
An MILF Perspective
Mohagher Iqbal
MEMBER, MILF PEACE PANEL
n every post-agreement period, there are always hard challenges ahead. The
case of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), signed
between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) on 27 March 2014, is not an exception. In fact, with
its complex and multi-tiered approach, not so much seen in other conflict
resolution models in other parts of the world, expect the challenges ahead to
be also complex and stunning. The parties should not expect a short haul. This
early, I must confess, we are already feeling the heat.
First and foremost of the hurdles is for the successful implementation of the
CAB: Because the CAB is merely a piece of paper, it will not implement itself.
It takes the intervention of people and their sincerity and decisiveness to make
sure that this agreement will be implemented true to its letter and spirit. Many
a good agreement fails to address a particular problem and halt the conflict,
because in the end, there is that tendency especially of the powerful partner to
dilute the content of the political document like the CAB when the legislated
form takes place. The consequence would be that the other party, usually the
insurgent side, will be forced to swallow the hook, line, and sinker offered to it or
reject it outright. In both scenarios, the conflict will continue to exist, oftentimes
with much more fury, because in the first case, other armed groups, usually the
more radical ones which do not believe in peace negotiation, will condemn
the perceived sell-out and will carry on the struggle. In the second scenario,
rejection of the watered down legislation would be the handiest recourse of the
other party, say the MILF.
But right now I still have that faith with President Benigno Aquino III
that he would not allow the impending full success story of the GPH-MILF
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69
peace process to just be waylaid by circumstances. Real peace in Mindanao is

truly befitting his legacy to the nation at large and the generations yet to come.
Therefore, the possibility of a watered down BBL is perhaps more in the

mind of people rather than what he intends to do, in partnership with Congress.
After all, it was he who said time and again that he will not sign an agreement
that he cannot implement. The MILF is holding on to this commitment of the
President.
However, the fear of people that Congress would pass a weak version of
the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as crafted by the MILF-led Bangsamoro
Transition Commission (BTC) always lingers on. There is no way we can dash
it away. It is like Damocless Sword hanging over us especially over members
of the BTC and the MILF in general. In such a possibility, the post-agreement
scenario does not appear very bright, because a diluted BBL is no better than
no BBL at all and, surely, the MILF will not accept it.
Anent to this is the lingering possibility that the next president sitting in
Malacaang Palace will not pursue the policy of President Benigno Aquino III
of putting to rest the armed conflict in Mindanao. This is not to say, however,
that the MILF negotiation with the government is with the executive branch
of government only. The deal has always been with the Government of the
Philippines (GPH) and whoever is elected as President is duty bound to honor
and implement any agreement entered into and signed by the GPH and, in this
case, the CAB with the MILF.
Be this as it may, experience tells us that every president who came to
power has diverse policy formulations on the conflict. Some merely used it to
buy time; others either resorted to it for image building as peace-makers or to
prove a thesis that the problem in Mindanao can be settled purely by military
means; still others, in the case of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,
had the stigma of sincerity to solve the conflict but seriously lacking in the will
to push it. Instead of saving the peace process, she chose to save her neck by
not signing the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOAAD) in August 2008.
There are other challenges ahead of us, but I am sure the moment a good
BBL comes out of Congress, everything gradually falls into place and becomes
70
easy. This is especially true to the issue of decommissioning of MILF firearms and
forces and putting them beyond use, which the MILF considers as an ultimate
sacrifice for the sake of just settlement of the conflict in Mindanao. The ultimate
interest of the Bangsamoro, which is securing for them a real self-governing
entity, requires an ultimate sacrifice.
The truth is that while decommissioning is not about surrender or destruction
of firearms, which is no-no for the MILF, but just the same, it is about parting
away with something that the MILF and the Bangsamoro people had banked on
effectively in defending their limbs and properties especially during the height
of Martial Law from 1972 to 1986. More importantly, without the military
power of the MILF, its political power is greatly suspect and will be reduced to
a pushover organization.
Other problems such as the disbandment of private armies; creeping in of

feudalism as the direct offshoot of the impending introduction of plantation
economy; drug trafficking and addiction; etcetera, can be handled well with the
growing partnership between the Bangsamoro and the Central Government.
All is well as long as trust and confidence are with the two partners and they
journey together through to the end. InshaAllah, there is nothing to worry!
Thank you very much, and good day!
Multi-sectoral delegates of COP6 happily flash the peace sign at the end of the three-day series
of sessions focused on issues and challenges in building sustainable peace in conflict-stricken
Mindanao. (Photo by JICA)
Speech

ext year, the world will mark seventy years since the terrible power of
nuclear weapons was first unleashedright here in the City of Hiroshima.
The tragedy that took place in this city on 6 August 1945, involved a previously
untested type of uranium bomb and claimed over a hundred thousand lives. It
was followed by the use of a plutonium bomb in Nagasaki on 9 August 1945,
inflicting, again, over a hundred thousand casualties in a city that was actually
a secondary target. Heavy ground haze and smoke obscured the city of Kokura,
the real target, leading to the decision to bomb Nagasaki instead.
A fundamental question arises from this tragedy: What did the peoples of
both Hiroshima and Nagasaki do for them to pay the ultimate price of war? The
tragedy that was the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, seven decades later,
only reminds us the futile results of conflict, and impress upon us the collective
responsibility we hold in defending the rights of our respective peoples to live
not only without fear, but to live in a world where peace is a shared reality by
all nations.
It is therefore fitting that we are gathered in this city consecrated to the
principle of the preservation of peace, to discuss how the combatants of yesterday
can become partners for the avoidance of future conflict. In this regard, I believe
that the Philippines, which also paid a colossal price in lives and material damage
in war, has something significant to share when it comes to setting aside conflict
and achieving reconciliation and harmony.
On the 27th of March of this year, in the garden of Malacaan Palace,
representatives of my government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
forged an agreement that promised an end to more than four decades of strife
in Mindanao, an agreement that opened a new chapter of solidarity in our
nations narrative.
The agreement, which was witnessed by those who had worked with us and
by the international community, was the culmination of the hard work that all
stakeholders and partners put into opening this chapter of peace for Mindanao.
While it is the task of Filipinos to work out peace in the Bangsamoro, the
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72
President Benigno S. Aquino III and other guests at the three-day International Conference on the
Consolidation for Peace for Mindanao (COP6) in Hiroshima, Japan. (From left to right) Professor
Kamarulzaman Askandar (University of Sains Malaysia), Al Haj Murad Ebrahim (MILF Chair),
Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture Hidehiko Yuzaki, Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario (Department of
Foreign Affairs, the Philippines), JICA President Akihiko Tanaka, Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles
(OPAPP), GPH Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer, and MILF Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal.
(Photo by Gil Nartea/Malacaang Photo Bureau)
international community has played a role in supporting this process. Japan is

one of the countries to which we owe our gratitudein fact, it was on these
shores where our journey to peace began on an evening in August of 2011.
With very little notice, Japan opened its doors to me and my Cabinet
members, and to Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, and the members of the
MILF. Japan generously accepted our request to host our meetingadmittedly
a risky move, especially since there was no certainty that negotiations would
succeed.
This meeting happened at a crucial time: Talks with the MILF had reached a
difficult standstill, and I had broached the idea of directly meeting with Chairman
Murad to move the discussions forward. To their credit, they responded in the
affirmative. In hindsight, to us, that was the turning point in our narrative to
secure a just and lasting peace. Trust was established between brothers, and
genuine dialogue was possible.
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As a congressman, I had come to understand that the degree of resentment

in the hearts of the Bangsamoro people was, on a large part, a result of land
grabbing and the opportunism of some of our less scrupulous compatriots.
Taking advantage of the illiteracy of our indigenous peoples who did not know
that their lands had to be registered under their name, these lettered Christians
sought control of the lands our Moro and other indigenous peoples called
home. This in turn led to a struggle of our Moro brothers to reclaim what was
rightfully theirs. Given the many deaths, which were the result of the conflict
that raged and festered for generations, one cannot help but wonder: If a law
had been passed to protect the marginalized, like the Indigenous Peoples
Rights Act (IPRA) we have now, could bloodshed have been avoided? Is it
not right that, as one of my predecessors once said, that those who have less in
life should have more in law? I wondered: With all the hostility and animosity
that once existed between brothers, how could one achieve the trust crucial
in forging an agreement?
As President, these questions continued to preoccupy my mind. This is why
every avenue to build a once-scarce trust was explored the moment we stepped
into office. At one point, I even thought that, if we could allow students from
Mindanao and other parts of the country to come together and learn in a crossenrollment setup, build friendships and strengthen those friendships as they
grew older, then perhaps one day, when those very students hold the reins of
power, trust would not be scarce, and peace would be a possibility.
I have always believed that true leaders embody what is best of their peoples,
and that in turn they would protect the interest of their peoples. Both Chairman
Murad and I thus met, not thinking how to win, or how to give up the least
but, rather, how we could work together, and how we can improve the lot of
our followers, who, after all, are all Filipinos. Both of us understood that the
suffering of our people had to stop, and that any form of violence, neglect, and
misgovernance only fueled the hatred one side had for the other.
I knew this narrative of injustice: My family, after all, was victimized by
a president who abused his power. I fully understood the plight of those who,
like my family, could not find justice within the system. I saw firsthand how
the State, which was there to protect its citizens, served as the very vehicle
for oppression. It was hard to hope; it was hard to believe that meaningful
change could happen. How could democracy and freedom be regained from a
dictator? How could our rights be upheld? After all, history has made it clear:
Oppression is often met with violence, with those at the frontline never seeing
the culmination of their efforts.
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Chairman Murad had also witnessed injustice. Development in Mindanao

was hampered by instability; the lack of opportunities bred discontent, which
fueled further violence, thus instituting a vicious cycle in which so many of his
brothers in the struggle sacrificed their lives.
In the end, atrocities were visited upon all sides. However, those who once
experienced atrocities sit at a table with us today, working with us as we advance
the peace process through dialogue with the modicum of trust established
between us. And while Chairman Murad and I had gained the trust of one
another, the task of hammering out the details in every annex was left to the able
hands of MILF Chief Negotiator, the Honorable Mohagher Iqbal, Professor
Miriam Coronel Ferrer and her predecessornow JusticeMarvic Leonen,
and of course Secretary Ging Deles.
Despite the many challenges in pursuing peace, both Chairman Murad and
I, as well as our followers, knew that we had to put an end to this vicious cycle,
and in turn ignite a virtuous cycle of empowerment and advancement.
This was the context from which we approached that day in August here, in
Japan, almost three years ago. I sometimes wonder: If that meeting did not take
place, where would we be today? Fortunately, that meeting, my first face-to-face
encounter with my brother Chairman Murad, was a breakthrough.
Japans friendship and support were, without doubt, instrumental as we
took those early steps. The goodwill and, eventually, the consensus resulting
from that first encounter with Chairman Murad enabled us to move through
the various stages of our peace process, which culminated in the signing of the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. Thus, I cannot overemphasize
just how much Japan has contributed in nurturing the atmosphere of fairness and
hope that enabled all of us to look towards a future of meaningful opportunities,
especially for those in the Bangsamoro. My people, therefore, will forever be
grateful for such kindness: And I must say, on their behalf, arigatou gozaimasu.
Indeed, the people and government of Japan have stood as a reliable and very
patient companion in our quest for genuine and lasting peace and development
in Mindanao.
This is evident in the support you have provided as a member of the
International Monitoring Team, the International Contact Group, and the
Independent Commission on Policing; in the assistance you have extended in
helping to jumpstart a process of rebuilding and development in Mindanao;
and in the knowledge and resources you have shared with our people through
the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
75
For the Bangsamoro in particular, through the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives

for Reconstruction and Developmentaptly acronymed J-BIRDJICA has
funded projects that have helped restore normalcy, develop the local economy,
and strengthen the foundations of human security and development in affected
communities. Proof of this can be seen in the initiatives you are undertaking
in Mindanao, namely, the Capacity Building for Community Development
in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao, the Study for Socioeconomic
Reconstruction and Development of Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao,
and the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects, which you
continue to extend to communities in need. These are on top of the many other
efforts you have done, and continue to do, in Mindanao and throughout our country.
I am told that, to date, assistance coursed through J-BIRD has reached
around 15.1 billion yen, or 6.6 billion pesos. This will redound not only to
the development of livelihood and industry, but more importantly to the
empowerment of our brothers and sisters in the Bangsamoroallowing them to
take hold of their destinies and bring their families, communities, and ultimately
our nation to greater heights.
All these complement our administrations own resolve to spur growth and
inclusiveness in Mindanao. Through our Sajahatra Bangsamoro program, we have
extended the coverage of health care to MILF communities, and implemented
the Cash-for-Work program to help them transition towards becoming even
more productive members of society. Our goala goal I believe you shareis
to ignite a virtuous cycle of empowerment and growth, a cycle that takes root
in the stability and security borne of a just and lasting peace. This is a vision we
share for Moros, Christians, and Lumads alike.
The contributions of Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Norway, Libya, the
United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Canada, Australia, the United States,
New Zealand, Sweden, the European Union, and the many other nations,
international organizations, and agencies who have worked with us are truly
invaluable. This critical juncture in our journey now only highlights the fact
that the pursuit of peace, challenging as it may be at times, can and must be an
undertaking filled with optimism.
This much is true, especially when reason and a determined mindset to
espouse harmony prevail between parties: Peace becomes all the more possible
when those at the table work towards building a condition where the rights
of each oneregardless of history or beliefare recognized and upheld, and
where the rule of law and justice are not merely lip-service but the compass
that guides all our endeavors. Indeed, when we do right by those we have sworn
76
to serve, we can ensure our equitable advancement. And because our peace is
based on justice, it is a peace that will last; and it will serve as a firm foundation
for development and security.
I believe this is the very essence of all our efforts and of our gathering today:
It is by working together to boost the capacities of the people of the Bangsamoro
that we can truly enable them to succeed, and show them that peace, stability, and
harmonywhether in Mindanao or in the wider international environment
are both possible and sustainable. This can be done if we can harness trust and
friendship towards a reasonable, mutually beneficial consensus.
I believe that all of us here today are bound by this hope. This is why my
administration will work doubly hard to ensure that free, peaceful, and democratic
elections for the Bangsamoro government will take place come 2016. This is why
our government will continue to take on programs and implement projects that
will empower more Filipinos to contribute to the growth of our nation. This is
why, even in the face of immense challenge and difficulty, the Filipino people
will continue to tread the straight and righteous path to progressbecause we
know that true, inclusive growth affects individuals, communities, nations, and
the entire world. It is with this commitment that we will continue to work with
all partners of goodwill.
For the longest time, my brothers and sisters in the Bangsamoro have
sought to live dignified, productive, and peaceful lives. Today, this vision is
within reachnot only for them, but for all of us. It is a vision that motivates
all of us to finish the journey we had taken. Through our sustained solidarity, I
am confident we can and will fulfill the promise of peacea promise that will
illuminate not only our own path, but also that of generations to come.
I would like to add that if solidarity among Filipinos and with other nations
of goodwill, like Japan, like Malaysia, and others, can bring about peace, then
it is incumbent on all nations to look at our regional circumstances and ask of
themselves if conflict should be considered inevitable. While it is undeniable
that tensions do exist in our part of the world, and that it can even be said that
we have entered into an era of brinksmanship, all of us have it in ourselves not
to be prisoners of our past.
Should we not strive, instead, to firmly learn from the pastand by so doing,
unchain ourselves from the inflexibility and unilateral attitudes that caused so
much conflict within living memory? If lives were needlessly sacrificed to achieve
power and prestige, is it not our obligation not only to the present and future
generations, but to millions of innocent dead cut down by conflict, to firmly
insist that losing any life is a price none of us can afford to pay?
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President Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his speech at the Consolidation for Peace for Mindanao
(COP6) held at the Sheraton Hiroshima Hotel on June 24. The international conference
focused on key issues in the Mindanao peace process including socioeconomic development,
institutionalization of the Bangsamoro Government, and developments on the normalization
process for MILF combatants. (Photo by Gil Nartea/Malacaang Photo Bureau)
In the face of rising tensions in our region, our shared future lies in the
appreciation of three basic truths. First, that there has to be a right and wrong;
second, that we have to champion what is right; and third, most crucially of
all: that in championing what is right, we are always conscious that conflict is
not the necessary course. Principle is no obstacle to peace; but war annihilates
everythingincluding principle. I ask you, and all peoples of goodwill, to take
a similar path of dialogue and negotiation to achieve mutual understanding,
justice, and prosperity.
Whenever it seems that the path to peace is filled with so many obstacles,
when our spirits are tested and our faith in the processes are shaken, those of
us who are in a position to make decisions must remember what happened
here in Hiroshima, and in Nagasaki, and in the many places that have faced
and are now experiencing conflict: If we falter, it is the innocent who will pay
the ultimate price.
Thank you and good day.
Concluding Remarks
Former Sec. Senen C. Bacani

MEMBER, GPH PEACE PANEL
omprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. Post-agreement

implementation. Three days of speeches, presentations, and discussion.
As our esteemed colleague Mohagher Iqbal always reminds us: Agreements
by themselves are not self-executing. Neither are speeches, presentations, or
discussion.
A common problem in post-agreement governance is the lack of proper
preparation and planning on the part of rebels-in-transition. Certainly, this is
not the case we have today and this conference definitely goes a long way in
pointing out the possible pitfalls to avoid and helping all of us at the same time
to focus on what are most relevant in the implementation phases of the CAB.
Even properly laid out plans, however, can be waylaid along the way. There
will be bumps and obstacles which may distract us. But we need not be. We
need to continually focus on the endgamethe correction of historical injustice
and the upliftment of the quality of our life of our peoplealmost two million
people living in poverty and many, many more who need our help. It is our
personal and collective responsibility to help them. Our people expect no less.
That is our key challengehow to make the ordinary man or woman on the
street see and feel that there is hope, that there will be a change for the better.
That it is no longer business as usual.
Kailangang makita nila at maramdaman nila na may pagbabago.
For this to happen, the key is good governance and leadership by example.
Governance that is inclusive, governance that is participatory, governance that
is transparent, and governance that is accountable to the people.
Managing change is never easy; The tasks of implementation can be daunting
but we should never get daunted. Together we shall overcome, InshaAllah.
Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat, and may God bless all of us in our
collective journey towards a just and lasting peace.
78
COP6 Side Event:

Womens New Role in
Peace Building
24 June 2014
Hiroshima, Japan
The Meaningful Political Participation of

Women in the GPH-MILF Process

n the signed agreement between the government and the MILF, we have
listed several rights that we consider most important and must therefore
be guaranteed in the negotiations and in the future Bangsamoro government.
One of these rights is the right of women to meaningful political
participation and freedom from all forms of violence. I would like to focus on
the aspect of political participation. Why the emphasis on the political?
In the Philippines, including among the Moros and other indigenous
peoples, women already play important social and economic roles. They dominate
the schools. They are both buyers and sellers in the marketplace. Over the decades,
more and more women have worked overseas to sustain their families. As a rule,
they do most if not all of the household chores while also helping out in the farm.
It is in the arena of politics that they have been less visible. Yet it is politics
that makes decisions on our everyday lives. It is in politics that one gets
known beyond ones neighbors and clan. It is politics that charts the future of
communities, children, country, and the world.
Those in politics make the decisions. They decide whether an army goes to
war or bids for peace; to respect the ceasefire and allow the displaced to return
to their communities, or not; to make and unmake or modify recommendations;
to sign or not to sign a peace agreement.
If politics is so important, why are women often left out of it? If negotiating
peace is so important, why should there not be more women on the table? If
sustaining the peace is crucial, why shouldnt women become actively involved
in building peace on the ground?
The peace negotiation between the government and the MILF provides an
interesting story of how women increasingly became important participants in
the formal process or what we call Track 1 Peace Building, which takes place at
the highest level of the state. It is also a developing story on how active political
participation is cascading down to the grassroots.
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81
It can be said that as the talks progressed, so did the awareness on the part
of everyonegovernment, the MILF, domestic and international civil society
organizationsof the need to consciously bring in more women to meaningfully
participate in peace-building.
The talks under President Benigno Aquino III began with only one woman
in both government and MILF panelsmyself, a senior member next to the
chair. Afterwards, the government added one another woman who comes from
the affected region. She is Yasmin Busran Lao, who now heads the National
Commission on Muslim Filipinos. From one, we became two female negotiators.
We were joined by many other women in the government secretariat, the legal
team, and later the technical working groups.
On the other hand, the MILF delegation at the talks held in Kuala Lumpur
used to be all-male. We understood it was hard for the MILF to reconstitute its
panel, whose members came from the different Moro ethnic groups.
So how did it become possible that more women eventually joined the
MILF delegation?
By creating more spaces, and putting more seats inside the negotiating
room, the MILF was able to remedy the situation. The agreement to bring in
consultants allowed lawyer Raissa Jajurie to join the MILF delegation, sometimes
alone, eventually with one or two other women. Raissa became a regular fixture
in the talks when she was invited to the MILFs Technical Working Group, and
later as the sole woman-nominee of the MILF to the Bangsamoro Transition
Commission.
Over time, the MILF also loosened up their restrictions on the women
who joined their delegation. Previously, as is demanded traditionally by Islamic
custom, the lone woman had to be accompanied by a male relative when traveling.
Afterwards, when other women joined the meetings in Kuala Lumpur, the more
practical arrangement of the women as co-protector of each other became the
norm. Raissa no longer had to convince her father or her brother to travel with
her to Kuala Lumpur.
Several more women came to the talks as domestic observers. Another
woman came when Conciliation Resources, an organization that sits in the
International Contact Group or ICG, invited Emma Leslie (as an alternate) to
represent the organization. The ICG is made up of Japan, the United Kingdom,
Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, Conciliation Resources, the Centre for Humanitarian
Dialogue, Muhammadiyah (an Indonesian organization), and the Community
of SantEdigio. All their representatives were men, except for Emma.
82
COP6 Side Event
When the first government chair was appointed to the Supreme Court in
November 2012, I was considered to replace him as the chair of the government
negotiating panel.
President Aquino was initially concerned about having a woman chair the
panel, not because he doubted womens capability. After all, his mother was the
leading figure of the people power revolution that ousted the Marcos dictatorship
in 1986. She was also the first-ever woman President of the Philippines.
President Aquino was concerned about how ready the other sidean Islamic
organizationwas in having to negotiate with a woman-chairperson. Indeed
the MILF said, they were not used to negotiating with a woman. For one thing,
supposedly, in their culture, they dont quarrel with women.
To the MILFs credit, they gave it a try. They said they will respect any
negotiator regardless of gender and ethnicity. They quarrelled with me too, and by
now they are used to me and all the other women as partners in the negotiations.
In all, as consultants, observers, members of the ICG and technical working
groups, and chairs, we saw the number of women grow inside the negotiating
room and, currently, in the various mechanisms that we are creating for the
implementation of the agreement.
The process of bringing in more women has been slow, but it has become
irreversible.
The women in the negotiation did not represent any womens organization.
As such it was very important for us to link up with the womens groups. The
womens networks outside of the talks expected us to carry through the gender
agenda. They did their own networking with Moro women and organizations
so that together they can bring the issues of women to the talks.
All-women organizations and networks remain important vehicles for
womens empowerment. With men around, many women tend to take the
backseat. But among themselves, they are able to develop their leadership. This
leadership is evident in the family with an absentee father/husband, and in the
evacuation centers where the women and children take shelter.
All-women settings are the staging ground for future leadership in the
community-at-large of men, women, etc. They are avenues where women are
able to prove their capabilities and earn the respect of the men.
It is important at this stage of empowering women to ensure that women be
included in all the undertakings, from training to planning and implementation
83
of various activities. At the same time, there must be special programs and
activities for women specifically, across the different ethnic groups, political
organizations, and classes to make sure that more women are given the chance. In
this manner, they also serve as bridges to the other cleavages that divide society.
Women themselves must believe in the art of the possible. Sometimes we
are resigned to the way things are. But through discussion and learning from
each other, we can believe that change is possible.
For example, a pre-test of womens attitudes in several parts of Mindanao

conducted by a womens network called the Women Engaged in Action on UN
Resolution 1325, or WE Act 1325, showed that before going through a training,
most women believed that it was not possible to control the proliferation of
firearms and to disband the private armed groups of politicians. They agreed
that many violent incidents that women experienced as individuals or groups
involved the use of guns. But they did not see how the proliferation of guns
could be stopped. Many among the women also believed that they should not
participate in peace, security, human rights and governance work.
But after going through the training and discussion on the peace agreements
and the various activities being done, they expressed optimism that things can
still change for the better, especially if they help out. They also identified possible
roles for themselves.
According to them, they can encourage the decommissioning of weapons

and combatants, and the acceptance of stricter regulation of firearms. They can
serve as monitors in the enforcement of regulation and the commitments under
the Annex on Normalization signed by the government and the MILF.
They can take part in the future police force for the Bangsamoro. They
expressed their desire to enhance their capabilities as mediators in community
conflicts, and to develop knowledge and skills in early warning and early response
in order to prevent conflict. Some of them are thinking about the benefit of a
womens political party that can run in elections and have a seat in the future
Bangamoro assembly.
These are just some of the ways that women are defining for themselves
what meaningful political participation could mean.
Theres still a long way to go, but the journey has begun.
Transmittal of the
Proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law
to Congress
10 September 2014
Talumpati

oong magsimula po ang ating termino, ang sinabi natin sa ating mga
kababayan: Puwede na muling mangarap. At ngayong araw nga po,
pinatutunayan natin: Hindi lang tayo nangangarap; tinutupad na natin ang
ating mga mithiin. Isang malaking hakbang na naman ang nagawa natin
patungo sa isang mas mapayapa at mas maunlad na Mindanao. Sa pamamagitan
nitong panukalang Bangsamoro Basic Law, nabibigyan natin ng hugis ang
pagsasakatuparan ng mga prinsipyong nakapaloob sa ating Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
Noon nga pong nakaraang SONA, humingi ako ng pang unawa sa ating
Kongreso ukol sa batas na ito. Kinailangan po natin ng sapat na panahon upang
mahimay ang bawat probisyon ng ating panukalang batas. Mahaba at mabusisi
po ang prosesong ito dahil nga inilatag natin ang bawat detalye ng pagpapatupad
ng ating adhikain para sa Bangsamoro. Tinitiyak ko po sa inyo: Pinanday ang
Bangsamoro Basic Law upang maging makatwiran, makatarungan, at katanggaptanggap sa lahat, Moro man, Lumad, o Kristiyano.
Nagpapasalamat ako sa pakikiisa ng mga pinuno at kasapi ng MILF, sa
pangunguna nina Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim at Mohagher Iqbal,
ng ating masisipag at magigiting na peace panel sa pangunguna naman nina
Secretary Ging Deles at Chairman Miriam Coronel Ferrer, gayundin sa atin
pong Bangsamoro Transition Commission, stakeholders, mga miyembro ng
Gabinete, at sa ating mga katuwang sa ibang bansa, upang tuluyang mailimbag
sa kasaysayan ang bagong kabanata ng kapayapaan at pagkakaisa sa bansa.
Tiwala ang nagdala sa atin dito. Sa kabuuan ng negosasyon, nakita
kong talaga namang desididong makarating sa isang kasunduan ang bawat
panig. Napatunayan po natin: Sa panahong hindi natin iniisip kung paano
makakapanlamang, narating natin ang isang sitwasyon kung saan lahat ay panalo.
Ngayong mayroon na tayong panukalang batas, matibay ang aking pananalig
na sang-ayon ito sa ating Saligang Batas; na matapat ito sa mga prinsipyo ng
ating Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro; na sinasalamin nito ang
ating kolektibong pagsisikap tungo sa pag-unlad na walang naiiwan.
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86
Sa atin naman pong Kongreso: Nauunawaan namin na kailangan ninyong

suriin nang mabuti ang panukalang batas na ito. Ang hiling lang namin, maipasa
po sana ito sa lalong madaling panahon. Sa ganitong paraan po, mabibigyan
natin ng sapat na oras ang ating mga kapatid na makapaghanda, at tuluyang
mapalago ang ipinunla nating pagbabago sa pamamahala sa Bangsamoro.
Sa aking mga Boss: Ngayong naibigay na natin ang kopya ng panukalang
batas sa Kongreso, huwag po sana nating isipin na sa mga mambabatas lamang
nakasalalay ang pag-usad ng inisyatibang ito. Ang totoo, bawat isa sa atin
ay may mahalagang papel na ginagampanan upang makamit ang tunay na
transpormasyon sa lipunan.
Di po bat kapatid ang tawag natin sa ating mga kababayan sa Muslim
Mindanao? Sa isang tipikal na pamilyang Pilipino, ni minsan, narinig ba natin
mula sa ating mga magulang na pinayuhan tayo at sinabihang, Sige, lamangan
mo ang kapatid mo? Bilang ama ng bayan, tungkulin ko pong manguna sa
pangangalaga sa kapakanan ng bansa, at itaguyod ang isang patas at makatwirang
lipunan. Ngayon po, ito ang pakiusap ko: Tulungan natin ang mga kapatid nating
Pilipino. Maliwanag naman pong napag-iwanan ang ARMM sa pag-unlad.
Kaya naman gusto nating bigyan ng pantay na pagkakataon ang lahat, lalonglalo na ang mga nasa laylayan, upang mabigyan sila ng kakayahang makiambag
sa pag-angat ng bansa. Ang sabi ko nga po: Dapat may boost up, para naman
maka-catch up ang mas nangangailangan.
Sa ating mga kababayan sa Luzon at Visayas, maging malinaw po sana:
Hindi magiging kumpleto ang pagbabago kung hindi ito magsisimula sa ating
mga isip at puso. Tanggapin natin nang buong-buo ang ating mga kababayang
Muslim. Irespeto natin ang paniniwala at paraan ng pamumuhay ng ating
mga katutubo. Imbes na sumakay sa mga nagpapakalat ng negatibong balita at
paniniwala tungkol sa Katimugan, gamitin natin ang ating talino at panahon
upang lubos na maunawaan ang kasaysayan, kultura at karanasan ng mga kapwa
rin natin Pilipino. Sa pamamagitan nito, madidiskubre nating kapareho din
natin sila: Nangangarap na mapagtapos ng pag-aaral ang kanilang anak, gustong
mamuhay nang walang takot at pangamba, nagnanais na maging matagumpay
sa itinataguyod nilang larangan. Malinaw po: Ngayon, higit kailanman,
namamayani na ang tiwala natin sa isat isa. Kailangan po nating pagtibayin ang
tiwalang ito, sa pagsuporta sa agarang pagsasabatas ng Bangsamoro Basic Law.
Huwag [na nating hayaan] ang pagkakataong magbigay ng panibagong bukas
sa Lupang Pangako; hinihimok ko kayong makiambag tungo sa katuparan nito.
Kapag naipasa na po ng Kongreso ang Bangsamoro Basic Law, ang susunod
na hakbang para sa atin ay isang plebesito para sa mamamayan ng Bangsamoro.
Malacaan Palace, Manila10 September 2014
87
Ang panawagan ko po sa ating mga kapatid na boboto: Pag-aralan ninyo

sana nang mabuti ang mga nailatag na probisyon. Ang inyong pag-unawa at
pakikilahok ang magiging pananggalang ninyo sa mga nagpapakalat ng agamagam sa ating agenda ng pangmatagalang kapayapaan. Ito rin ang magbibigay sa
inyo ng higit na kakayahang makibahagi sa transisyon patungo sa isang matatag
na pamahalaang Bangsamoro pagdating ng 2016.
Doon naman po sa ilang nag-aalala kung magtatagumpay ba ang inisyatibang
ito, ang sa akin po: Ngayong nagkakapit-bisig na ang di-hamak na mas maraming
PilipinoMoro man, Lumad, o Kristiyanongayon pa ba tayo magdududa sa
isat isa? Ngayon pa ba tayo matatakot sa pagbabago? Di man natin hawak ang
hinaharap, buo po ang loob ko, at natitiyak ko, maging ang mga kasamahan
natin ngayon ditoang wagas na tiwala at pagkapit sa pag-asa ang maghahatid
sa atin sa katuparan ng ating mga pangarap.
Sa Sabado ng gabi po ay bibiyahe ako patungong Europa. Kasama po
ang panukalang Bangsamoro Basic Law at ang mga narating natin sa usaping
Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his message during the turnover of the proposed BBL in a
formal ceremony witnessed by government executives, local government officials, legislators,
and members of Peace Panels and the Bangsamoro Transition Commission at the Rizal Hall of
Malacaang Palace. (Photo by Malacaang Photo Bureau)
88
Bangsamoro Transition Commission Chair Mohagher Iqbal formally turns over the draft Bangsamoro
Basic Law (BBL) to House Speaker Feliciano R. Belmonte and Senate President Franklin Drilon
while Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III, OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles and Executive Secretary
Paquito Ochoa Jr. look on. (Photo by Malacaang Photo Bureau)
pangkapayapaan sa mga ipagmamalaki ko sa mga pinuno at mga kababayan

natin sa Spain, Belgium, France, at Germany. Ikukuwento ko sa kanila kung
paanong sa pamamagitan ng pagtitiwala at pagtutulungan ay nakarating tayo sa
kinalalagyan natin ngayon. Ibabahagi ko sa kanila na bagamat hindi pa ganap
ang ating tagumpay, buo ang ating loob na magpapatuloy ang ating pagsisikap
tungo sa isang mas maunlad at mas mapayapang Pilipinas.
Malinaw po: Nabigyan tayo ng pambihirang pagkakataon upang
mapatunayan, hindi lamang sa ating mga sarili kundi sa mundo, na kaya nating
makamit ang dating ipinapalagay na imposible. Nang malagay tayo sa isang
sangandaan, pinili nating gawin ang makatwiran, at ngayon nga ay abot-tanaw
na natin ang pangmatagalang kapayapaan at malawakang kaunlaran. Ipagpatuloy
po natin ang pagkakapit-bisig upang maipamana natin sa mga susunod na
henerasyon ang isang Pilipinas na malaya sa hidwaan, tuloy-tuloy ang kaunlaran,
at hinahangaan sa ibat ibang panig ng daigdig.
Magandang araw po. Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat.
Launch of the Transitional

Justice and Reconciliation
Commission
11 October 2014
Makati Shangri-La, Makati City
Speech
Miriam Coronel Ferrer

lease join me in welcoming the latest addition to our big family, the
Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission or TJRC.
The CAB did not provide the TJRC with specific parameters. The mandates
given to the TJRC are broad. They appear simple, but they are not. They revolve
around three key phrases: legitimate grievances, historical injustice, and human
rights violations.
The Terms of Reference (TOR) of the TJRC highlighted another phrase:

reconciliation and healing.
That we did not spell out the parameters, programs, and frameworks
ourselves in the agreements reflect one problem-solving approach that we have
used effectively in our negotiations: that is, when we dont have the answers, we
provide the process.
That process is precisely to create the TJRC. And the TJRC itself will
undertake the inclusive process that would involve various groups and individuals
and draw the answers from the peoples perceptions and interpretations, needs
and desires.
The outcome, therefore, would not only belong to the GPH and the
MILF nor to the members of the Commissionneither from or by the two
parties and the third party experts here with us. They must reflect how the
people themselves understand TJR, and how the people see these happening
or realized.
In Cotabato, I shared my own thoughts on this undertaking by musing about

these three big words: Transitional, Justice, and Reconciliation. For those who
were in Cotabato, please bear with me as I repeat here most of what I said last
4 October, at the first public event of the TJRC. But I did add other points, so
you might want to spot the difference.
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Makati Shangri-La, Makati City11 October 2014
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TJRC Chair M Bleeker, Special Envoy and Head of the Task Force on Dealing with the Past and the
Prevention of Atrocities (TF DwPA) of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, explains the
Commissions mandate and conceptual approach in a public event held at Alnor Hotel in Cotabato
City on 4 October 2014. (Photo by OPAPP)
Transitional
The transitional in TJ is not about abrupt starts and ends. Transitional
doesnt mean transitory, temporary or a mere passing of time. Transitional here
may be thought of us something that connects or provides the link. It connects
the historical past and links that past to the transforming present that would
usher in the new, shared future.
That transforming moment, for our Moro brothers and sisters, the different
communities in Mindanao and the rest of the country, is now. The moment
for a future of just peace is now. The moment for change, reform, and new
opportunities is now. It is upon uslet us not lose it.
This transition is the link between the historical past and the future-thatis-yet-to-be-made. We need to deal with the past that brought us our wars,
generated the distrust, and kept us apart from each other as communities and
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peoples. Only in doing so can we bring everyone closer to the shared, desired
future.
Justice
Justice is an everyday word, a household name. Everybody wants to believe
they are on the side of justice. Justice, wed like to think, founds many of our
perceptions and our actions. It rears its head in the most ordinary moment but
it looms large in times of momentous change.
In one of the hotels where the GPH panel often stays when in Kuala
Lumpur, a sign at the elevator says, Durian and mangosteen are not allowed
inside the rooms. Most everyone who saw this commented, Why also
mangosteen? Durian, okay, but mangosteen too? It didnt seem just. It offended
our ordinary sense of justice.
Justice for Aquino! Justice for all! or JAJA was the rallying call that brought
masses of people out on the streets after Ninoy Aquino was assassinated in 1983.
In three years time, the movement for justice against the abuses of the Marcos
regime, including the rigging of the 1986 snap election, was vindicated. Justice
was a principle that loomed large in the upheaval against the Marcos government.
Justice is political and personal. It can mean many different ways in different
times in different contexts to different people. When its there, they see it. They
affirm it.
But what is this justice that people see and seem to know? Or, the opposite,
what is this injustice that people feel and reject? Injustice as it is happening
seems more easily felt as a negative force, while the positive force that is justice
may be more amorphous. It may simply mean a general sense of well-being. Or
a certain act that eases the pain or erases the anger.
What about injustices of the distant past or what have been referred to
as historical injustice? How does one untangle complex histories, claims, and
grievances? Where does one begin and end?
Unraveling historical injustice would not be achieved using black-and-white
lenses or simplified dichotomies of friend-enemy, victim-oppressor, especially in
wars where effectively all suffered lossesalthough it is true, that some suffered
more, and some types of injustices were worse than others.
This is specially so in the case of the Bangsamoro Question. The case has
been made against calling the matter on hand as the Bangsamoro Problem. Our
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Moro friends have counteredwe are not the problem; you are. Therefore it
must be called the Philippine problem. But the problem as we know did not
start only with the Philippine government but rather during colonial times.
Weve been through three major colonial experiencesunder Spain,

America, and Japan. The major fundamental social changes began under the
American colonial regime in the beginning of the twentieth century. This
was when demographic shift and changes in the property relations and the
governance system produced the structural changes. When the Americans and
Japanese left, that was when the war came between us who were put in this shell
called the Republic of the Philippines.
A colonial legacy aggravated by decades of one-man rule, resulting in
inequities between the center and the periphery. An unfinished business of
nation-building and state-building hounded by biases and prejudices between
majority and minority populations. This is the centuries-old context on which
we are now building a TJR program. And this bare narrative does not even do
justice to all the dimensions of the question. It unduly privileged some facts, at
the expense of others.
Reconciliation
Re + conciliation.
To bring back that was set apart. To restore. To bring together again and
find a synthesis in the contradictions that existed. The assumption being that,
in the beginning, we, our neighbors, and our ancestors and their ancestors
including their spouses and descendants, were not born enemies of each other.
Rather, along the way, things happened that drew us apart, eroded the trust, and
generated the fear, anger, and hate.
To re-concile means finding our groove again.
Like keys that unlock doors, there are many different grooves to those
emancipatory keys. No one key fits all. But with the right keys, something kept
closed is opened up. The rooms connect again. The fear to move from one room
to another is removed. Theres that feeling of well-being, and it feels good.
Without reconciliationwith the other, with ones selfwe will continue
to live with resentment and distrust of the other.
For most parts, human rights advocacy in the Philippines operated in the
mode of expose and opposean uncompromising stance to overthrow the whole
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system, without distinction.

Many advocates missed that
missing ingredient that is
reconciliation, which can only
be achieved through dialogue,
or a dialogical process.
That dialogue can happen
at different levels. Between/
among individuals or groups.
Between the state and civil
society. Among state and
GPH Panel Chair Ferrer speaks before participants and
civil society organization
guests from the government, civil society, development
themselves. W ithin and
partners, and media, enthusiastic to learn more about
among families. Between
the transitional justice component of the CAB during the
you and your God.
public event held by TJRC in Cotabato City on 4 October.
(Photo by OPAPP)
Reconciliation in this
sense may best be understood
as a how, rather than a what. Because like justice, reconciliation can mean or
feel differently from one group or person to another.
To the TJRC:
In your work, you will encounter many stories and several strands to a
single story. You will find several competing dominant and much, much more
marginalized narratives that have merely begun to be heard.
Your biggest challenge is how to produce an inclusive synthesis of all these
stories. How to ensure that they would all be inside the frame that you would
use. Moreover, that frame must set people free to find their own happy ending.
We would be presumptuous to think that the only TJR that will happen is that
which will fall under the rubric of this process or the programs that will follow.
Many people have taken the step forward to heal the wounds way before
we were here. We should ask them how they helped to heal themselves, from
where they drew their strength, what insights they can share to othersthese
would be the most valuable input because they are already lived experience.
The work of the TJRC and its outcome must set off a process that does
not control, formalize, bureaucratize, nor narrow down the avenues, but rather
generates, in addition to the states, people-driven initiatives to do TJR. As
it generates the public discourse on TJR, it must also inspire more and more
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The TJRC is joined by various stakeholders, including the GPH and MILF Peace Panel Chairs and
representatives from the government agencies, LGUs, local and international nonprofits, multilateral
agencies, academe, and media, during the Commissions public event at Makati Shangri-la on 11
October 2016. (Photo by TJRC)
individual acts of justice and reconciliation at a time and in ways deemed right
by the individuals concerned.
This TJRCs potentially greatest contribution would not only be in filling
the institutional gaps but in pointing to how we can effectively replace the T
(transitional) in the J and R with an S for sustainable, or SJR.
If the TJR is to become sustainable, our efforts must eventually transform
social, economic, political, and personal relationships.
Our efforts must produce the needed state policies and institutions that
would be responsive.
Our efforts must make us more human, with faith and trust in the humanity
that is in each one of us. Only this shared sense of humanity will unite us whatever
identity we self-ascribe to or are other-ascribed.
Our initiatives must produce a norm-change. Change the hate to love. Move
from distrust to trust. Shift from monologue to dialogue. Entrench the sense of
personal and collective accountability, and strengthen the desire to build peace.
Nobody said it would be easy.
Rest assured that this panel, this government, this administration, share these
goals and will work with you and the other stakeholders cooperatively and proactively.
InshaAllah, all the goodwill shall prevail.
Speech
Mohagher Iqbal
ust exactly a week ago, we found ourselves gathered at Cotabato City to

have the first public event of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation
Commission.
Now, from the countryside of the Bangsamoro, we are now in the heart of
the Philippines financial district here in Makati.
What a contrast, indeed. And if I may say so, the physical transformation is
a fitting analogy to what we desire for in the process of transitional justice that
has formally commenced in Kuala Lumpur last 27 to 29 September.
Transforming the lives of Bangsamoro, settlers, and indigenous peoples

is a simple way of describing transitional justice. It is not so much as physical
transformationalthough that is desirablebut healing the wounds of the
past so that trauma can be transformed into a remedy, loss into restoration,
violation into justice, and each man and woman can have peace within himself,
with others, and with his creator.
We are very much aware that achieving accountability, serving justice, and
attaining restoration would be a long, tedious process for all. But somewhere,
somehow, we have to do the first steps in confronting our past in the hope of
transforming our lives in the present and in the future.
Admittedly, the issue of transitional justice has been engendered by the
Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro. More particularly in the section
on normalization, item number 12, it is stated there that, The parties agree to
work out a program for transitional justice to address the legitimate grievances
of the Bangsamoro people, correct historical injustices, and address human
rights violations.
Conceptually, this may be novel to most of us in the Bangsamoro. The idea
of justice that we are most familiar with is the existing legal framework and
what is usually labeled as traditional justice system. But as long experiences have
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amply demonstrated,
sometimes the
prevailing justice system
itself is the very source
of grave inequities and
tool for repression and
oppression. In fact, the
legitimate grievances of
our people are hardly
addressed by the
existing laws. Thus, we
have to look for other
paradigms.
For communities MILF Chair Iqbal addresses participants and guests during
like ours which are trying the TJRC public event in Cotabato City on October 4. Seated
to emerge from conflict behind him are the members of the TJRC: MILF designate Atty.
Ishak Mastura (leftmost), TJRC Chair M Bleeker (3rd from left),
s i t u a t i o n s f r o m GPH designate Atty. Cecilia-Damary (5th from left); TJRC Senior
abnormal conditions to Adviser Mr. Jonathan Sisson (seated, rightmost); as well as Swiss
normalized oneswe Ambassador Ivo Sieber (second from left) and GPH Peace Panel
Chair Miriam Coronel Ferrer (seated, center). (Photo by TJRC)
have to ensure that both
judicial and nonjudicial
measures are effected to give true justice to victims of state-sponsored, stateabetted, or state-consented violence and, equally important, to guarantee that
no repetition of such violence by state apparatuses would be repeated.
This is where, I believe, transitional justice becomes applicable to our present

situation. This is our overarching theme in our attempt to give justice to victims
of human rights violations, to the rectification of massive land grabbing policies
and practices, and the eventual vanishing of discrimination, to cite just some
specific concerns.
I am personally aware of the numerous and heavy tasks that lie ahead of the
Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission. I already congratulate the
Chairperson and the members for moving at an unusual speed.
Again, I wish you more luck as you now attend to the work of the
Commission.
Thank you.
Philippine Chamber of Commerce

and Industry, The Asia foundation
and Australian Aid Forum on the
Bangsamoro Basic Law
21 October 2014
Manila Hotel, Manila
Speech
Former Sec. Senen Bacani

MEMBER, GPH PEACE PANEL
he effective implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the

Bangsamoro (CAB) holds a lot of promise for the inclusive development of
the Bangsamoro region, which has the highest poverty incidence in the country.
Although the national government is mainly accountable for the normalization
process wherein communities can achieve their desired quality of life, it cannot
do it alone. It needs the engagement of all sectors of society, including the
private sector most especially in terms of creating sustainable employment
and livelihood opportunities for the people living in the Bangsamoro. In most
post-conflict situations in the world, it normally takes about ten years for the
private sector to make substantial investments in the formerly conflict-ridden
areas. There is a natural tendency to wait until the peace and order situation
stabilizes. It is our fervent hope that it would not take this long for this to
happen in the Bangsamoro.
There are a number of opportunities waiting to be explored and developed.

Those who have come in earlier may have the first mover advantage as some
companies have experienced in the past. There have been a lot of published studies
of these investment opportunities after considering the regions natural resources
as well as its favorable agro-climatic environment. To cite a few, the region is
ripe for investments in plantation agriculture, grains and livestock production,
agro-fishery processing, gas production, alternative energy, and tourism. However,
instead of discussing further these possible areas of investments, it may be better
to discuss the challenges that one may be confronted with in pursuing business
in the area.
In most communities in the Bangsamoro, the concept of government is
not well-developed. People find more security in their clans or their datus
or traditional leaders. People are loyal to him and would only listen to him.
That is why it is of utmost importance than any investment is welcomed in
the community, most especially by the datus in the area. The rationale of the
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PCCI, TAF and AUSAID Forum on the BBL
investment as well as its benefits to the community and people have to be fully
explained, understood, and hopefully internalized by the datus. The ground
rules have to be set, made explicit and made clear from the very start. Principles
and practices of good corporate governance have to be understood to avoid
any subsequent misunderstanding. In short, the key role of the datu cannot be
overemphasized.
There is plenty of idle land in the area. Before entering into any agreement,
however, on the use of land, rigid due diligence has to be done to make sure
that the land is not subject to conflicting claims. That is why as a matter of
course, the datu is always a witness to any agreement thereby making him also
accountable for the security of tenure of the land just in case any adverse claim
comes up later on.
Since the region is the most underdeveloped in the country, naturally the
mandated minimum wages are the lowest. Labor availability is not a problem,
but the literacy level of people is very low. For many who will be employed, it
could very well be their first job. That is why there is a lot of training necessary
both in terms of skills and value formation. One continuing challenge is how
to integrate the business with the communitys cultural system. As the datu is
the recognized leader in the community, he needs to be briefed on plans and
programs affecting people, like the introduction of piece work rates, quality
incentives, cost savings incentives, and the personnel code of conduct. The
reward and punishment system has to be very clear so that when necessary, the
datu can be asked to help in implementing necessary disciplinary action on
errant employees. Since there are no labor unions in the Bangsamoro, the datu
is most often consulted on actions affecting people as they look up to him for
any extra guidance.
In the future Bangsamoro, leadership will be exercised by former

revolutionaries. The countrys experience in the past has not been very good.
That is why proper participation and planning on the part of rebels in transition
has been given extra effort not only by the Philippine Government but also
other countries willing to assist in their possible transformation to development
managers.
For your additional information, the functions of the Board of Investments
(BOI) have been fully devolved to the existing ARMM and incentives given
by them are honored by the national government. Actually, it is even easier to
register investments with the regional BOI.
Manila Hotel, Manila21 October 2014
101
GPH Panel Member and former DA Secretary Senen C. Bacani briefs and updates members and
representatives of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The Asia Foundation, and
Australian Aid on the Bangsamoro Basic Law and the GPH-MILF peace process. (Photo by OPAPP)
Hopefully, I have given you a flavor of how it is to operate in the ARMM or

in the future Bangsamoro. In our company which has been in operation in the
ARMM for the last eighteen years, we have two major continuing challenges.
The first one is the strengthening and institutionalization of the business structure
and value systems. This is important so that these systems will continue to hold
together when the key personalities in the business enterprise devote less time to
the business or will no longer be around. The second is how to maintain the proper
balance between the traditional autocratic style of leadership that the work force has
been used to and empowering them towards more participative decision making.
As the country moves forward in making the Bangsamoro a reality, it is
our hope that more business enterprise will consider investing in the area. For
only real development can bring about an enduring peace which has continued
to elude us for decades. With business and Bangsamoro communities working
together, all of us can truly make a real difference not only in the lives of people
but also in building a more inclusive society.
2014 Philippines Development

Forum on the Bangsamoro
Development Plan
6 November 2014
SMX Convention Center, Davao City
Opening Remarks
Sec. Arsenio M. Balisacan
NATIONAL ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
olleagues, friends, and partners; ladies and gentlemen, good morning.
In behalf of the National Economic and Development Authority, allow

me to congratulate the Bangsamoro Development Agency for completing the
herculean task of crafting the Bangsamoro Development Plan, which will help
bring better opportunities for the Bangsamoro as it moves toward recovery
and development during its transition years and beyond. The Bangsamoro
Development Plan provides a vision, short- and medium-term strategies, and
recommendations to promote growth and development of the Bangsamoro.
We cannot overemphasize the importance of this transition period,

which has already begun in mid-2014, and will continue until mid-2016.
In just two short years, we need to demonstrate the dividends of peace in
the Bangsamoro region by progressively bridging the development gaps
caused by decades of conflict; we need to attain the stability and normality
necessary to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth in the succeeding
years and ensure lasting peace in all its communities. The social, economic,
and political foundations that will be laid during this time are crucial to
the success of the new Bangsamoro Government that will be established
pursuant to the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
Our goal, as stated in the Philippine Development Plan, is to achieve
inclusive growth. While we see gains in the Philippine economy, we cannot
claim full success as long as there are those who are left behind. Our Bangsamoro
brothers and sisters deserve to benefit from and contribute to the growth and
the crafting, and the implementation of the Bangsamoro Development Plan is a
major step toward this. Yet, as we know, the best plans are but maps illustrating
the road that we must take. It is still up to every one of us to move forward and
take the necessary steps to achieve a just future and better quality of life for the
people of the Bangsamoro and the Philippines.
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2014 Philippines Development Forum on Bangsamoro
The 2014 PDF served as an avenue to present the Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP)
to development partners. The BDP is a short- and medium-term plan aimed at jumpstarting
sustainable development in conflict-stricken Bangsamoro areas. (Photo by OPAPP)
Pres. Aquino greets and spends a light moment with (from left) NEDA Sec. Arsenio
Balisacan, MILF Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal, MILF Vice-Chair for Political Affairs Ghazali
Jaafar, MILF Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles. (Photo
by Malacaang Photo Bureau)
SMX Convention Center, Davao City6 November 2014
105
A lasting peace can only be attained when the causes of discord are fully
addressed. And, the roots of conflict will only be truly eliminated when every
citizenregardless of creed, gender, or ethnicityis able to enjoy good health,
education, and quality of life; to live with freedom, honor, dignity, and justice;
and to contribute his or her talents, potentials, and capabilities to the betterment
of his or her community and society.
To fully transform the Bangsamoro region into a peaceful society with

a responsive government and a robust economy, it will take decades of hard
work and massive resource investment. In providing a clear set of directions
for rehabilitation and development, the Bangsamoro Development Plan
complements the ongoing political and normalization transition work, and brings
the people of the Bangsamoro, the island of Mindanao, and the Philippines,
closer to our vision of development for all.
We, at the NEDA, are proud to have been part of this Philippines
Development Forum which provides us the opportunity to discuss in concrete
terms the ways by which we will build together the future of the Bangsamoro. It
is notable that this two-day event gathers the representatives of the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front; the Bangsamoro Development Agency; local governments and
the national government, led by President Benigno Aquino III; our international
development partners; and members of civil society and the private sector to
discuss the overall vision, framework, and flagship projects for development
in the Bangsamoro. Our discussion will not be about abstract promises, but
development commitments regarding vital clusters such as economy and
livelihood; environment and natural resources; infrastructure; social services;
governance, culture, and identity.
An old African proverb says, If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you
want to go far, go together. As we proceed with the process of establishing and
activating the Bangsamoro, may we continue to nurture the spirit of harmony
and cooperation that has brought us to a new beginning for the Bangsamoro,
for Mindanao, and for the Philippines.
Let us not forget, however, that there will always be those who will feel left
out in this process, whose voices may not be heard in this forum. So even as we
bring our minds together in this event, let us continue to listen, be sensitive to,
and consider others views and sentiments to ensure that development will truly
be inclusive and that the gains we achieve will last.
Thank you all, and may we have a productive forum.
Welcome Statement

e are facing a bright new dawn inspired by the dream of peace.
It is said that the way we treat people is what they become in time.
For centuries we treated our Muslim brethren like second class citizens,
which made them first class warriors. Today we accord them the respect and
dignity deserving of the best of Filipinos, which will make them first class
nation-builders.
Welcome to the Philippines Development Forum on Bangsamoro!
From the very start, we were confident that the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front could muster the will and capacity to hammer out a development
plan based on equity, social justice and inclusive growthonce they had the
opportunity to settle down upon the end of conflict.
We now see the ripening fruit of their robust hearts and minds.
We are proud of the Bangsamoro Development Plan, not only because it is

born of our common embrace of peace, but because it will eventually bring joy
to every corner of our land, to every family that seeks to be liberated from fear
and want, and to every child who dreams of a brighter and more vibrant future.
This is part of our common vision and pledgethat no one shall be left
behind, whether in the assurance that homes shall no longer be rended by war,
or in the assurance that fields will be tilled and deliver the earths bounty to one
and allregardless of creed, origin and social station.
This plan will come to fruition just as sure as the sun rises every day.
It will gain in strength from the solidarity forged by the brave hearts of
this nation. It will be propelled by the skill and acumen of the best minds that
have gathered in this hall. It will be driven by a national leadership that knows
not how to retreat or to surrender when it comes to facing the most profound
challenges of his people.
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Once more, Mr. President, salamat po. You have invested so much, and risked
so much, to bring us all to the doorstep of peace and development in Mindanao.
The people have never had such a great champion of such deep humility.
In viewing our horizon, I cannot but think of the Marshall plan that brought
the world together after the Second World War.
The plan dealt with anything and everything from medicines to mules,
grants, funds, credit, factory and railway equipment, knowledge, technical support
and communications.
Throughout the continent, it provided nets for Norwegian fishers, wool for
Austrian weavers, and tractors for French farmers. It succeeded in generating
jobs, putting food on tables, rebuilding factories, roads, and bridges.
It was able to jumpstart the recovery of a massively devastated European

economy into a viable region of productivity and trade.
Forty years of protracted armed struggle in Mindanao may be a far cry
from the aftermath of World War II in Europe, but we are here to humbly take
counsel from the lessons of the past.
Where the Marshall Plan was a strategic move to forestall the march
of communism over the impoverished millions of Europe, our Bangsamoro
Development Plan is our very own shield against the raging forces of extremism
that are advancing to the shores of other lands.
I do not say that development is an absolute shield against extremism, but
I earnestly believe that development gives us a sharper edge to cut extremism
before it makes inroads into the most vulnerable communities. This is the best
way forward.
The Bangsamoro Basic Law and the Bangsamoro Development Plan are
two sides of the same cointhe coin of human security, the way of life we all
aspire and live for.
And human security can only be had under the rule of law. Where
governance and persons in authority are imbued with legitimacy and credibility,
development advances unimpeded. This is our shared dictum with the MILF.
The BBL, when passed, shall build the political trust that is necessary to
enable the national and regional governments to share leadership and resources
to build a strong democratic system based on our Constitutionwhere the voice
of the people is supreme and decisions are made in their interest and welfare.
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OPAPP Sec. Deles briefs Pres. Aquino who is flanked by members of the cabinet
and representatives of the MILF leadership as they head to the PDF. (Photo by
OPAPP Sec. Deles and Chair Ferrer talk to The Asia Foundations Dr. Steven Rood
and Australian Embassys First Secretary Warren Hoye during a break at the PDF
in Davao. Behind them (standing) is World Banks Sam Chittick. (Photo by OPAPP)
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The Bangsamoro Development Plan shall ensure that the wealth of the
region, reinforced by the wealth of the entire nation, is deployed to serve the
common good and welfare, and the true ends of social justice.
The cycle of democratic politics and equitable development will work

wonders. Extremism will be held at bay as incomes grow, as literacy rates reach
the levels of more progressive regions, and as trust becomes stronger among
institutions built and fortified over time. This is the real way to beat the enemy.
I am grateful to the leaders and members of both Houses of Congress for
their enthusiasm to push our good cause forward. The hearings on the BBL
have been balanced, meaningful and constructive. Conducted with transparency
and candor, they are a solid sign that in the end, we can and we shall forge a
consensus acceptable to all sides.
I salute the MILF and the BDA for their sterling service to country
in coming up with a development plan drafted by the Bangsamoro for the
Bangsamoro.
Let me also recognize the enormous contribution of government institutions
such as the NEDA, DOF, ARMM and other national line agencies, individual
consultants, and other experts who assisted the BDA and MILF in drafting
this plan.
Finally, we acknowledge the support and inputs of our partners from the
World Bank, JICA, the UN, and other friends and allies in the international
community.
Lets all roll up our sleeves for the implementation phase. Mindanao cannot
wait. The Filipino people cannot wait.
This is an opportunity that has emerged from the combined blessings of

good governance and honest work, a public placing its highest trust in the
President, and the willingness of all parties to stop the war, wage peace and
reach for prosperity.
All have brought us to this time and place.
Let us welcome the bright dawn and the Bangsamoro that will rise into a
new day.
Thank you so much. Shukran.
Keynote Address

our Excellencies of the diplomatic corps; Secretary Cesar Purisima;

Chairman Al Haj Murad Ibrahim; Secretary Arci Balisacan; Secretary
Ging Deles; Secretary Lou Antonino; Secretary Mar Roxas; Secretary Butch
Abad; Secretary Proceso Alcala; Secretary Babes Singson; Secretary Dinky
Soliman; Secretary Gil de los Reyes; Secretary Jun Abaya; Secretary Tati
Licuanan; Secretary Yasmin Busran-Lao; Secretary Joel Rocamora; Mr.
Ghadzali Jaafar.
Maayong buntag sa tanan.
Whenever I get the chance, I make it a point to thank anyone and everyone
who helped us throughout the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front. For instance, just the other day, when I met with a number of journalists
from Japan, I reiterated our gratitude to their country, for helping to facilitate
an early meeting between myself and our brothers from the MILF, a meeting
in which both sides were reassured of the others sincerity, and in which we
began to rebuild trust.
I do this because the value of lasting peace for a region like Mindanao is
beyond measure. For years, our countrymen in areas affected by conflict had been
shackled by violence, injustice, and impunity; they were deprived of opportunities
to succeed; and prosperity was seemingly reserved only for a few. Now, however,
as Mindanao is becoming an increasingly stable environment, we can see that
the region is on the cusp of a profound transformation: from being a Land of
Promise to being a Land of Promises Fulfilled.
In March of this year, the efforts of everyone involved in the peace process
culminated in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, a final
peace agreement between the Philippine Government and the MILF. Now,
more than ever, it is vital that we focus on getting through the next steps in
the process: getting the Bangsamoro Basic Law passed in Congress, which
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would establish the Bangsamoro as a political entity. In September of this

year, we turned over the draft law to Congress, and both houses are currently
conducting hearings and consulting various stakeholders. At this point, I
believe all of us are duty bound to make our voices heard. Please talk to your
representatives so that we can pass a bill that truly represents the interests of
all, and benefits all of the people.
Our work to ensure the success of the peace process runs parallel with our
ongoing efforts to eliminate systems that are prone to abuse, and to uplift our
countrymen in the region, even before the Bangsamoro Basic Law is passed.
After all, attaining peace also means eliminating unjust milieus, or situations
dire enough that people begin seeing violence as a solution.
This thinking has guided our efforts in Mindanao from day one. It is why
one of our first major institutional reforms was the synchronization of the
elections in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao with our national
elections. It laid the foundations for change by forcing those running for office
to contend with one another on a level playing field. In effect, it put an end to
the abuse of elections by national and local leaders alike, and to the mindset that
ARMM communities were mere vote banks that one could sell to the highest
bidder during national elections.
Government has likewise been active in expanding the menu of opportunities
for our countrymen in conflict-ridden areas. After all, no one can deny that they
have been deprived of legitimate opportunities to succeed, which is why we are
giving them a significant boost up, so that they may catch up. This is what we
aim to do with the Sajahatra Bangsamoro Program. Through the SBP, we are
improving the living conditions of several Bangsamoro communities by offering
cash for work, technical vocational training, study grants, and health insurance
premiums, amongst others. The goal: to give them the necessary skills and services
to take advantage of opportunities that arise, and to allow them to win back
control of their destinies. We are confident that the Bangsamoro Development
Plan can be harmonized with these efforts, and build on the progress we have
made at the soonest possible time.
The development boost we want to give to Mindanao likewise includes

investments in infrastructure, which is necessary for the region to become a
competitive destination for investments. From 2011 to 2014, the Department
of Public Works and Highways has spent nearly P100 billion for road, bridge,
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and other infrastructure projects in Mindanao, and next year, the government
Congress willingintends on investing even more. For 2015, the DPWH budget
for Mindanao will be at P63.13 billion.
In terms of power, Mindanao is also looking at a full recovery. In fact, the

region might even have power security ahead of Luzon. By 2015, I am informed,
several major power plants will be coming online here, including the 300-MW
Coal-Fired Therma South Energy Power Plant in Davao del Sur, and the 200MW Southern Mindanao Coal-Fired Power Plant in Sarangani. These two
plants, among others, put us on track to have an energy surplus in Mindanao
by 2015.
The early impact of our efforts at peace, stability, and fostering a good
business climate, has been near instant. Just look at ARMM. In just the first
nine months of 2014, they registered a yearly all-time high of P3.37 billion in
investments. This is more than double the P1.46 billion in investments recorded
in 2013, and almost six times the P569 million in investments ARMM received
in 2012. ARMMs GDP has likewise been on an upswing, from a contraction
of 0.3 percent in 2011, to a growth of 1.2 percent in 2012, and a growth of 3.6
percent in 2013. I am told that the growth of 5.6 this year is very attainable.
There has also been a sea of change in terms of business interest in Mindanao.
The numbers, again, tell the story: In the Davao Region alone, inbound missions
of companies from Japan, China, Korea, and other members of the Brunei
Indonesia Malaysia PhilippinesEast Asia Growth Area have drastically
increased, from 18 in 2012, to 37 in 2013, and to 51 in just the first ten months
of 2014. On top of this, we have heard of plans to expand and diversify from
several companies from vastly different industriesfrom energy, to coconut
products, to palm oil, and various other consumer products.
Indeed, more than at any other point in history, the Mindanao we all aspire
for is within reach. The progress is palpable, and it is apparent that our efforts
are having a profound effect. Nevertheless, I believe that, in forums like this, we
are given an opportunity to contribute our individual voices, with the goal of
accelerating the positive change in the region, and we must take full advantage
of such opportunities.
It is with the participation of stakeholders from different sectors across the

world that we have successfully established Mindanao as a stable, peaceful region.
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Pres. Aquino delivers his message before over 500 delegates from various development partners
and investors attending the special Philippines Development Forum (PDF) on the Bangsamoro
at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City on 5-6 November 2014. He was joined on stage by
(seated, LR) DBM Sec. Florencio Abad, DILG Sec. Mar Roxas II, MILF Vice-Chair for Political Affairs
Ghadzali Jaafar, DOF Sec. Cesar Purisima, MILF Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, NEDA Sec. Arsenio
Balisacan, MILF Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal, and OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles. (Photo by
With the help of everyone present here today, I am certain we can do much
more. If we continue thinking of new, better ways to accelerate development
in the region; if we continue to work with perseverance and creativity; and,
above all, if we always remember that the end goal of our efforts is to uplift our
fellowmen and allow them to live full, dignified lives, then I am certain we will
achieve what we have hoped for all these years. Together, we will realize our
vision of a new Mindanao: one seen by the global community as a region of
skilled, talented, and peace-loving people, of vast natural gifts, and of boundless
progress and prosperity.
Thank you for your time and good day.
76th Xavier University

Convocation
26 March 2015
Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City
Commencement Address

am certain that when the Board of Trustees of Xavier University decided to

invite GPH panel chair Miriam Coronel Ferrer, MILF panel and BTC chair
Mohagher Iqbal, and myself to your commencement program today. They had
not anticipated the firestorm that would erupt over the tragedy at Mamasapano,
Maguindanao, late in January. I dont think any of us ever imagined when we
started the New Year that, just one month down the road, the Bangsamoro
peace process, which was close to reaching the end of its roadmap, would be on
the brink of a breakdown.
Media reports tell us that some quarters have questioned the wisdom of
honoring at your commencement exercises three personalities caught in the eye
of that very storm. That is why I find doubly heartwarming Xavier Universitys
decision to stand by its invitation and to confer on my colleagues the Fr.
William Masterson, SJ Award and on myself an Honorary Doctorate in the
Humanitieswhich, I must confess, truly thrills me because there is no other
way I could ever earn a postgraduate degree in the normal way.
Thank you, XU, for giving me my first toga custom-made for me. I shall
wear it proudly. I am delighted to be a member of Batch 2015!
Your Trustees unanimous decision, taken twice, signals your steadfast

advocacy of peace in Mindanao. Indeed, in our pursuit of peace, we must be
steadfast. We must be careful, and we must stand fastespecially when assailed
by the frenzy of words and emotions that can and does harm to, rather than
help, the cause of peace in Mindanao.
I started my peace work in 1986, shortly after we ousted the dictator through
the worlds first ever people power uprising. After decades of painstaking effort
to push the cause of peace not just in Mindanao but in the entire country, seeking
to address all armed conflicts that continue to divide the Filipino nation, it is
an oddly strange experience to now be pilloried and damned for standing up
for peace. It is oddly strangeand sadthat, in the face of such inexplicable
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OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles (center) is bestowed by the Xavier University an honorary Doctor
of Humanities, honoris causa, for her contributions to peacebuilding and women empowerment
in Mindanao. (Photo by OPAPP)
tragedy of sixty-seven Filipinos, including one child who perished in violent

conflict among Filipinos, the call for continuing division and war hogs todays
airwaves and social media, bent on drowning out the cries which seek dialogue,
negotiation, compromise, and consensus. It is oddly strange and sad that, instead
of reaching out to each other in common grief and solidarity, we now seem more
divided and distrustful of each other than we have ever been before.
I will be forthright and say that this commencement address is not an easy
one for me to make. I surmise that in the mind of everyone now in this room
there are hard questions, and it is possible that some questions will have no
answers. I certainly do not imagine that I could put these troubling questions
to rest by what I say. But I believe I owe it to you, who have made the decision
to stay the course in inviting us to be your special guests this morningeven
more so, I feel I owe it to the graduates who must truly be at the center of
attention of our gathering this morningI owe it to you to let you know a
Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City26 March 2015
117
little bit about myself beyond what has come out in media, which pieces of my
personal narrative will connect to the reality of the firestorm that threatens to
engulf our country today.
And so, in the course of the next half-hour or so, please allow me to share
with you two stories: the first is my own, and the second is the tale of conflict
in Mindanao. And, thirdly, one or two things you and I can do to help pull us
through this murky chapter of our countrys history.
With your permission, I dare to begin with my story:
Here I must confess that I had in fact already drafted a few pages when I
asked myself: Will I not be boring you to tears, if not to death, with my account
of been there, done that?
And so I decided to try to tell my story in a different way: as a compendium

of insights or lessons learned. I hope these insightsmy learningswill be
helpful to the new graduates who are thinking, wondering, and possibly worrying
about the next chapter of their lives.
The first lesson is this: Be original; do things your way. It may not last forever
but it will be good while it lasts.
Four-and-a-half decades ago, I was sitting where you are now, fresh out
of college and ready to plunge into lifes heady waters. As an English major
graduate of Maryknoll College in Quezon City (neighboring school to Ateneo
de Manila), I thought I knew early what I would be: a writer. Yes, a writer.
But I also knew I had nothing to write about, as yet, so I proceeded to gather
much-needed experience by accepting a job teaching English literature and
composition to high school senior students at my alma mater.
I wanted to be the best teacher there was, so I prepared my own materials,

junking the prescribed textbook as irrelevant. I introduced poetry by playing
the songs of Simon and Garfunkel, even McArthur Park, icon hymn of my
generation; and invented exercises to free my students to write in the same
way they talkand my students loved it. Forgive me for mentioning Rina
David, Inquirer columnist, who has publicly declared that she bloomed under
my tutelage. Also, I dressed like the flower child I must have felt I was then: in
batik mini-skirts, my long hair keeping rhythm with my Tboli beads and bells.
Remember this was forty-five years ago! But it was also very hard workbeing
creative and original and relevant while confined in a classroom with its rows of
straight-backed chairs all facing in the direction of a know-it-all teacher who
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alone owns the platform. After one year of full-time teaching, I decided I had had
enough of the hard work. But it was fun, and I know my students still remember.
My second insight is this: Know your DNA, and affirm the best that it has
given you.
What do I mean? Simply this: I am what I am, and I do what I do in large

part because of my DNA. My father, a pediatrician and past director of the
Philippine General Hospital, quietly gave out modest weekly allowances to
children from indigent families he encountered in his daily hospital rounds;
and he was always on call to his patients, back in those days when physicians
made house calls at all hours of the day or night. From him I got the DNA of
public service.
My maternal grandmother, a founding mother of Moncada, Tarlac, who

was appointed town mayor at the end of World War II, gifted me with a strong
sense of feminism, way before I ever encountered the word. And my mother,
who raised half a dozen children and fostered three more, taught me that one
can, and one should, bloom where one is planted. Her garden was the household,
and she created incredible beauty and meaning in and through mundane tasks
such as cooking, needlework, and gardening that filled her lifeas well as her
childrens and grandchildrens livesup to the end of her days.
The third insight I share is this: Why not? is equally important as Why?
You see, why not? has led me down the path of alternative education,
alternative careers, alternative parenting, alternative lifestylesa cultural
revolution, no less, when you are up against martial law. It has led me to leave
teaching; embark on the then-untraveled, meandering path of non-profit NGO
work; enter government in my golden years, and then leave it before the term was
ended. It led me to take up public service a second time with a president who
pointed the way to a straight pathDaang Matuwid. Why not? has caused
me to choose to stand upeven when batteredagain and again for peace.
But let me start where I should.
In 1972, it rained for forty days over Central Luzon and students of
Ateneo de Manila, where I was employed as a project officer in its extension
office, volunteered to help flood victims, first through relief work which
quickly transitioned to rehabilitation and social development undertakings.
This involvement would also impact on their own lives. With social work as a
weekend commitment, it compelled these middle- and upper-class students to
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ask themselves: How do I reconcile a comfortable, conventional lifestyle during

weekdays with gut-wrenching social work during weekends?
This quest for alternative careers was born in the disconnect between
weekday and weekend. And so, Social Development Index, or INDEX for short,
came into being which I founded along with Karen Taada and Jojo Deles, who
would become my life partner in embracing the joys of marriage and family
life and the challenges of our lifetime social causes. INDEXs motto could very
well have been: Not all roads lead to Makati, for corporate life is not the only
choice there is. Pursuing a cycle of action and reflection, inspired by the author
of Conscientization, Brazilian Paulo Freire, we realized that social structures are
propped up by the kind of lifestyles we maintain. So how to develop an alternative
lifestyle? How can you be an alternative doctor? How can your profession be
of service to others?
Service should infuse ones whole life and work, and not be a mere salve of
conscience undertaken during weekends.
INDEX was founded after five years of martial rule. For student activists,
Marcoss declaration of martial law had laid out the stark choice of giving
up the fight and embracing convention or dropping out of school and going
underground. But we found there could be another way. A more nuanced
response was possible: Go for training, finish a course, yes, but serve the people
in your chosen profession or vocation. And, having chosen another way, you
needed back-up. You had to develop a counter-culture, a group to travel with,
otherwise kakainin ka or you risked burn-out.
And so, law graduatesonce they passed the barformed alternative law
groups, such as SALIGAN, to do lawyering for farmers, labor unions, and
battered women. Graduates of medical and nursing courses set up alternative
health centers, such as Healthdev, which sent doctors to the barrios and
explored and promoted alternative, meaning more natural, healing practices. I
look around me today and see familiar faces who had passed through INDEX
formation programsI knew Frs. Bobby Yap, Karel San Juan, Cel Reyesalso
Jet Villarin and Danny Huangwhen they were transitioning from school
to profession or vocationwhich must tell people how truly old I am! Atty.
Tony La Vias wife, Titay, was an INDEX girl. In fact, it may be said that the
core of the first-generation NGO community had been very much shaped or
influenced by INDEX. Truly, the pursuit of why not? has led to meaningful
paths and new possibilities.
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OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles, GPH Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer and MILF Panel
Chair Mohagher Iqbal at the start of the 76th Commencement Exercises of the Xavier University
Ateneo de Cagayan on 26 March 2015 with Xavier University President Roberto C. Yap SJ (center)
and Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro Most Rev. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, D.D. (far right). (Photo by
OPAPP)
My fourth insight is this: Charity, and equality, begins at home.
You see, while pursuing their alternative careers, the INDEX people were also
meeting and falling in love and marrying. The problem started when the children
came. HE pursued his career unencumbered, but SHE now had the double
burden of work, as in a job, and babies. Where did such blatant inequality spring
from? And so, my INDEX work led to yet another questing and questioning,
another door opening: that of gender, starting with the formation of PILIPINA,
which is arguably the first home-grown explicitly feminist organization in the
country. We probed the dynamics of mother-daughter relations, we reshaped
parenting to achieve more equal sharing of its responsibilities as well as its joys,
we created alternative rituals to mark the passages in our lives. I could go on for
hours, but I will not because, yes, I knowwe have time limits.
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Let me just say that the tension, and partnership, between the genders
constitutes such a central and delicious and non-negotiable part of my life. I could
not have developed my other abiding passion, my lifes work of peace, without it.
What I have given you is a glimpse of my personal narrative. We all have
our personal narratives. Knowing from whence we came defines us, gives us
roots and a sense of identity, becomes source of our strength to face whatever
fate may have in store for us. We treasure our personal narrative and we try to
do our best to protect it so that we can bequeath it, proud and untarnished, to
our children to be passed on to their children and the generations still to come.
How much more if it is a collective narrative? How much more if it is
a collective narrative that goes back since time immemorial incorporating
remembrance of past glory as well as torment over heart-breaking tragedies?
How much more if it is, as the 1987 Philippine Constitution asserts is true for
two regions of the country, namely, Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras
regions which share (and I quote from the Philippine Constitution) a common
and distinctive historical and cultural heritage, economic and social structures,
and other relevant characteristics ?
And so I now turn to the other narrative. Let me talk about Mindanao
your Mindanao, our Mindanao. And since this simple primer style is not hard
to do, let me continue in this manner. In this second half of my speech, let me
raise four questions:

How did my peace work start?
What are the costs of the conflict?
What are the roots of the conflict in Mindanao?

What will it take to transform the conflict?
First: How did my peace work start?
My other grand passion, peace, really took off with EDSA. EDSA in 1986
was a nonviolent peoples uprising that marked the end of martial law. It was
as if the conflict in Mindanao had ended. A pall had lifted from our lives after
fifteen long years.
People from the various social movements were undertaking their sectoral
agenda, and the Cory Aquino government was initiating peace talks with the
CPP-NPA-NDF. Members of the unarmed social movements, who had also
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fought the dictatorship but never took up arms, felt that the peace talks were too
important to be left to the combatants. We, unarmed citizens, were stakeholders
too and we needed to have our agenda in, hindi lang agenda nila. Besides, what
if both sides, the government and the communist insurgents, hardened in their
positions, as in fact they did? What if one side walked out, as in fact happened?
What then? And so the Coalition for Peace was born.
But peace was not a sometime thing which people rallied around when
there was gulo somewhere. Peace work was not seasonal but was constant,
ever-watchful, building and rebuilding as many times as needed. And so the
Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute, or GZO, was founded by Karen Taada, Risa
Hontiveros, and myself, with males like Ed Garcia and Randy David helping in
the birthing. GZO provided greater rigor and structure to peace work.
Let me now turn to my next question:
What are the roots of the so-called Muslim-Christian conflict in Mindanao? We

all take pains to explain that it is not a religious conflict as indeed it is notwe
are not fighting about religionbut the long-drawn out and vicious conflict
involves, by and large, Muslims on one side and Christians on the other side.
The Statement from Mindanao, issued last February 11 by religious leaders

led by Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, Mindanos first Cardinal, and joined by
Jesuit presidents of Ateneo universities in Mindanao, rightly says that no one
has a monopoly on guilt or on righteousness. The statement reminds us that,
for 300 years, a proud Moro people stood up to Spain, the United States, and
a succession of Philippine governments, colonial and republican, to defend
their sovereignty and claim their homeland. They paid the price in bloodthe
massacres of Bud Dajo, Palimbang, and Jabidah, to name only three of a very
long list. In the end, they and the lumads are pushed to the margins by the guns
of Pax Americana, the waves of immigration from the north and central islands,
and the shrewdness of a Torrens Title.
The Jabidah massacre, whose 47th anniversary was commemorated on

March 18 last week in Corregidor, triggered the birth of the Moro National
Liberation Front which, later, gave rise to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Jabidah was a rallying cry to Muslims to rise against a government that would
use them as cannon fodder in war.
In the Battle of Bud Dajo in Jolo over 100 years ago, nearly a thousand men,
women, and children perishedan event etched in the heart of every Tausug
and many fellow Moros. There were only six survivors.
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Now I wish to talk about faultlines. We know about the faultlines on the
surface of the earth, which, when there is a movement of the rock on either side,
releases energy which causes an earthquake. But there are faultlines etched in our
national psyche as welldivisions or rifts based on philosophical, ideological,
religious, or ethnic differences, which may lie undisturbed for years but so quickly
flare into vicious if not violent confrontation when provoked, often unintended,
sometimes by accident.
I wish to talk about two particular faultlines that help explain the
undercurrent of anger and resentment against the MILF and Muslims. The
Mamasapano tragedy has brought to boiling point this anger and resentment,
which, in turn, threaten to emasculate, if not derail, the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
The first faultline, divide if you will, is them vs. us, the second is north vs.
south. Them vs. us bespeaks of a deep-seated dualism cemented by culture
and history. It relates to the Crusades in Europe that waged war against the
Muslim Moors to reclaim the Holy Land. When the Spaniards came to the
Philippines, Moors would be transmuted into the Moros of the south. Spanish
colonial Catholicism then painted Muslims as the otherthe heathen, the
infidel. That this dualism is bred into our psyche resurfaced into light in the
wake of Mamasapano: Traydor ang Muslim, Hindi pwedeng pagkatiwalaan
ang Moro. And the unspoken: Let the BBL pay the price.
Party-list representative Djalia Hataman shared this story on television
with Boy Abunda recently. At a leadership training seminar in Basilan, she
asked a young woman from Al Barka what she wanted most, and the woman
said: Saan po ba kami makakuha ng ID o certificate o kahit anong kasulatan na
nagsasabing mabubuting tao kami? (Where can we get an ID or certificate or
whatever document that says that we are good people?)
The second divide is north vs. south: Divide and conquer. Spanish
colonizers pitted local chieftains against each other, as in the Battle for Mactan,
for which we immortalize the fearless Lapu-Lapu with a fish and a song. The
north-south divide has ramified over time, taking root in the most unlikely
places, as in Mindanao and Cebu joining forces against an imperial Manila
at NGO assemblies.
In the furor ensuing over Mamasapano, we see a difference in the calls
coming out of the south and north. Why is it that wars alarms ring loudest in
the safe confines of Congress, for instance? But close to ground zero, the people
flee even as they cry out for peace. Other sectors in Mindanao have publicly
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issued appeals for peace as well: the religiousboth Christian and Muslim,
businessboth big and micro, the academe, civil society. And rightly so, because
Mindanao bears the brunt of the fighting, although the entire country must pay
the price of war. Which brings me to my next question:
What are the costs of the conflict?
Fresh statistics are staggering: It is reported that there are now well over
100,000 refugees since the military launched its offensive against the Bangsamoro
Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) barely one month ago. And it costs 2 million
pesos daily to feed those who seek shelter in evacuation centers. But the statistics
are chilling if we start counting from the year 2000 throughout most of the
decade, when war became a way of life and evacuation was synonymous with
survival for whole populations in Central Mindanao and elsewhere.
For most of the decade, the death toll on both sides, including civilians and
combatants, was pegged at 150,000. But other sources say it could be double that
number. And that is speaking of the dead. The living must go on living even if
it means being nearly forever on the run.
Do you know why the GPH panel defends to their last tattered nerve the
peace process with the MILF? For three years, the ceasefire heldfor three years,
beleaguered families and communities experienced a sense of normalcy, planting
their crops and harvesting them, enrolling their ten-year-olds in first grade,
buying pots and pans and new clothes, daring to dream for their childrens future.
Deaths we can count. Budgets we can figure out. Injuries we can treat. But
there are wounds that cannot heal.
Congresswoman Sandra Sema of Maguindanao tells the story of a woman
she met when she visited an evacuation site housing the new, although perhaps
not first-time, evacuees in her province. The woman had a daughter, around
eight years old. The woman recounted how a soldier had come to talk to her
and, while they were talking, started patting her daughter on the head. She
asked the soldier, Do you have a daughter of the same age? Yes, he said. The
woman told Bai Sandra she suddenly felt pity in her heart for him. She and her
daughter were at least safe together at the evacuation site, but it was possible
that he would not return to his daughter alive.
And quoting Sitti Djalia again, who, in turn, quotes a soldier friend of hers:
The moment you decide to go to war, you lose your humanity. In war, there
are no winners, only losers.
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In short: The costs of war are incalculable.
Finally: What will it take to break this impasse, in the short term, and to transform
the conflict, in the long term?
There are many things to say, many thoughts to share, many feelings to
vent. But let me end with words from two women, one a Muslim, the other
myselfa Christian.
Tausug Sitti Djalia puts it eloquently: Panawagan namin na alamin,

intindihin, pakinggan nyo lang kami, kahit hindi kayo maniwala. (Our appeal
is to know, understand, listen, even if you dont believe us.) I ask my friends,
she says, is there a space for our stories?
When Djalia declares: The Bangsamoro story is also the story of the
Filipino, it is at once statement of fact and a statement of faith. She is saying
that Moros are also Filipinos, part of a nation in the making. Through the peace
process and in other ways, we seek to heal the wounds of history that have pitted
us against each other, because of religion, because of historical circumstances.
Let me amplify: Indeed, we are an archipelago, and therefore diverse. We
are two peoples, no, we are a tri-peopleChristian, Muslim, lumadseparated
by creed, culture, history. Yet we have shared space and time. We have fought
the invader, we have paid with our lives.
Let us celebrate our diversity, honor our differences and affirm our
commonalities. We pray to the same God (Allah for Muslims)a God of peace,
justice, love, and compassion.
And our greetings are nearly identical, word for word. The Christian
salutation Peace be with you elicits the response And also with you. The
Muslim greeting Assalamu AlaikumPeace be with you evokes the reply Wa
Alaikum AssalaamAnd upon you be peace.
Let us stop fighting and killing each other. That is a dead end. Let us beat
our swords into plowshares and turn our spears into pruning hooks. Let us
overcome the enmity, bias, and prejudice of generations and share time and
space, weave our dreams together, so that, finally, The Bangsamoro story is also
the story of the Filipino.
Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart, and good day.
Courage. Lakas o tibay ng loob. Tapang. Conviction.

ng aking pong pasasalamat sa inyo ay mag-uumpisa at magwawakas sa

tema ng Courage. Lakas o tibay ng loob. Tapang. Conviction.
Lakas o tibay ng loob na tumahak sa landas tungo sa kapayapaan sa

pamamagitan ng kapayapaan at katarungan.
Nitong huling dalawang buwan, nabulabog ang ating bayan sa matinding

pagkakaiba ng pananaw at mapait na paghahanap ng sala sa naging kaganapan
sa Mamasapano, Maguindanao, nuong 25 Enero 2015.
Hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin natatapos ang pag-alam sa punot dulo ng
mga pangyayari, at kung papaano ba talaga makakamit ang katotohanan at
hustisya upang magkaroon ng closure dito sa mga pangyayaring ito.
Samantala, ang naging malaking collateral damage sa pangyayari ay di lamang

yung mga halos pitumpung Pilipinong namatay, at iba pang mga nasugatan at
na-traumatize, lalu na sa hanay ng mga sibilyan, kundi pati na ang ating peace
process sa pagitan ng pamahalaan at ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
In the midst of all of these, it needed courage to stand firm, to call for
sobriety and reason.
In needed conviction to go against the hostility of the public discourse

unleashed against the government and MILF panels and OPAPP, and uphold
the gains of the peace process that led to the signing of the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro, one year ago, on 27 March 2014.
Saludo po ako sa inyo, Fr. Roberto Yap, Xavier University President, and
Dr. Lina Kwong, Academic Vice-President. Sa inyo rin po:

Engr. Elpidio Paras, chairman of the Board of Trustees
The other members of the Board: Dr. Antonio La Via, Dr. Dulce
Dawang, Madam Ma. Teresa Alegrio, Mr. Manuel Engwa, Mr.
Eduardo Pelaez, and Bienvenido Santos;
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GPH Panel Chair Miriam Coronel Ferrer and MILF Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal with Xavier University
President Roberto C. Yap SJ (center) present their newly received Fr. William F. Masterson SJ Awards
for their exemplary contribution to the Mindanao peace process. (Photo by OPAPP)
Our beloved Jesuit priests who sit on the Board: Fathers Antonio
Moreno, Joel Tabora, Mars Tan, Rene Tacastacas, Celerino Reyes,
Eric Velandria, and Karel San Juan.
Gayun din kay Mayor Oscar Moreno of Cagayan de Oro, at
Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, guests of honor.
When the fog of Mamasapono hovered thickly over the political landscape
Fr. Yap raised the question: Should Xavier University still proceed in conferring
the awards?
This, he asked, in his moving piece published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer
on 25 February 2015.
And the answer was a statement of conviction: We believe that the answer
should be yes.
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That conviction moved me to tears. I had held these tears back, even as, in
the televised hearings of the congressional hearings, we saw big men shed tears.
The tears that I shed were of gratitude. Gratitude to all of you who have
taken the trouble to tell us that we are not alone.
The tears were also born out of admirationfor the courage to speak up
against the prevailing sentiments, in the belief that, using Fr. Yaps words: The
spirit of peace is the Holy Spirit of God. It can soar over ashes and shattered
houses and give hope where seemingly there is none.
Dear Xavier University leaders, your decision was and remains controversial.
I thank you for your courage in upholding the 29 November decision of the
Board of Trustees to confer the Masterson Award to Mr. Mohagher Iqbal and
myself, and the doctor of humanities, honoris causa to Secretary Deles today,
graduation day.
Kami pong tatlotulad ng kalakhan sa inyoay Pilipino, kapwa ninyo
Pilipino. Sanay di na kailangan pang ipakita ni G. Mohager Iqbal ang kanyang
passport para patunayan sa inyo na siya ay isang Filipino citizen. Bagamat, kung
ang iba sa atin ay ituturing ang sarili na Ilokano, Bisaya, Tagalog, ang turing po
ni G. Iqbal sa kanyang sarili ay Bangsamoro.
Ang tingin ko po kay Fr. William Masterson ay kindred spirit. Tulad niya,
marami kaming pagsubok na dinaanan sa pagtulak ng aming misyon.
At marami pang nakaabang.
Like the advocates of the peace process, Fr. Masterson was misunderstood
and became the subject of controversy when he made the bold move of
transferring Ateneo de Manila to Quezon City.
Kung meron na sigurong interactive sites, Facebook accounts, Twitter, SMS,

at social media nung time ni Fr. Masterson, he would have been pilloried, cyberbullied, even threatened bodily harm for his plan and vision.
Kung anu-ano na sigurong sumpa, tadyak, at insulto ang nakuha niya sa
mga nagpo-post.
But he would have stayed the course.
We are honored to follow the footsteps, experience the pain, and draw
courage from the great pioneer after whom this award is named, Fr. William
Masterson, SJ.
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We follow his footsteps and walk together with all past awardees and all of
you who believe in this journey.
***
Everybody wants peace, ilang beses na nating narinig ito.
And yet peace seems hard to achieve. War has, in fact, figured prominently
in human history.
Tingnan na lang natin kung paano natin minamarkahan ang mga kalendaryo
ng ating buhay at kasaysayan.
Older folks who experienced World War II, refer to prewar, wartime, and
postwar. Our history books are splattered with all the great and fateful battles
fought, lost or won. Our images of the past are of battle cries and flag-waving
with a bolo or a gun in hand.
More often, we commemorate revolutions, but not the end of wars, nor the
forging of peace.
Hatred has always been a strong, motive forcethe counterpoint to the

other motive force, that thing called love. Kayong mga kabataan, alam niyo yan,
kasi nakakakilig yanthis love that makes the world go round.
There is another motive force. Its called compassion. That which makes the
world a shared habitat, even if it becomes unbearable and unjust so many times.
That, which makes us human to other humans.
Love and compassion, two strong motive forces, kontrapunto sa isa pang
matinding pwersa: hate.
It is so much easier to hate. So much easier to destroy things and relationships

built painstakingly over the years.
To seek peace and be a peacemaker demand so much more of us.
To seek peace means foregoing revenge, in favor of compassionate justice.
It asks us to put aside pride, and to respect the feelings of the other persona
friend, a neighbor, even a complete stranger.
Hinihingi ng landas na mapayapa ang kabutihan sa lahat ng tao. Abraham
Lincoln in his inaugural called this the better angels of our nature.
Ang anghel sa ating pagkataoeto daw ang kailangan mangibabaw. Maski

na mas madaling maging demonyo (baka masasabi pang mas masaya) kaysa
maging anghel.
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To seek peace is to nurture trust. The scriptures said, Love your enemies
For if you love those who love you, what recompense would you have? And
if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Of course you must
also love and greet your sisters, and all the others who are different from you.
Peace indeed is tough love. Do be perfect the verse goes on, just as your
heavenly Father is perfect.
Wow! We all know how hard it is to be perfect! How often do you get
perfect scores on your test? Maybe only Paolo here, your class valedictorian and
summa cum laude, who gets perfect scores in Math.
Peace can only mean constant striving.
Peace requires new templates. It is so much easier to do the same things the
same way. So much easier to stay within ones or the institutions comfort zones.
But to seek peace means taking extraordinary steps to change the patterns
of our human existence, of politics and society.
That is why to seek peace, is to be bold, to take risks.
Kailangan ang tibay ng loob. Kailangan ang conviction.
Who would question the wisdom and foresight now of a green and sprawling
Ateneo de Manila campus along Katipunan Avenue?
***
We knew that the signing of the CAB on 27 March 2014 was just the
beginning. Like in a graduation ceremony, it marked what one has achieved
after years of hard work. But it also signalled the beginning of the next phase
in a graduates life: survival, success in the real world.
From the beginning we faced the challenge of implementing the CAB

within a short period of time. There are so many things to do and so little time
to put everything in place:

passage of the basic law;
preparation for the transition from ARMM to the Bangsamoro;
preparation for the plebiscite;
making the peace felt on the ground through quick impact

socioeconomic projects;
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putting in place the foundation for a more sustained development

including the transformation of the MILF camps into productive,
civilian communities;
decommissioning of MILF weapons and combatants;
overall demilitarization (through the disbandment of private armed

groups; the redeployment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
as the situation improves; the creation of a civilian, professional
police force for the Bangsamoro);
transitional justice and reconciliation programs.
All of these we must accomplish by 2016. It is most unfortunate that with

the setback brought about by the fog of Mamasapano, we have lost two months
that could have been put to better use.
Mindanao, the Bangsamoro, are not monolithic entities. There are multiple
narratives, multiple identities, multiple claimants and stakeholders. There must
be a just share of the benefits for everyone. There must be a just recognition of
the rights and legitimacy of the different stakeholders. Peace dividends are not
spoils of war. There must be equitable distribution of the dividends of peace.
We are proud to say that the ceasefire between the government and the
MILF has remained steadfast, with no direct hostilities taking place between
the two parties since November 2011until Mamasapano, on 25 January 2015.
Even so, that ceasefire has been restored. Mahirap isipin kung ano ang
sitwasyon ngayon kung sumabog muli ang gera, di lamang sa BIFF kundi pati
na sa MILF.
Right now, the biggest challenge is how to recover and sustain public trust
and support for this peace process. Andyan pa naman ang tiwala, pero di pa sapat.
We know we need to continue to engage the members of Congress and the
general public on the many items that would need to get into the law in order
to put in place a more democratic, accountable and representative autonomous
government in the Bangsamoro.
We call on the Congress of the Philippines to give this to the Bangsamoro as
their legacy. The House of Representatives under the leadership of Cagayan de Oro
Representative Rufus Rodriguez and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte have gone out of
their way to shepherd this process. It already held thirty-six consultations nationwide
and spent millions of peoples money to get all the input and inform the public.
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Sec. Deles, Chair Ferrer and Chair Iqbal pose with officials from Xavier University. Also in photo
are Xavier University Pres. Robert C. Yap SJ (left), Xavier University Board of Trustees member
and Ateneo Law School Dean Tony La Via (third from right, at the back row) and Cagayan de Oro
Archbishop Most Rev. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, D.D. (rightmost). (Photo by OPAPP)
This opportunity that will end the fighting between the government and
the MILF is too good to pass on to the next Congress.
Dear friends and mentors, in the next months, there will be ups and downs,
even more eruptions of some kind of violence that cast doubts on the viability
of the process, although I pray that Mamasapano is already the worst thing
that could happen.
Certainly, we cannot lose heart.
Were on our toes. We have taken the leap of faith, but our eyes are wide
open.
Courage is supposedly a quality of the mind and spirit.
But the root word in Latin from which it is drawn means heart. So it must
be all of thesemind, spirit, heart. A certain mastery of the totality of ones
being, a center of gravity that touches the ground.
Lapat sa lupa habang inaabot ang alapaap.
Courage. Lakas o tibay ng loob. Tapang. Conviction.

Eto ang ating armas sa ating paglalakbay.
Maraming salamat po.
Speech
Mohagher Iqbal
ather Roberto C. Yap, President of Xavier University, members of the Board

of Trustees, members of the faculty and staff, honored guests, graduates and
their proud parents, ladies and gentlemen: Good morning.
It is truly a distinct honor for me to receive this Fr. William Francis

Masterson, SJ Award. It is truly exciting that I am one of those awardees this
morning. I promise you, I will not fail you, God willing!
I am aware of the difficulty and the conversations that ensued within your
community as a consequence of your decision for conferring this award.
Frankly speaking, since I was informed of this award, I have never stopped
asking myself whether or not I am worthy of this recognition. Reading on the
life and work of Fr. Masterson who was a man of exceptional foresight that even
the great General Douglas MacArthur was said to have invited him to Manila
to set up a relief program for children that distributed medicine, clothing and
food stuff, one can feel a little bit awed. I am, however, consoled by the fact that
we share the same sentiments when he once said that we had no right to exist
unless we immersed ourselves in the problems of our milieu.
I guess that this is the challenge to every one of us who had the opportunity
to go to school. That once we have acquired the rudimentary skills and knowledge
in school, we should: all immerse ourselves in the problems of our times. For
what good is education if not to solve the more complex problems of our times?
Looking back at my own personal journey, after I defended my thesis and was
awarded my masters degree in political science in 1972, I went straight to
immerse myself in the milieu of my time: the Bangsamoro Problem.
I headed straight into the jungle and joined the Moro National Liberation
Front (MNLF). Initially, I was a foot soldier and then rose to become a political
officer. We were even forced not to use our legal names and use aliases to protect
our families and friends from retaliation and retribution by the Martial Law
regime. Our goal, however, was fundamental: to defend the lives and properties
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of the Moros, who were then already the object a genocidal campaign by the
Martial Law regime in Manila.
To go to the forest and take up arms was not an easy decision to make. It was
not for sheer desire of adventure or the need for limelight and fame that pushed
me to barter a life of safety in the city to one that was laden with dangers in
the jungle. On at least three occasions, I had brushes with death. On the lighter
side, food was scarce and at times none at all. At one time, my group and I had
to survive by eating kangkong for three straight days, because we were sealed off
from the outside by government troops.
Furthermore, it was not bravery that made me stay to this day in the
service of the MILF. It was rather my commitment to the cause of my people
for deliverance that made me persevere in all those four decades of trials and
tribulations.
In the beginning, the word peace was never part of the vocabulary of the
day. Of course, as a Muslim, I know the value of peace, because it is ingrained
in Islam, which means peace. I knew also that war is temporary, because man
is necessarily peaceful.
At that time, the only things the government offered to us were bullets and
bombsor surrender. By then thousands of Moros had already died in the hands
of state forces and their paramilitary allies. This started from the massacre of
sixty-four Moro trainees in Corregidor Island in March 1968 to the onslaught
of the so-called fanatic group called Ilagas (rats) in 1970 to 1971. These mass
slaughters worsened since the declaration of Martial Law in September 1972
and onward.
It is true that peace negotiations had commenced as early as 1975 that led
to the signing of the Tripoli Agreement in Tripoli, Libya, the following year.
This culminated in 1996 when the GRP-MNLF Final Agreement on Peace
was signed between the government and MNLF. But judging from what had
ensued therefrom, those agreements were not meant to solve the armed conflict
in Mindanao and secure permanent peace therein, but rather, they were used to
perpetuate the effective strangulation of the Moros.
In the case of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, to which organization
I belonged since 1977, we waited for twenty long years before we had the
chance to talk peace with the government. This happened in January 1997 when
President Fidel Ramos offered the olive branch of peace to the MILF. Perhaps
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unknown to most of you, the ceasefire agreement was signed here in Cagayan
de Oro City on 18 July 1997.
Frankly speaking, peace negotiation is not an easy endeavor. The truth is

that it is easy to make war than to make peace. In war, one party can start war;
but in peacemaking, it requires both parties to agree to talk.
The GPH-MILF peace negotiation, interspersed with fighting and three

major wars in 2000, 2003, and 2008, has dragged on for seventeen long and hard
years. It encompassed four presidents (Ramos, Estrada, Arroyo, and now Aquino),
eleven government peace negotiators, and about 100 or so signed documents.
Is this too short a period and easy engagement that many people including
some legislators can easily call for a new negotiation? The proposed Bangsamoro
Basic Law (BBL) is a solution that came out of seventeen years of negotiations
and problem solving. Should we disregard history and the long and hard work
put into crafting the BBL? These are tough questions which every Filipino and
Bangsamoro must answer in the next few days.
And all of these work, commitment, and sacrifice are for people like you.
Come to think of it, my dear graduates! It is you, the youth and young of today,
who will reap the fruits of peace in the future. It is not us, your elders, who will
benefit from this. I urge you, therefore, to join our journey of peace! Speak up
and be heard! Ask questions. Propose solutions. The future is yours. You have
a stake in it.
Finally, let me say once again my heartfelt gratitude for this recognition of
our efforts at building peace. I say our because while I personally accept this
award, I accept this on behalf of all those who seek and strive for peaceboth
Bangsamoro and Filipino. Peacemaking is never a one mans effort. It is the
collective effort of men and women of goodwill who seek a better and peaceful
future for the next generation.
To end, let me paraphrase a quote from Thomas Paine: We fight not to
enslave, but to set a nation free and to make room upon the earth for honest
men and women to live.
As you graduate from formal schooling this morning, let that be our common
resolve: Not to enslave but to make space for honest men, women, and children
to live their lives in peace, in abundance, in faith.
Thank you very much, and good morning to all.
Awarding Ceremony,
Hillary Rodham Clinton Award
for Advancing Women,
Peace, and Security
22 April 2015
Georgetown University, Washington DC
Acceptance Speech

our Excellencies:
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton;

Georgetown University President John DeGioia;
Ambassador Melanne Verveer;
Ambassador Staffan de Mistura;
Ladies and gentlemen.
It took seventeen years of hard negotiations before the Government and

the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed an Agreement that aims
to stop the war. This Agreement will enable MILF combatants and other
disenfranchised segments of the Moro population to participate in meaningful
autonomous governance.
It provides a road map for a new set of more democratic, representative, and
accountable political institutions.
It taps diverse modes for delivering socioeconomic programs to
decommissioned combatants, the internally displaced, and communities long
affected by the conflict.
The Agreement also seeks ways to carry out transitional justice, to thread
together the tattered fabric of social life and heal the wounds of centuries of
conflict that began under Spanish and American colonial rule. We hope it will
reconcile families, political groups, tribes, and communities alienated from each
other by prejudice, vendetta, and injustice.
The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro acknowledges a

different narrative of our national being, one that would bridge our majorityminority divide toward a shared future where fellow Filipinos live in peace under
one flag in an undivided territory.
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Awarding Ceremony, Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for Advancing Women
Finally, the agreement of March 2014 offers a model for conflict resolution
and politically negotiated solutions to armed conflicts. It drew from experiences
in Northern Ireland and Aceh, and it now informs ongoing efforts in Myanmar
and Southern Thailand.
***
Three out of six government signatories to the agreement are women, with
myself as the Chair. The MILF panel were all men. In all, just three of the twelve
signatories are women. Still, its a big leap: Nearly all past negotiations were
exclusively done by men.
These three women were not alone. They were backed up by a strong and
active contingent of women outside of the formal table. From them, we got
the strength and fortitude to see the process through, a delightful dynamic of
women inspiring fellow women.
Our peace process, indeed, was informed by the very goals of this award:
to protect women against all forms of violence and advance the role of women
in attaining peace and security in and outside of their homes. I speak especially
of the women in the Bangsamoro, who have endured the burden of strife, and
who must now secure their places in the public sphere as equal partners in peace
and development.
***
The road to peace has not been easy. The momentum toward peace almost
ground to a halt last January, when Special Action Forces of the Philippine police
launched an offensive against militants belonging to the Jemaah Islamiyah. The
operation took place in the vast marshland of Central Mindanao where MILF
members also reside.
It ended disastrously, in a firefight that involved the police and different

armed groups in the area, including the MILF. About seventy Filipinos died,
with many more wounded.
The casualties could have been avoided if the police had observed the
ceasefire protocols. Most of those killed were policemen, and their deaths
rightfully generated public sympathy for the police but also stoked the flames
Georgetown University, Washington DC22 April 2015
139
of resentment against the MILF, the peace agreement, and the draft law that
would establish a new autonomous government in Muslim Mindanao.
Before long, the public discourse slid into bigotry against the Moros, the
MILF, as well as Muslims in general. Centuries of distrust and hatred resurfaced.
Lost in the vitriol were the goals of the process: to stop the bloodletting that had
counted more than 120,000 lives lost in combat since the 1970s; to bring to the
fold the biggest non-state armed group in the country, and enable its moderate,
reformist leadership to prevail over the more radical and violent ideologues.
As I speak right now, the ceasefire remains in place. But the vision of lasting
peace is being shut out by the narrow horizons of certain political elites, and
by a public fed with misinformation and driven by prejudices bordering on
Islamophobia.
And misogyny, too. If former secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton has been
called a funny lady in the course of her drive to find peaceful solutions and
creative compromises in one area of conflict, I in turn have been called a dumb
bitch, a traitor, and a weak negotiator who bartered away the country to the
Muslims/Moros.
Ms. Clinton wrote in her book, Hard Choices: It is the unfortunate reality
that women in public life still face an unfair double standard an outrageous
sexism, which shouldnt be tolerated in any country.
I know only too well how true this is. Yet we have gone this far in our peace
process. There should be no turning back.
I am now a grandmothermy granddaughter, along with my sister Sheila
Coronel, is here with me today. I dont want Kaleigh Ysabelle here to inherit a
country divided by prejudice, dishonored by sexism, and stunted by the narrow
vision of members of its political class.
I have met many, many grandmothers in Mindanao who reject the same,
and ask for respect and dignity for all.
Thank you Georgetown University Institute for Women, Peace, and
Security for this award, and to all you ladies and gentlemen for making peace
and rejecting war.
Special thanks also to all the other men and women who have provided our
work with all the back-up support. Maraming salamat po.
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Awarding Ceremony, Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for Advancing Women
Chair Ferrer receives the Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for Advancing
Women in Peace and Security from former US Senator and Secretary
of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (center) and Georgetown University
President John J. DeGioia at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
on April 22 (April 23, PH time). (Photo by Georgetown University)
Awardees of the Hilary Rodham Clinton Award for Advancing Women

in Peace and Security GPH Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer
and Staffan de Mistura (center), UN and Arab League Envoy to Syria,
with Georgetowns Institute for Women, Peace and Security Executive
Director Melanne Verveer (far left), former US Secretary of State Clinton,
and Georgetown University President DeGioai. (Photo by Georgetown
University)
Ceremonial Decommissioning
of MILF Weapons and Combatants
16 June 2015
Old Provincial Capitol, Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao
If You Want Peace, Prepare for Peace
Mohagher Iqbal
is Excellency President Benigno Simeon Aquino III; MILF Chair

Brother Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and other members of the MILF Central
Committee, especially the Second Vice Chairman Ali Solaiman and Chief of
Staff of the Military Organization of the MILF Brother Sammy Al-Mansoor;
Cabinet Secretaries who are with us this morningSecretary Teresita Ging
Deles, Secretary Mar Roxas, Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Secretary Corazon
Dinky Soliman, and Secretary Luwalhati Antonino; His Excellency the
Malaysian facilitator Datu Tengku Abdul Ghafar Tengku bin Mohamed;
Ambassador Neil Reeder of Canada; Ambassador Erik Frner of Norway;
Ambassador Haydar Berk, Chair of the Independent Decommissioning Body;
members of the House of Representatives who are with us this morning
Representative Bai Sandra Sema, Representative Oaminal, Representative
Sacdalan, and Representative del Rosario; the Chief of Staff of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr.; OIC PNP Chief
Leonardo Espina; Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman; Governor Lala TalinoMendoza; Governor Ismael Toto Mangudadatu; His Eminence Cardinal
Orlando Quevedo; Grand Mufti Abu Huraira Udasan; members of the GPH
and MILF peace panels and peace mechanism bodies; other local government
officials present; officials and staff of the Independent Decommissioning Body
led by Ambassador Haydar Berk; former EU ambassador Alistair MacDonald,
head of the Third Party Monitoring Team; members of the international contact
group; and of course Major General Sheik of the International Monitoring
Team; ladies and gentlemen: Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatuh
and a very, very pleasant morning.
We are at a crossroad. After over seventeen years of hard and long
negotiationsand now bound by strong partnershipwe are confronted with
the reality of two situations.
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Old Provincial Capitol, Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao16 June 2015
143
The first road leads us to a dark and fearful Bangsamoro areawithout hope,
without peace, and without justice. It leads to a Bangsamoro where peoples lives
are shorter, where children do not have good education, where young men and
women have no jobs, where natural resources are exploited to the detriment of
the Bangsamoro people. It leads to a Bangsamoro where fear and insecurity reign
and tyranny continues. It is a sad and terrible wasteland. This is the preferred
scenario painted by those who do not want a good BBL or Bangsamoro Basic
Law to pass into law.
The second road leads to a Bangsamoro that is prosperous and free. It is a
Bangsamoro where children can dream to be whoever they want to be and are
given the opportunity to reach their dreams. It is a Bangsamoro where people are
healthy and live their lives in accordance with their deepest values and religion. It
is a Bangsamoro that is at peace and one with their brother and sister Filipinos.
It is a Bangsamoro with a bright future. This is the hope and aspiration of the
Philippine government under His Excellency President Benigno Simeon Aquino
III and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front led by Brother Chair Al Haj Murad
Ebrahim. This is also the hope and sincere expectation of the Government of
Malaysia, as third country facilitator, under His Excellency Prime Minister Dato
Sri Haji Mohamman Najin bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak.
Now the question: Which Bangsamoro do we choosea dark and insecure
Bangsamoro? Or a Bangsamoro that is happy and peaceful?
We, in the MILF, have made a choice. We choose a Bangsamoro that is

happy and peaceful. We choose security over insecurity. We choose freedom over
tyranny. We choose development over poverty. That is our choice. We choose it
freely. We choose it for the Bangsamoro. We choose it as well for all Filipinos
who seek peace. And that choice is concretized by deeds and not simply words.
Todays ceremony is about that deliberate and serious choice of the MILF to
be true to our agreements.
Frankly speaking, this decision is one of the most difficult decisions we have
made so far in more than four decades of harsh struggle. Whereas throughout the
course of history, we have always armed ourselves in defense of our homeland,
people, and Islam; but today, we have reversed the natural flow of that long
narrative. We have agreed to undertake this symbolic decommissioning of our
weapons and put them beyond use. We want to show the world that the MILF
will and will always comply with obligations set forth in signed peace agreements.
Today, we say to the whole world: If you want peace, prepare for peace.
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This is the start of our preparation for peacetime in the Bangsamoro by

taking this serious move for decommissioning. It is the first of the many steps
towards the achievement of peace.
People sometimes commit the mistake that firearms are our main strength.
They are wrong. Firearms are not the source of our main strength. We are a
minority in a small nation. We do not have armies. We do not have navies. We
almost have nothing. And yet, our main strength is the love, affection, and faith
of the Bangsamoro people. As long as the Bangsamoro people support us, we
shall persevere and we shall struggle. It is for the Bangsamoro people that we do
everything. The Bangsamoro people is the beginning and the end of our struggle.
In so doing, we beseech the Almighty to reward us in the day hereafter. Once
again, we say with more vigor: If we want peace, prepare for peace.
Thank you and good day to all!
Hours before the start of the program proper, members of a Joint Peace and Security Team (JPST)
brief the 145 men who made up the first batch of MILF-BIAF members decommissioned in June
2015. The former combatants underwent a registration process and have since been provided
basic services and capacity-building interventions through the Task Force for Decommissioned
Combatants and their Communities (TFDCC). (Photo by OPAPP)
Speech

ahal na Presidente Benigno Simeon Aquino III; members of the

Cabinet; members of the diplomatic community; ang atin pong mga
iba pang opisyales tulad ng government secretaries at undersecretaries; ang
opisyales po ng PhilHealth na isang malaking component ng ating isasagawang
decommissioning ngayong araw na ito; mga kinatawan ng Kongreso
Representative Oaminal, Representative Sacdalan, Representative del Rosario,
Representative Dina Abad, Representative Bai Sandra Sema, Representative
Jeffrey Ferrer; ARMM officials led by regional Governor Mujiv Hataman,
the members of the legislative assembly; Gov. Mangudadatu and his mayors;
Gov. Lala Talino and her mayors; ang ating mga kapatid mula sa MILF-Chair
Ebrahim Murad, Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal at iba pang kasama ng kanyang
negotiating panel, BIAF Chief Sammy Al Man Sur, central committee members,
at ang iba pa pong mga kasapi ninyo ngayon.
Mga kasapi ng ating mga mekanismo sa prosesong pangkapayapaan, huwag
po kayong magugulat, napakarami po nito:
Ang ating Malaysian facilitator Tengku Dato Ghafar; ang ating panels
kasama ko po ngayon ang iba pang kasapi ng government panels na sina dating
secretary Senen Bacani at Secretary Yasmin Busran Lao; ang JNC o ang Joint
Normalization Committee na siyang nangangasiwa sa kabuuang programa
ng normalisasyon sa pamumuno ni Usec. Zenonida Brosas at saka Mohamed
Nasif ng MILF; ang ating Independent Decommissioning Body na siyang
mangangasiwa sa decommissioning sa pamumuno ni Ambassador Haydar Berk;
ang Third Party Monitoring Team na magbabantay sa lahat ng implementasyon
na isasagawa natin sa kabuuan ng Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro,
sa pamumuno ng dating EU Ambassador na si Ginoong MacDonald; ang TJRC
o ang Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission na magbibigay sa atin
ng kanilang rekomendasyon kung anong dapat isagawa para maging tuloy-tuloy
na yung reconciliation and healing sa ating mga lugar na datiy apektado ng
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conflict; ang ating International Monitoring Team sa pamumuno ni Gen. Sheik

at ang kanyang mga componentssocioeconomic component, humanitarian,
rehabilitation and development component, security component at civilian
protection component; ang CCCH, ang ating Ceasefire Committee; ang ating
AHJAG o Ad Hoc Joint Action Group; ang ating JPSC o ang Joint Peace and
Security Committee; ang ating Task Forces on Camps Transformation at ang
isasagawa din nating Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants; ang mga
kasapi ng Bangsamoro Transition Commission.
Other international agencies at NGOs tulad ng UNDP, JICA, World Bank
at iba pa; civil society leaders, religious leaders, Cardinal Quevedo.
Napakarami po natin dito sa ating peace process. At dito rin naman

nagmumula ang ating lakas: sa ating mga pinagsama-samang kakayahan, sa
ating samahan tungo sa hinaharap na walang digmaan, may kaginhawaan, at
may pagkilala sa dangal at karapatan ng lahat.
Ang papel ko po ngayon ay ipahayag sa inyo ang ating layunin ngayong
araw na ito. Ano pa nga ba ang layunin natin?
Wala na sigurong iba kundi upang ipagpatuloy ang ating nasimulan. Our
main purpose here indeed is nothing else but to continue what we have started.
Sa kahabaan ng panahon natin nag-peace talk, sa labing-limang buwan na
sinimulan natin ang full blast implementation mula nang pirmahan natin ang
CAB noong Marso 2014, marami tayong naging pagsubok.
Naantala tayo sa kalakhan ng ating itinakda. Niyanig tayo sa init ng mga
tanong na itinapon sa atin sa harap ng mga kamerat matinding alingasngas ng
radyo na bumatikos sa ating layunin at gawa.
Ngunit andito pa rin tayoipinagpapatuloy ang ating programang

normalisasyon, kasama na itong usapin ng decommissioning ng mga baril at iba
pang uri ng armamento ng MILF, at ang pagbabalik ng mga MILF combatants
tungo sa buhay sibilyan.
Ang desisyong ito ay hindi naging madali. Hindi ito isang subo ng kanin,
na dahil mainit ay basta iluluwa na lamang. Ito ay isang paninindigan.
Ano nga ba ang ibig sabihin ng decommissioning? Unang-una sa lahat,
hinding-hindi natin ginagamit ang salitang surrender o pagsuko dahil itong
prosesong ito ay naging bunga ng isang pag-uusap na nakabatay sa hustisya.
The process will fully respect the dignity of everyone concerned. To put beyond
useito ang ginagamit nating expression kaugnay ng decommissioning, isang
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sitwasyon na wala nang gamit, wala nang silbi ang baril, wala nang saysay na
makipagdigma, dahil ang problema ay nahanapan na ng kalutasan.
Ngayong araw na ito, pormal nating binubukas ang decommissioning

component ng kabuuang programa ng normalisasyon. So today we will formally
open the decommissioning component of our normalization program. Bagamat
ngayon ang pormal na pagbubukas, hindi ibig sabihin na ngayon lamang
inumpisahan ang gawaing ito.
Noong nakaraan taon, itinayo na natin ang Independent Decommissioning
Body. Kasama po natin sila ngayon: ang Ambassador at special envoy mula sa
Turkey na nakatalaga dito na si Ambassador Haydar Berk; si Gen. Wilhelmsen
mula sa Norway; si Major Aiman mula sa Brunei; retired General Rey Ardo ng
AFP; Prof. Mayong Aguja; at mula naman sa MILF, si Ginoong Von Al Haq
atsaka si Jannati Mimbantas.
IDB Member retired LtGen. Rey Ardo (left) guides MILF Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and President
Benigno S. Aquino III as they inspect the 75 weapons and firearms of the MILF that were
decommissioned. Also with them are GPH Peace Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer and
OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles. (Photo by OPAPP)
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Noong Janaury 16, inabot ng MILF ang listahan ng unang pitumputlimang baril na made-dekomisyon. (Yan ang nakikita ninyo ngayon dito sa
inyong likuran.)
Samantala, noong isang taon pa sinimulan ng Institute of Bangsamoro

Studies ang pag-survey sa lahat ng mga MILF combatants, kasama na ang 145
na nandito ngayon, upang malaman ang kanilang background, pati na personal
at pangkomunidad na pangangailangan. At ngayon matutuklasan po natin ang
first 145 na made-decommission for todays formal opening. On the average
sila ay 46.4 years old, kalakhan ay mga Iranun at Maguindanao, at mga beterano
ng 2000 war.
Natapos na natin ang batayang protocol na gagabay sa kabuuan ng gawain

ng decommissioningpaglilinaw sa phases, tungkulin ng tinatawag nating
Joint Verification and Monitoring Team na magsu-supervise doon sa ating
arms storage area, ang ating mga JPSTs (na makikita niyo dito nakatayo sila),
at iba pang mga kailangan natin para masigurado na magiging ganap at ligtas
sa ano mang delikadong pangyayari ang ating isinasagawang decommissioning.
The 145 Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) combatants undergo the process of registration
on 16 June 2015. The BIAF is the armed wing of the MILF. (Photo by OPAPP)
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Ang mga opisina para sa IDB at ang mga mekanismo natin dito sa Cotabato
city ay naisaayos na.
Nakapagdaos na tayo ng training para sa siyam na kasapi ng JVMAT at
tatlumpung JPST na mapoposte dito sa arms storage site. Iba-ibang topic
din ang napag-aralan ng mga JPST tulad ng information-gathering, forensic
photography, security management, at protocols.
Naitalaga na natin ang mga kasapi ng ating Task Force for Camps
Transformation para sa anim na previously acknowledged MILF camps na siyang
mangangasiwa sa socioeconomic development program dito sa mga pamayanan
at sa general area nitong mga natukoy na kampo.
Napagkasunduan na rin ang pagtatayo ng Task Force for Decommissioned

Combatants and their Communities na siya namang magsusubaybay sa mga
nadekomisyon na kasapi ng BIAF.
Ang lahat ng ito ay ipinagpatuloy natin habang itinutulak natin ang

pagpapasa ng draft BBL sa Kongreso, bagay na hindi naging madali. Kung sa
bagay, wala naman yatang madali sa prosesong pangkapayaan. Kung madaling
makamit ang kapayapaan, matagal na siguro tayong mapayapang bansa.
Natatamasa na sana natin ang gandat potensyal ng isang mapayapang mundo.
Matuturing din na isang dry run itong activity natin ngayon. Your honors,
your excellencies, our IDB will show you and the rest of the people here the
process that would take place for each and every weapon and combatant set for
decommissioning in the next phases. Alam niyo po na marami pa iyan, libo-libo
pa ang mga susunod.
Maski na dry run o symbolic pa lamang itong tinatawag nating Phase 1,

hindi matatawaran ang intensyon at layuning ipinahihiwatig natin. We draw
your attention to the twenty-four crew-served weapons here: RPGs, barretts, and
mortars that are going to be part of the first batch of decommissioned weapons.
These are weapons that belong to organized armies. The turning in of these
weapons to the IDB by the MILF represents the big decision that the MILF,
through their leaders here today, have madeto undergo a transformation; from
being an armed group into a social movement; from an army at war, to disciples
of nonviolent social change. Pinupuri natin ang desisyon ng Batch 145 na kasapi
ng MILF na manguna at maging pioneer dito sa decommissioning of combatants.
Noong nakaraang buwan, sila naman ay nakapiling na natin. Narinig na
natin ang kanilang kahilingan: Ituloy natin itong ating nasimulan. Kami rin ay
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Gracing the Ceremonial Decommissioning of MILF weapons and combatants are (from left): GPH
Peace Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer, DILG Sec. Mar Roxas, MILF Chair Al Haj Murad
Ebrahim, President Benigno S. Aquino III, OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles, Malaysian Facilitator
Tengku Dato Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed, DND Sec. Voltaire Gazmin, MinDA Chair Luwalhati
Antonino, IDB Chair Amb. Haydar Berk, ARMM Reg. Gov. Mujiv Hataman, and MILF Peace Panel
Chair Mohagher Iqbal (not in photo). (Photo by OPAPP)
katulad ninyo, sabi nila. Gusto rin namin ng marangal na hanapbuhay. Pagnanasa
rin namin ang maaliwalas na kinabukasan para sa aming pamilya. Hangad din
namin ang mapayapat maunlad na pamayanan. Kayo, kami ay pareho lang. Lets
give peace a chance. Ibalik natin ang tiwalat pagmamahal sa isat isa.
Sa madaling salita, ano nga ba ang rationale nitong pagtitipon natin? Ano
nga ba ang dahilan kung bakit andito tayo ngayon?
Wala na sigurong iba kundi: because we choose peace. Because we are staying
the course of peace, sa hirap at ginhawa, in sickness and in health. Hanggang
makarating tayo sa ating inaasam na patutunguhan.
Magtulungan po tayo.
Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.
Speech
Ambassador Haydar Berk
CHAIR, INDEPENDENT DECOMMISSIONING BODY
s the three foreign members of the Independent Decommissioning Body

(IDB) from Turkey, Norway, and Brunei, we are here upon the invitation
of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF (Moro Islamic
Liberation Front) to help with the decommissioning of weapons and combatants
of the MILF within the framework of the Comprehensive Agreement on the
Bangsamoro. We also have four local members, two from the Government and
two from the MILF. We are: Mr. Jan Erik Wilhelmsen from Norway; Major
Muhammad Aiman Syazwi bin Haji Abdul Rahim from Brunei; Retired
Lieutenant General Rey Ardo and Dr. Mario Aguja from the GPH; and Mr.
Von Al-Haq and Jannati Mimbantas from the MILF.
As the IDB head, I want to thank the governments of Brunei and Norway
for their support to the IDB. As chairman, on behalf of the members of the
IDB, I would like to underline that we are proud to be part of this historic,
courageous peace process. We will perform the important task entrusted to us
meticulously and objectively.
Mr. President, together with Chairman Murad, you are writing history and
we want to congratulate both of you. I have no doubt that not only the present
generation, but also the next generations in the Philippines will admire your
visionary statesmanship as they enjoy peace and stability. The impact of this
process is not limited to the Philippines. It will also send strong signals of peace
and cooperation to the whole region and beyond.
They say that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat
it. Today, we are realizing the first decommissioning; decommissioning of
seventy-five firearms and 145 combatants. Although it is regarded as a symbolic
one, it will be a role model for the subsequent ones. Besides, we are aware of
the difficulties of the way to peace. And, despite all these difficulties, I believe
this ceremony is a very significant step that demonstrates the sincerity and
commitment of the MILF to peace.
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152
Decommissioning is by no means surrender but a voluntary process in

accordance with the Comprehensive Agreement and its annexes. It is an integral
part of the overall peace process that should proceed together with the other
tracks. Decommissioning has two important aspects: decommissioning of the
weapons and decommissioning of the combatants. Today, you see in that area
the seventy-five firearms, fully checked, verified, and validated by the IDB teams.
These weapons will be stored in the designated storage area and will be guarded
by the IDB teams 24/7.
Yes, decommissioning of the weapons is a very important aspect. But, I
believe the second aspect is even more important than the first one. Thats the
decommissioning of the combatants. These 145 combatants committed that, after
this moment, they will be productive civilians. All of them here, they deserve
from us every support and encouragement to establish a normal civilian life
with their families.
Yes, I refer to economic programs. But apart from it, as a normal, civilian
citizen, their safety and security, their rights under the Constitution of the
Philippines should also be ensured.
In concluding, I would like to express my thanks and appreciation, again,

for the trust and cooperation; and indeed for the traditional hospitality of the
Philippines extended to us by both the government and the MILF.
We strongly hope that the parliament will pass the BBL in accordance with
the agreements and we will be dealing with the next major decommissioning
operation soon.
Thank you.
Former IDB Chair Haydar Berk

(second from right) examines
the decommissioned weapons
with President Aquino, OPAPP
Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles,
MILF Chairman Murad, and
IDB member LtGen. Rey Ardo
(ret). Seventy-five high-powered
and crew-served weapons were
turned over at the ceremonial
decommissioning of MILF
weapons last June 2015. (Photo
by OPAPP)
Speech

is Excellency President Benigno S. Aquino III, President of the Philippines,

members of the Cabinet, members of the diplomatic corps, local
government officials, governors, representatives, other government officers in this
event, members of the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB), members
of the ICG, members of the TPMT, NGOs, other international NGOs, CSOs,
UN agencies, excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:
Assalamu Alaikum and good morning.
For some people, the event today is about statistics145 MILF fighters
and seventy-five firearms. But this is not about statistics. This is something
deeply personal to us.
As I look at the faces of each of our 145 brothers here this morning, I see
145 stories of struggle, of pain, of hopelessness, and even of death. Yet I also see
145 stories of hope and faith that indeed peace is near and that all the sacrifices
have been worth it. I see not only their stories but my story as well and the
stories of all the mujahideen that have given their lives, their intelligence, and
their talents to the struggle to protect the Bangsamoro people. What we have
today, then, are not the stories of only 145 fighters.
What we have today are the stories of the whole Bangsamorooppression,

tyranny, and yes, liberation.
The road to this symbolic decommissioning has not been an easy one.
Frankly, within the MILF, our conversations on these matters still continue. This
is expected because the struggle is an integral part of our identity. This decision,
however, is rooted in our firm commitment to comply with the principled
agreements we have signed with the Philippine Government. This decision was
helped in part by the fact that we know that the President understands and feels
what we have been going throughhow it is to be under an oppressive regime,
to thirst for justice and to have a firm resolve that it should never happen again.
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We cannot thank President Aquino enough for his unwavering commitment

in our partnership to build a truly democratic, peaceful, and safe society in the
Bangsamoro.
Today, we begin the long walk towards transformation, not surrender,

to a higher strugglethe start of the transformation of the MILF from an
armed revolutionary organization to a political organization ready to govern
and serve the Bangsamoro people. We are talking about the transformation of
the Bangsamoro from a state of conflict and underdevelopment to a state of
peace and prosperity. But there is more. This is also about the transformation
of the Philippines to become more just, more inclusive, and to granting space
to the Bangsamoro people to direct our lives, as we want it in accordance with
our deepest spiritual values. This symbolic decommissioning signals the start
of the transformation of an old arrangement of control toward partnership and
authority. This symbolic decommissioning symbolizes the return to normal lives
of the simple Bangsamoro.
While today is not yet the completion and culmination of our hopes and
dreams, it is a significant event because today, we proclaim our commitment
to peace, not through words, but through actions. We are a ready and steady
partner in building a new order of peace, security, and development not just for
the Bangsamoro but for all.
Some people think that allowing the start of decommissioning despite the
fact that the BBL is yet to be passed is a sign of weakness. It is not. It is a sign
of strength. For our strength lies not in firearms but in the love and affection of
the Bangsamoro people. Without the support of the Bangsamoro people, we
may have all the arms in the world and yet there will be no victory. But with the
affection and esteem of the Bangsamoro people intact and the platform to pursue
their best interests without undue interference, nothing would be impossible.
To allay the mistaken notion of some members of our society and the gross
misreading of information that some elements of the media seem to be invariable
predisposed to: this event is not a process of surrender.
The weapons that are gathered here are to be submitted to the International
Decommissioning Body (IDB), headed by the representative of Turkey with
members from Norway, Brunei, and two each from the GPH and MILF; and are
to be stored in a designated place agreed on by the Parties. This is an important
point in the decommissioning process that we have to be very clear about, lest
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misinformation is again disseminated that would create confusion and engender

rumors adversarial to the peace process.
Briefly, allow me to rehearse to you what is in the FAB that rationalizes the
event that we are holding today.
Normalization is an Annex to the FAB. An integral process under this

Annex is the phased decommissioning of MILF weaponry with the matching
program of returning our fighting forces to civilian life. But also corresponding
thereto are the reciprocal obligations of the GPH under the same Annex on
Normalization, including the disposition of the six MILF major camps, to be
supervised by the Joint MILF-GPH Task Forces, to allow it to be transformed
into productive communities. Likewise, a process on general amnesty and other
related confidence-building measures that will enhance the return of normalcy
in the area.
I am aware of the question that bugs everyones mind that casts undue
suspicion on the timing of the symbolic decommissioning given that the BBL,
which is the product of the FAB and the CAB, is still facing uncertainty in
Congress. I understand this feeling for I, too, was initially bothered by this
question of timing. However, as Muslims, we have to trust Allah Subhanahu Wa
Taala and affirm our duty and obligation in the peace agreement.
Nevertheless, let me reiterate our publicly pronounced position on the BBL.
We will only accept a BBL that is in compliance with the letter and spirit of
the FAB and CAB and its annexes. This is the official position of the Central
Committee of the MILF.
At any rate, it is our wish and hope that Congress will give full weight to
the peace agreements from where the BBL comes. Allow me to speak in our
own tongue for our people.
On this note, we thank again the President for his continued manifestation
of commitment and support to the peace process, the Malaysian Facilitator,
the Independent Decommissioning Body, representatives of the ICG, IMT,
the different structures and institutions of the GPH-MILF peace process,
representatives of UN Agencies, INGOs, NGOs, CSOs, and all those who
in one way or the other contributed to the advancement of the peace process.
Likewise, to all those who came to grace this historic event, thank you.
Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatuh.
A Step Closer to Peace:

Socioeconomic Programs for Decommissioned Combatants

a araw na ito muli tayong nagsasama-sama sa landas patungo sa kapayapaan

at kaunlaran para sa Bangsamoro, para sa buong bansa.
Ilang dekada na ang nakalipas mula nang umusbong ang armadong
tunggalian sa lupain ng Mindanao. Ito ay naglikha ng ilang henerasyon ng mga
mandirigmatangan ay mga baril at bala, imbis na araro at punla.
Marami sa atin ay hindi kayang isipin kung paano mamuhay ang isang
armadong mandirigma, pero marahil, marami sa mga mandirigma ay hindi na
matandaan kung paano mamuhay na isang sibilyan.
Sa pamamagitan ng prosesong pangkapayapaan, ating ipinapaalala at
ipinapa-pangarap na muli ang isang pamumuhay na maunlad, at tahimik mula
sa putok ng mga baril.
Alam natin na hindi madali ang dadaanan ng prosesong itokailanman
ay hindi naging madali ang pagbabagong buhay nang walang katiyakan at
nangangailangan ng mga bagong karunungan at kakayahan. Kaya nga narito ang
mga ahensyanarito kami upang tumulong at umalalay sa inyong paglalatag
ng armas at pagbabalik o pagtahak sa buhay sibilyan.
Alam naming hindi ito madali para sa inyo. Sa pagkakasabi ni Chairman
Iqbal, ito na ang pinakamalaking sakripisyong gagawin ng hanay ng MILF,
pero ito ay isang sakripisyong kusa nilang gagawin sa ngalan ng kapayapaan.
Kaantabay niyo po kami sa mga bagong hakbang na inyong tinatahak
patungo sa payapang buhay. Ang aming pangako ay isang programa sa ilalim ng
Normalization component na tutulong upang tuluyang maging matagumpay at
makabuluhan ang inyong pagwawaksi sa pakikidigma at pagpasok sa tahimik
na pamumuhay.
Ang programang ito ay ang maghahatid ng socioeconomic development
packages para sa mga miyembro ng MILF na sasailalim sa decommissioning.
Sa pamamagitan ng programang ito, sisikapin nating matutugunan ang mga
pangangailangan hindi lamang ng mga dating combatants, kundi maging ang
mga pangangailangan ng mga komunidad na kanilang kinabibilangan.
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Sa simula pa lamang ay magkakaroon tayo ng individual profiling ng

bawat isang combatant na tutukoy hindi lamang sa mga pangangailangan nila
kundi maging sa kanilang mga personal na layunin at pangarap habang sila ay
sumasailalim sa proseso ng normalization. Upang matiyak na ang socioeconomic
development packages na ating ihahatid ay akma para sa kanila, mayroon tayong
caseworkers na gagabay at susubaybay sa ating mga combatant, na magiging
katuwang ng GPH-MILF Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants and
their Communities.
Para sa taong ito, anim na ahensiya ng pamahalaan ang bahagi sa pagbuo
ng socioeconomic development programs para sa mga combatant, kabilang
ang Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Agriculture
(DA), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth),
at ang Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Pagaaralan at pamamahalaan din ng Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants
and Communities kung ano ang mga socioeconomic interventions na angkop
para sa mga mag-aaral at komunidad na pinangagalingan nila para tuluyang
maipaabot ang rehabilitation o pangmatagalang kaunlaran.
Sa kabuuan, 2.4 bilyong piso ang inilaan sa 2015 budget upang tiyaking
tuloy-tuloy ang implementasyon ng programang ito. At upang masigurong
sapat ang pondo para sa mga socioeconomic packages na nasa ilalim nito,
kasalukuyan ding pinag-aaralan ng mga Panel ang posibilidad ng pagbuo ng
Normalization Trust Fund, alinsunod na rin sa Annex on Normalization. Patuloy
ang pakikipagdiskusyon natin sa World Bank at sa United Nations upang
maisakatuparan ang planong ito.
Sa ngayon ay hindi ko na ide-detalye pa ang mga socioeconomic
development packages na tatanggapin ng mga combatant na dadaan sa prosesong
ito na pinangungunahan ng 145 na kapatid na kaharap natin ngayon. Ang
mahalaga: Sa pagsalubong natin sa kanilang pagbabalik sa buhay-sibilyan,
sila ay magkakaroon ng pagkakataong makapagsimulang maghanapbuhay; ng
pagkakataong makapagtapos ng pag-aaral; ng pagkakataong muling mangarap
ng isang tahimik, mapayapa, at kapaki-pakinabang na buhay para sa kanilang
mga pamilya, para sa Bangsamoro, at para sa bansa.
Tunay na akma ang pangalan ng prosesong ito ng normalization, dahil ito
ang tanging nilalayon ng buong Comprehensive Agreement: ang maranasan
naman ng mga pamilya at komunidad sa Bangsamoro kung ano ang ibig sabihin
ng normal o pangkaraniwang pamumuhay. Ang makatamasa naman ang mga
naninirahan dito ng mataas na kalidad ng buhay sa isang ligtas at tahimik na
kapaligiran, kung saan sila ay makahahanap ng mabunga at pangmatagalang
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kabuhayan, at kung saan sila ay makalalahok sa isang mapayapa at demokratikong

lipunan.
Sa tagal ng armadong tunggalian sa Mindanao, para bang naging normal
o pangkaraniwan nang ikabit ang hidwaan at gulo hindi lang sa bahaging ito
ng bansa, kundi pati sa mga naninirahan dito. Hindi na natin ito hahayaang
magpatuloy. Hindi katanggap-tanggap na maging pangkaraniwan ang gulo at
digmaan sa Mindanao. Ito ang hinahangad natin sa patuloy na implementasyon
ng Comprehensive Agreement: ang pagtataguyod ng panibagong pangkaraniwan
ng kapayapaan, katarungan, at kasaganahan hindi lamang sa Bangsamoro kung
hindi sa buong Pilipinas.
Maraming salamat po.
The weapons turned over

by the MILF (51 higherpowered and 24 crewserve weapons) were
transported in a cargo van
to a safe arms storage
facility prepared by the IDB
in Camp Iranun in Barira,
Maguindanao. These
weapons were secured
by the Verification and
Monitoring Assistance
Team under the IDB (IDBVMAT) with the support
of the JPSTs consisting of
elements from the AFP,
PNP and MILFs BIAF
(above).
JNC Co-Chair NSC Deputy Director Gen. Zenonida

Brosas and JPST members look on as then-IDB Chair
Amb. Haydar Berk (replaced by Amb. Mustafa Pulat in
October 2015) entrusts the key to the storage facility
to the Norwegian VMAT Team Leader in charge of
securing the area.
Talumpati

ilang pambungad, hayaan ninyo pong ibahagi ko ang ilang bagay na naging
palaisipan sa akin sa mga lumipas na taon.
Noong bata pa po ako, noong umuusbong ang karahasan dito, hindi po ba

masasabi nating: Ang pinagmulan ng hidwaan ay ang pananamantala ng iilang
tao, kadalasan Kristiyano, sa mga kababayan natin dito sa Mindanao? Nang
makita ng mga mapanlamang na walang pinag-aralan ang mga nagbubungkal
ng lupa, ipinatitulo nila sa kanilang mga sarili ang mga lupain. Ito ang nagtulak
sa mga kapatid nating Moro na ipaglaban ang nararapat lang sa kanila. Ang
tanong po natin: Kung pang-aabuso sa batas ang ugat ng problema, hindi ba
nararapat lang na batas na kumikilala sa karapatan at kultura ng mga kapatid
nating Muslim ang maging solusyon? Mas mainam sana kung katulad ng
Indigenous Peoples Rights Act, na meron tayo ngayon, ang naging tugon ng
pamahalaan sa panawagan ng ating mga kababayan.
Alam po natin na hindi ganoon ang nangyari. Ipinadala ng gobyerno ang
ilang bahagi ng ating Philippine Constabulary. Nang tumindi ang hidwaan
at di na kayang makontrol ang kaguluhan, ipinadala naman ang Sandatahang
Lakas. Ang nangyari: Imbis na makamit ang kapayapaan ay lalo pang naging
masalimuot ang sitwasyon.
Dagdag pa: Kung ikaw nga ang nasa posisyon ng mga kapatid nating
inagawan ng lupa noong panahong iyon, hindi ka ba mawawalan ng pag-asa kung
lahat ng iyong lapitan ay tila iisa ang tono at ang tugon ay Walang magagawa
diyan? Isipin din po ninyo: Dahil sa alitan dito sa usaping agraryo, na walang
makuhang katarungan, inilagay nila sa kanilang mga kamay ang batas at nagusbungan ang mga grupong armado.
Ang akin po: Kung inaapi ka na at napilitan kang umalis sa sistema, o

labanan pa ito, dahil wala ka nang tiwala, dahil kulang ang kalinga ng Estado,
naging iba kaya ang tugon mo? Matapos nga po ang ilang dekada ng barilan,
matapos magamit ang mga armas, mismong ang ating Sandatahang Lakas na
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ang nagsasabi: Ang solusyon dito sa Muslim Mindanao ay di lang magmumula sa

AFP; ang kailangan ay whole of government approach. Kailangan ng lehitimong
tugon sa mga lehitimong hinaing; kailangang tulungan ang mga naisantabi
nating mga kapatid para magkaroon ng tunay na katarungan.
Nang maging malinaw po ito sa akin, dumating naman ang panibagong

mga katanungan. Kung masyado nang malalim ang mga sugat na ginawa ng
putukan at gantihan, paano pa maipupunla ang tiwala? Pasintabi kay Usec.
Manny Bautista, gagamitin kong halimbawa ang nangyari sa kanyang pamilya.
Inimbitahan noon ang kanyang amang si General Teodulfo Bautista, na
makipagdiyalago sa Sulu para sa kapayapaan. Subalit hindi pala kapayapaan
ang hangad ng kausap niya kundi karahasan. Ang mga ganitong insidente nga
ng karahasan ang nagpalala sa hinagpis na dala ng digmaan para sa maraming
Pilipino, kaya hindi mo maaasahang sisibol ang tiwala sa pagitan ng magkabilang
panig.
Sa ganitong sitwasyon, paano tayo aabot sa isang kasunduang katanggaptanggap sa lahat kung ang mga negosyador mismo ay walang tiwala sa isat isa?
Naisip ko nga po na ilang henerasyon ang bibilangin bago magkaroon ng tunay
na diyalogo. Isa nga po sa mga naging mungkahi ang magkaroon ng palitan ng
mga estudyante sa ating bansa. May mga kabataang taga-Mindanao na mag-aaral
sa Luzon at Visayas; at may mga taga-Luzon at Visayas na mag-aaral naman sa
Mindanao. Sa ganitong paraan, makakabuo ng mas matibay na relasyon ang mga
bagong henerasyon, at kapag sila na ang may tangan ng renda ng kapangyarihan,
makakapag-usap sila bilang magkakaibigan, imbis na bilang magkakaaway na
may kanya-kanyang mahabang listahan ng hinanakit. Matagal na proseso ito,
at malamang ay hindi ko na makikitang nagbubunga ng mga tulad kong hindi
na ganoon kabata.
Ito po ang dahilan kung bakit talagang makasaysayan ang araw na ito. Kung
babalik tayo ng ilang taon, isang napakalayong pangarap lang ang makitang
naglalatag ng armas ang isang armadong grupong matagal nang nakipaglaban
sa pamahalaan. Hindi lang isa, dalawa, o isang dosenang piraso ang armas
na pinag-uusapan natin dito. Ito po ay ilan sa pinakamataas na uri ng armas.
Moderno po ang mga ito at hindi pinaglumaan; ang mga armas na ito, kayang
magdulotat talagang nakapagdulot ngang matinding pagdurusa.
Mga Boss, kailangan ko pong bigyang-diin: Ang mga kapatid nating Moro
ay nangako, at heto ang pruweba ng kanilang katapatan sa ating harapan. Kusangloob pong inilatag ng ating mga kapatid ang kanilang armas. Alam nilang
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nariyan pa rin ang banta ng karahasan mula sa mga private armed groups, pero
sa ginawa nilang ito, tila sinasabi nila sa atin: Kapatid, itong pantanggol namin
sa sarili namin, di na namin kailangan. Buong pagtitiwala naming ipinapaubaya
sa inyo ang aming kaligtasan. Kapatid, itong armas, puwede na naming ibaba
dahil naniniwala kaming kasama namin kayo sa kagustuhan naming baguhin
ang lipunan at buhay namin. Ginagawa nga nila ito kahit nakabitin pa ang
Bangsamoro Basic Law, at mangyayari pa lang ang Bangsamoro Transition
Authority.
Kaya nga po hindi ko masasabing sumusugal tayo sa pakikipag-usap sa

MILF. Tsambahan po ang sugal, at wala kang hawak na pruweba sa kapalaran
mo. Ito pong ginagawa naman natin ngayon ay napakatibay na patunay ng buo
at busilak na pakikiisa ng MILF sa ating usaping pangkapayapaan, at sa kanilang
kahandaang talikuran ang landas ng hidwaan. Iniaabot nila ngayon ang kanilang
palad bilang imbitasyon patungo sa higit na pagtitiwala at pagtutulungan.
Nakakalungkot nga po na ang gustong isagot ng ilan sa ating mambabatas sa
imbitasyong ito ay itigil ang BBL. Imbis na itanong: Paano ko ba mapapabuti
pa ang BBL para matugunan ang hinaing ng mga kababayan natin? tila pinagiisipan pa ng iba ay Paano ko ba ito pipigilan o haharangin?
Sa mga sandaling ito, naiisip kong para tayong nasa isang kasalan o
parang nasa Heart Break Hill doon po sa Boston Marathon. Sa kasalan, ang
sabi po sa atin, naroon ka na nga sa harap ng altar, alam mong siya na ang
pakakasalan mo, pero biglang napapaisip ka: Pipisilin ba niya sa gitna o sa dulo
ang toothpaste? Ibababa ba niya ang takip ng inidoro? Klaro: Mahal na mahal
mo ang pakakasalan mo, at di-hamak na maliliit lang ang mga agam-agam na
ito, pero napapag-isip ka pa rin. Gaya naman sa Heart Break Hill, papunta na
tayo sa katuparan ng ating samahan tungo sa kapayapaan; ngayon pa ba tayo
magkakaroon ng pagdududa kung kaya nating tapusin ang marathon? Bigla
ba tayong panghihinaan ng paniniwala, lalo pat abot-tanaw na ang finish line?
Ito po ang katotohanan: Hindi kalabisan ang hinihiling ng ating mga

kapatid sa Bangsamoro; ang hangad nila, disente at mapayapang pamumuhay,
gaya ng sinumang Pilipino. Kailangan din nating amining nagkulang tayo sa
isat isa: Wala namang nakasulat sa ating relihiyon at batas na kailangan nating
ipagpatuloy ang mga pagkakamali ng nakaraan. Narito na nga po tayo, binibigyan
tayo ng pagkakataong iwasto ang mali. Tatalikuran pa ba natin ito?
Ang masasabi ko po sa inyo: Personal kong tinututukan ang BBL. May
isang pagpupulong nga, kasama ang mga kasapi ng Kongreso, kung saan, sa
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hangarin nating magkaroon ng tunay na meeting of the minds at masagot

ang anumang agam-agam ay inabot kami ng madaling-araw sa paghimay at
pagbubusisi sa draft BBL. Ang gusto nga po natin: pagandahin nang pagandahin
ang batas na ito.
Nakalagay na nga sa kasaysayan natin ang ipinakitang halimbawa ng mga

kapatid natin sa araw na ito. Ilalagay rin sa kasaysayan kung ano ang tugon ng
nakakaraming Pilipino sa magandang ginawa nila. Ang tanong nga natin: Kung
may sampung hakbang para lubusang magkalapit, at ginawa na nila ang siyam at
kalahating hakbang, ipagkakait mo pa ba yung natitirang kalahating hakbang?
Pag harap mo ba sa salamin, hindi ka ba uusigin ng iyong konsensiya? Kung sa
pagharang mo sa napakagandang solusyon ay umabot ka sa puntong napahamak
ang pamilya mo mismo, mahaharap mo ba sila para sabihing, Sorry, pinigilan
ko kasi ang kapayapaan?
Sa inyo na bumabalangkas ng batas, at sa mga boboto kinalaunan sa plebisito

kaugnay ng BBL: Alalahanin nyo ang araw na ito. Tayong nagpabaya sa kanila,
tayong nagmungkahi ng mga maling solusyon, tayo na hindi naging masigasig sa
pagprotesta at pagpigil sa pang-aabuso sa kanila, aagawin ba natin sa kanila ang
pagkakataong mabuhay nang may dignidad at matiwasay? Panghahawakan ba
natin ang mga takot na wala namang basehan? Gusto ba talaga nating magbalik
sa mga nasubukan nang solusyon pero di naman gumana at nanganak lang ng
mas maraming hidwaan, at nagpalalim lang sa sugat ng kawalang-tiwala?
Dito ko nga po naalala ang sinabi ng isang pastor na Aleman na si Dietrich

Bonhoeffer. Isa po siyang pastor na pinatay nang panahon ng mga Nazi sa
Germany: First they came for the communists, but I was not a communist so
I did not speak out. Then they came for the socialists and the trade-unionists,
but I was neither so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was
not a Jew, so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no
one left to speak out for me. Totoo po: Pag hinayaan mong lapastanganin ang
karapatan ng iba, hindi bat pumayag ka na ring maulit ang ganitong siklo, at
balang-araw ikaw mismo ang puwedeng maging biktima nito?
Mga Boss, bibigyang-diin ko po: Itong dating di natin maisip-isip na
mangyayari, nangyayari na. Nagawa nga po ng mga kapatid natin sa MILF ang
napakalaking hakbang na ito, at maiisip mo: Mahihirapan pa kaya sila doon sa
iba pang mga hakbang? Palagay ko, magiging padali nang padali ang proseso.
Ang panawagan ko po: Suklian naman natin ang pagtitiwalang ipinakita nila sa
atin. Sikapin nating umabot sa puntong masasabi nating talagang binigay natin
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ang lahat ng pagkakataon upang mabago nila ang kanilang buhay at maabot ang
kanilang mga pangarap. Pero ito nga po: Kung ang pananaw mo ay pahirapan ang
pagpasa ng batas, para mo na ring sinabing ipinagdamot natin ang dapat sanay
sa kanila; sinigurado nating wala silang pagkakataong umangat; ginarantiya
nating di na sila bababa sa bundok. Yan ang katumbas ng pagtutol po sa BBL.
Hindi nga puwedeng sasabihin mong para ka sa kapayapaan, pero
pinahirapan mo ang pagbabalangkas ng BBL. Yun bang di ka na nga nakontento
sa siyam na butas ng karayom, nagdagdag ka pa ng pansampu at panlabing-isa;
parang wala ka nang ibang hangarin kundi siguruhing walang puwang para sa
kapayapaan. Tulungan nga po ninyo ako: Ano po ba ang itutugon ko pag may
nagtanong sa akin, Saan ba yung konsensiya ng mga taong nagpapatagal ng
proseso para magkaroon tayo ng kapayapaan?
Daang libo na ang napinsala at namatay, at di na mabilang ang nawalan ng
tirahan at nasira ang komunidad, dahil sa apat na dekadang hidwaan. Kung di
ka pa papanig sa kapayapaan, ilan pa ang mamamatayan ng mahal nila sa buhay?
Ilang pamayanan pa ang maiipit sa putukan at kawalang seguridad? Ilan ang
naghihirap na lalo pang maghihirap? Gaano pa katagal bago kumatok sa sarili
mong pintuan ang kaguluhan at madamay ang sarili mong mag-anak?
Di po natin maitatanggi: May utang tayo sa mga kapatid natin sa

Bangsamoro. May pagkakataon tayo ngayon upang itama ang naratibo ng
pagdurusang sama-sama nating kinaharap. Panahon na po natin ito. Ito ang
ipinaglaban ng mga nasawi nating kababayan. Ipakita natin sa mga nag-alay ng
kanilang buhay, sa ating mga kababayan, at sa buong mundo: Magkakaiba man
ang ating pinanggalingan at paniniwala, dahil pinagbubuklod tayo ng tiwala
at pagmamalasakit sa isat isa, walang hamong hindi natin kayang lampasan
bilang isang bansa.
Magandang araw po sa inyong lahat. Maraming salamat po.
28th International Meeting for

Peace: Peace Is Always Possible,
68 September 2015
Tirana, Albania
With Trust and Faith, Peace Is Possible

n 27 March 2014, we, the Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front (MILF), respectively represented here by myself and Prof. Abhoud
Lingga, signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
The Community of SantEgidio was a living witness to this event and
the many rounds of negotiations before the signing. The Community sits as a
member of the International Contact Group (ICG). It was ably represented by
none other than Seors Alberto Quartucci and Roberto Pietrolucci. I note with
honor and pleasure that also represented here is a member of the ICGthe
Indonesia-based Muhammadiyahwhich Prof. Din Samsyuddin, who is also
here with us in this panel, until recently chaired.
The International Contact Group is our own version of the third-party
Friends of the Process who accompanied the peace negotiators and the
Malaysian facilitator as observers, facilitators, advisers, and partners in the journey
to peace. (You can see all of us in this photo as we celebrated the signing of the
last annex to the agreement.)
It took seventeen years of negotiations to get us that peace agreement.
Many mini-wars before and even during the talks had erupted in the southern
part of the Philippines, where the minority Muslims or Moros, live. More than
120,000 people have died since the 1970s up to the 1990s. Millions have been
displaced from time to time. Children missed school, properties were destroyed,
and sickness haunted the evacuation centers.
What made the peace agreement that we are now implementing possible?
How did we get this far in our peace process despite the huge gap that divided us?
Social scientists talk about concepts like the balance of power, a hurting
stalemate, war fatigue, and so on as elements that affect the environment for
peaceful solutions.
All these do come to play. But there were definitely two things that made
the comprehensive peace agreement between us possible. Without these two,
we would not have gone this far.
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28th International Meeting for Peace
MILF Panel Member Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga (second from left) and GPH Panel Chair Prof. Miriam
Coronel Ferrer (second from right) during their panel discussion on September 7 at the International
Meeting of Peace organized by the Catholic lay organization, Community of SantEgidio in Tirana,
Albania. (Photo by the Community of SantEgidio)
These two elements are none other than trust and faith.
There were good reasons for the two parties to hesitate to trust each other.
Historical distrust due to legacy of Christianization under 500 years of Spanish
colonial rule and fifty years of the American colonial regime bred this distrust.
The Islamic sultanates resisted. Over the centuries, the Moros thus evolved a
different collective narrative and identity, different from the Filipino majority.
Outbreaks of hostilities, breakups of the 1997 ceasefirein 1999, 2000, 2001,
2008made wounds fresh. On and off peace talks did not build confidence in
both parties and among the general public.
When President Benigno Aquino III came to power in 2010, his
administration took extra steps to rebuild the trust.
In August 2011, the first face-to-face meeting happened between the
President and the head of the MILF, Ebrahim Murad. This extraordinary step
opened doors and allowed fresh air in.
Tirana, Albania68 September 2015
167
Chair Ferrer (above) engages the audience with Nigerian Catholic Archbishop Kaigama Ignatius
Ayau (left) and Syrian Orthodox Church Archbishop Kawak Dionysius Jean listening intently. (Right
photo) MILF Panel Member Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga sits as one of the speakers in the same
session. (Photos by the Community of SantEgidio)
Government has steadfastly defended the process before its many critics.
To the cry, All-Out War! it responded with All-Out Justice.
Government leadership stayed the course amid all the unfortunate violence
in these areas.
This is, after all, not a simple problem. There are many other armed groups
and different stakeholders such as the migrants who have settled here, and the
non-Moro indigenous peoples. Many see the complexity as reason to doubt the
process, or any process for that matter, as all complexities cannot be solved by
one process alone.
For its part, the MILF took pains to show that it was worthy of the trust. It
pledged that it would indeed demobilize and participate in democratic politics
through civic and party organizations.
For example, despite uncertainties, MILF cadres have proceeded with
building their political party called the United Bangsamoro Justice Party. Many
trainings have been conducted to prepare them for their future roles.
Last January, MILF forces mistakenly engaged police forces, resulting in

the death of forty-four policemen, eighteen MILF combatants, members of
other armed groups in the community, and several civilians. The public uproar
almost brought down the peace process.
As a measure of goodwill, the MILF agreed to return the weapons seized
from the government police.
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Last June, we began the process of decommissioning MILF weapons and

combatants. These weapons have been stored in a site that is jointly guarded
by the Independent Decommissioning Body, and the government and MILFs
Joint Peace and Security Teams.
The many joint activities have kept this trust strong and worthy. Among such
undertakings are: maintaining the ceasefire, cooperatively dealing with ceasefire
violations, launching socioeconomic programs like the Sajahatra Bangsamoro,
repairing school buildings and providing free medical service and haircuts in
remote schools, and taking steps to decommission the weapons and combatants,
among others.
But trust alone was not enough to sustain our process. We needed to have
faith because that trust is challenged by every difficult phase of the process and
unwanted incidents. It can be challenged especially by those others who do not
trustpoliticians, other leaders, or ordinary folk who do not believe in giving
this peace a chance.
To give peace its best shot, we also needed to have faith to see us through.
This faith can be secularthe belief in social justice, in the humanity of all,
in the capacity of the other to deliver their part of the agreement.
It can be religious faithbelief in the sanctity of creation, that God shall help
those who help themselves, that the just shall be rewarded, that His will shall be
done. That in the bigger domain of the universe, there shall be order in chaos.
Without the trust in each other and the faith that our good intentions will
see us through, our process would not have withstood all the challenges. We
would have doubted and waivered.
Without trust in the other we become stingyfor instance in the kind of law
that we will pass to institute the Bangsamoro autonomous government. Or even
begrudge our patience, openness and understanding, and our financial resources.
Only with trust and faith can we have the generosity of spirit and the
compassionate understanding that are essential to make peace in Mindanao
peace on Earthpossible.
Therefore, we continue our efforts to build the trust and the faith in our
peace process on the Bangsamoro, in Mindanao, before the greater Filipino
public and the bigger community of nations.
Thank you for this opportunity to share with your wonderful community
of the faithful our little story from our part of the world.
Peace Is Always Possible
Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga

MEMBER, MILF PEACE PANEL
e thought that there was no possibility for peace in Mindanao after

prolonged conflict when more than 50,000 people died, more than a
million of the population experienced displacement, and the economic cost of
the conflict ran to several billions of dollars.
But with the strong commitment of the Government of the Philippines
(GPH) and the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to
pursue peace, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) was
reached by the parties last 27 March 2014.
Although the implementation of the agreement is equally difficultas we

are experiencing now with the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law
in the Philippine Congresswe are still hopeful that the whole process from
negotiating the terms of the agreement to the implementation of the agreement
will be completed sooner or later.
Hopefully, by that time, not only the people of the Bangsamoro will
experience peace but the people of Mindanao and the whole Philippines.
The agreement itself is a significant milestone in the pursuit for peace in

Mindanao. The CAB shall be the foundation of establishing a new political
entity for the Bangsamoro and defining a new economic relationship between
the Bangsamoro and the Central Government.
Negotiating peace is not that easy. The negotiations between the Government
and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) took twenty-one years and
seventeen years were spent before an agreement was reached between the GPH
and the MILF. Within that span of time several major wars were fought between
the government forces and that of the MILF.
What made the peace agreement possible? My personal reflections are more
on the process rather than the substance.
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Both the Government and the MILF are committed to the supremacy of
the peace process. They believe that negotiations are the preeminent approach
to resolve conflicts.
Salamat Hashim, the founder and first chair of the MILF, in a policy
statement before he died said that the peaceful and civilized way to resolve
the conflict between the Bangsamoro people and the Philippine Government
is through negotiations. Although both parties have their armed forces, they
learned lessons that the military approach does not only fail to resolve, but in
many cases, fuels conflicts.
When both parties reached the conclusion that the status quo is unacceptable,
they were at the level of similar understanding of the problem and finding the
solution to the problem became easier. Differentiating their interests from their
negotiating positions was easy and led them to come to compromise without
leaving behind their respective interests.
It was easy for both parties to start the dialogue by setting aside preconditions. They agreed that contentious issues like independence and the
Constitution would not be brought out in the discussions. The decisions of the
parties to set aside display of flags and other symbols made them unperturbed by
the denotations of symbols and concentration were focused on substantive issues.
While talking peace, Government and the MILF agreed to a ceasefire.

Cessation of hostilities is significant to keep the peace process going and to
preserve whatever gains achieved. It provides space to build confidence among
conflicting parties. Infrastructures were established by both parties to sustain the
ceasefire like the International Monitoring Team, the Coordinating Committees
on the Cessation of Hostilities, the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group, and the local
monitoring teams.
The importance of the third party facilitator is being recognized. In
many instances when there was deadlock, the Malaysian facilitator and the
International Contact Groups assistance was useful to break the deadlock.
Although the negotiations dragged on for a long time, the parties kept
on talking peace. The conflict between the Philippine Government and the
Bangsamoro liberation fronts is violent and resulted in large-scale wars, but
most of the time they are engaged in peace talks. The destruction to life and
properties would have been incalculable if negotiations were not taking place.
Tirana, Albania68 September 2015
171
The support of civil society organizations and the international community

were indeed invaluable.
With the same faith and commitment of the Government and the MILF to
the peace process, I am hopeful that the second stage of the peace process which
is the implementation of the agreement is possible and peace will be possible.
With this experience, I can say to you that peace is always possible in the
Bangsamoro, and is possible in all parts of the globe. It is also possible that the
way to peace is peacefulthe way of negotiations; the way of conversation; the
way of dialogue.
Delegates and guests from various religious and cultural backgrounds gather during the closing
ceremony of the three-day international peace meeting. (Photo by the Community of SantEgidio)
GPH and MILF Panels

Special Meeting
1011 February 2016
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening statement

atience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
Ladies and gentlemen, its a pleasure to see all of you once again, altogether
with our partners in the Bangsamoro peace process.
A blessed morning to all.
Today could have been a much happier occasion, if only we had the law
that would have moved our roadmap forward in leaps and bounds. But we do
not have the lawyet.
Despite the extraordinary efforts of our teams and all the other tireless
peace advocates and congressional allies who travelled with us in this difficult
journey of a thousand miles, we saw the session days in Congress wither away,
without a BBL in sight.
Still, there is much to be proud about in our hard-fought struggle in the

congressional arena. Hindi matatawaran ang pagsisikap na pinamalas ng lahat. The
President and his office, civil society organizations in Mindanao and elsewhere,
the international community.
As early as July 2014, before the draft law was to be submitted in Congress,
the President in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) appealed: We are
currently forging the proposal for the Bangsamoro Basic Law. We ask for
the Congress understanding regarding this. It is important to scrutinize each
provision we lay down. To the best of our ability, we aim to advance a bill that
is fair, just, and acceptable to all.
In his July 2015 SONA, he again appealed: Now, I wish to talk about
legislation, which I hope will be passed during the term of this Congress. The
most important of these: the Bangsamoro Basic Law. To those who oppose this
measure: I believe that it is incumbent upon you to suggest more meaningful
measures. If you do not present an alternative, you are only making sure that
progress will never take root in Mindanao. Let me ask you: How many more
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GPH and MILF PanelsSpecial Meeting
of our countrymen will have to perish before everyone realizes that the broken
status quo of Muslim Mindanao must change?
From the start of the negotiations, the GPH Panel engaged our legislators.
From the 15th to the 16th Congresses, from then Senate President Juan Ponce
Enrile to Senate President Franklin Drilon, we reported to them, and their
concerned Committees, and sought their advice. Several legislators, moreover,
observed the talks in Kuala Lumpur. A good number also joined exposure trips
in Spain and UK.
With the signing of the CAB, we further saw the honest and faith-full
endeavor to meaningfully engage the legislaturenot by paid lobby groups,
but the people themselves for whom the law mattered, accompanied by their
sympathizers.
As the law entered the legislative mill, MILF leaders in the BTC knocked on
the doors of senators in their offices to seek understanding. They appeared before
congressional hearings, giving a face to the movement that has now effectively
entered the terrain of legislative lobby (and even congressional investigations),
lodged in this other supposedly democratic and representative institution by
which the peoples will can see fruition.
From the battlefields in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago to the
Philippine Congress in Metro Manilait was a huge leap in mindset and
formative socialization of the bearers of Bangsamoro aspirations who trace their
descent in the long tradition of armed resistance fought on land and waters
against the Spanish and American colonial regimes.
The almost day-to-day accompaniment of congressional deliberations also

significantly distinguished itself from the earlier process that produced Republic
Act 9054. At that time, the legislative process was unwittingly abandoned to
take its own course. I know this because I followed the crafting of RA 9054
as part of the study we did at the University of the Philippines assessing the
implementation of the 1996 GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement. In contrast,
the legislative process for the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law was pushed to the
max by the primary advocates themselves.
Of the forty or so amendments introduced by House Bill 5811, the BTC
lobbied for the retention of twenty-eight provisions. These numbers alone
show that it is not true that the proponents would not allow any change in the
original draft. Besides, any lawmaker can still introduce amendments during
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia1011 February 2016
175
the next round of legislative wrestling. But commentators resented this attempt
to reinstate some important provisions. Shouldnt a revolutionary movement
acting as a congressional lobby group in fact be welcomed? The passage of other
controversial laws like the Reproductive Health Law and the Sin Tax Law were
accompanied by the same pushing and steadfastness by lobbyists to preserve
important provisions but they were treated with much less antipathy than the
BBL advocates endured.
Many reasons and theories have been given as to why in the end the
legislative calendar perished without the desired outcome. Luwaran s editorial
cited four reasons. Editorial cartoons tried to capture our thousand sighs in one
freeze frame. I will no longer delve much into this, as the interplay of actors
and action-reaction has been complex, and would require some distance to fully
comprehend.
And so it happened that while the MILF endeavored to exhaust the
legislative process, the 16th Congress simply defaulted.
I remember Mr. Iqbal once describe their situation. We have one foot
inside the door, one foot outside. Help us drag the other foot in, he asked. We
are relieved that we still have that one foot inside the door. But what Congress
(not all the members, but as a collective entity) did was to shut out the other
foot, as if saying: Dyan muna kayo. Huwag nyo kaming madaliin. (Stay
there. Dont rush us.)
Our legislative bout was a fight well fought. We lost several rounds but
each time the peace advocates altogether stood up to continue the fight. Not
for any prize money or fame, but for the just share of the fruits of freedom and
democracy for the Bangsamoro.
My good counterpart, the wise Mr. Mohager Iqbal, also said once: There
is no perfect agreement. I hastened to add: There are no perfect parties to an
agreement, and no perfect bills or laws either.
With humility, we accept the weaknesses and imperfections of our efforts.
We held hundreds of consultations, but apparently we need to do thousands

more. We strained to straighten out the misinformation again and again. We
still need to do even more.
176
We nurtured our ceasefire and were confident in the utility of our protocols.
But we saw how a major lapse in protocol had unleashed deadly, almost kneejerk instincts. Therefore, we must continue to tame our old ways and change the
mindset of the weapon-bearers on both sides of the fence.
From an angry, tight-knit organization, the MILF has increasingly
opened up to the other segments of societythe other indigenous peoples,
the non-Moros, other political forces. The MILF today is a confident MILF,
not a besieged closed organization. It is aware of the need for inclusivity. It is a
pragmatic organization that carefully balances its idealism with realism. It enjoys
the trust and respect of many people in civil society and government who have
worked closely with their members. It has chosen peace.
Still, of course, many difficulties remain. Many people do not yet see the
difference between one Moro group and another believing that because they
live side by side, they are all alike. Nobody would make that conclusion about
Quezon City where I live among drug syndicates, carnappers, rapists, corrupt
government officials, and petty thieves.
Many do not see that the mistake of one need not embody the whole
organization, nor the whole tribe, nor the whole religion and its faithful for
that matter.
For all these reasons, much remain to be done to build and nurture public
trust through dialogue.
Since all our efforts have not been enough, we should do more. We should
listen more, engage more. This cause is ours, and so the main burden is ours. We
shall prevail if we dont give up now. How many times in the past did events
play out to push us almost to the brink of giving up? But precisely because we
persevered, we have reached this far in the process.
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet is a proverb found in many Philippine
languages. In Bicolano: An paciencia mapait, alangad an bunga mahamis.
Similarly, the Tagalog say: Ang sinumang may tiyaga, may palayok na
nilaga. (S/He who has patience, gets to enjoy the pot of boiled meat.)
As for the sum total of where we are now, we have definitely gained. We
have scored net positive points.
177
We have made life better for the people in the periods of sustained ceasefire,
and through the many capacity development programs and socioeconomic
activities that have flourished.
Our efforts have inspired similarly troubled countries. Our peace
infrastructure is serving as a model. Our peace process has the respect and
support of the international community, and the envy of those struggling for
and seeking their own peace accords.
Many of those who were 10-14 year-old children when we started out in
2010 are now about to enter the cusp of adulthood with a stronger sense of the
value of life and human dignity. Instead of learning the ropes of warfare, they
experienced relative peace. Like most children used to hard life, they have solid
dreams for a better future for their families.
We wish these children to continue to acquire the needed skills to wage

peace through the rough-and-tumble of open and democratic politics. In
promoting these nonviolent and democratic values alone to the next generation,
we have already won the peace. These children of today would be more adept
and more upright to the ways of nonviolence to attain justice and democracy
when their time to lead comes. Ultimately, our efforts would bring about the
needed social and political change, and heal the gaping wound of disunity and
misunderstanding among Filipinos.
It is incumbent upon us who have chosen to reject war as the means to do
politics, and who commit to the path of peace and democracy to rally together
to make Philippine democracy work for those who have been at the periphery
of the nations politics. Our armor: a good deal of patience and perseverance
that gives us the moral courage to stay the course.
The Tausug say: Isiyu in matugul siya in makagulgul (S/He who has the
patience and perseveres will achieve the things s/he desires.)
The Waray say: An gahom kanan nagitkos. (Power is for him and her, who
persevere.)
The CAB remains our most viable roadmap, the source of the substance
of the policies and legislation that we will continue to pursue under the next
administration and the 17th Congress.
178
The next administration would be fooldhardy to wage war, and have

everything to gain by upholding this pathway. It will have enough time to see
both the CAB and a CAB-compliant law realized.
As for the best legislative tack in the next Congress, several questions are
relevant: Would it simply entail a refilling of a BBB (Bangsamoro Basic Bill)?
Which version? Are the prospects rife for constitutional change? What to expect?
Who would be the champions for peace and the Bangsamoro?
We believe we will be able to have a better reading of the prospects and the
best tack after the election and the incoming legislators have been determined.
In any case, in the Senate we generally foresee a majority who will be supportive
of a good BBL being obtained. This estimate is based on those who would stay,
those who are rating well in surveys and, moreover, the fact that several of the
contrary ones would no longer be around.
The House probably remains the bigger challenge given these figures:
almost half are re-electionists, a good number are running unopposed, others
are relatives of incumbents, and the rest new entrants or comebacks. While the
next President may also have less of the leverages traditionally wielded by the
chief executive precisely because of the reforms that have been instituted in the
budget system and the illegalization of the PDAF, s/he will enjoy a honeymoon
period and will harvest many of the turncoats and can therefore heavily influence
the movements in the House.
In due time, decisions would have to be made, risks taken. But we have
shown that we are not averse to risks. How else did we get this far?
The only genuine kind of dignity is one that is not diminished by the
indifference of others, said Dag Hammarskjold, the second Secretary-General
of the United Nations.
We have met with adversity. We have cried out against the indifference. But
the integrity of the CAB remains, and the dignity of those who have persevered
is not diminished.
Padayon!
As Is, Where Is
Mohagher Iqbal
he Bangsamoro people shall be free and in order to be free, the Bangsamoro

shall overcome injustice with justice, suffering with compassion, poverty
with generosity, ill will with good, prejudice with understanding, and death
with life.
While the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), a crucial legislation toward

the fulfilment of peace in our land, is not going to happen under the current
administration, there should be no doubt about thisthe Bangsamoro will be
established, InshaAllah. Truth, justice, and goodness will always prevail. It is
only be a matter of time. This is the trajectory of history. Our resolve, patience
and determination to build the Bangsamoro is stronger and more passionate
than ever. This failure to pass the BBL does not weaken us. It strengthens us.
We claim our right to self-determination, to build a better future for our
children free from fear, hunger, and ignorance, to live our lives to conform to
our faith and principles. We claim this. The Bangsamoro is on the right side of
history. Thus, we make this appeal:
To the Bangsamoro people, do not despair. Do not be disheartened. Be

patient. We shall overcome. Console yourselves. The struggle for liberation is a
long path. We need to prepare for a long and arduous journey. But it will be worth
it. There is an end to our sacrifices and sufferings. Your MILF has struggled and
negotiated for you. This is for you, for your children and your childrens children.
To the political leaders in the Bangsamoro, let us unite under the banner
of justice and freedom for the Bangsamoro people. For too many times in the
past and which continues to be true in the present, the elite vested interests
opposed to the Bangsamoro have used our disunity and political fragmentation
as an effective weapon for the continuing oppression of our people. When will
we wake up to see that they are using divide and conquer tactics against us?
When will we wake up to see that until we transcend ourselves and offer it in
the service of the larger and more important task of liberation, we shall never
179
180
succeed to prevent the political, economic, and sociocultural extinction of the

Bangsamoro people?
To the Filipino people, let us work together overcome the barriers to peace,
justice, and reconciliation. Let us end the war, the suffering, the tragedy, and
the pain of our peoples, of the soldiers and our heroic fighters, of our mothers
and sisters, of our children. Let us try to live quiet and peaceful lives. Let us
not continue to live in fear of each other. Let us build a tomorrow for all our
children. We know deep in your hearts that you desire the same things for your
children. You are human. And we are human beings as well. Why cant we treat
each other with dignity and compassion?
To our friends in the diplomatic corps and the international community, we
thank you for your continued solidarity and support to the cause of peace and
reconciliation. Your support, in many ways, helped us forge the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), prevent a return to armed conflict and
minimise the horrific impact of war.
To the Government of Malaysia, the Bangsamoro people looks on with

deep gratitude and thanks to your excellent facilitation and mediation in the
peace negotiations between the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF). The Bangsamoro People will never forget the esteem
that you have bestowed on us. You are a big brother to us!
To President Benigno S. Aquino III and the Philippine Government

negotiating panel, we thank you for negotiating with us in good faith and
for pushing the negotiations closer to what is required to bring justice and
reconciliation. We have learned our lessons. The problem is structural and
systemic.
However, as a result of the failure of government, particularly Congress
to pass the BBL, there is widespread frustration on the ground by our people
and members of the MILF. They accused the government of resorting again to
delaying tactics and just managing the conflict in Mindanao.
In view of this, the MILF and government shall jointly find ways and
means to address this dangerous situation and avoid actions that may increase
the frustrations. We must provide them hope that there is a chance for passage
of a CAB-compliant BBL whoever will be the next president. This must be
in the form of firm and unequivocal commitment from government that it shall
181
continue to comply with its obligations under the CAB, particularly on the passage
of a CAB-compliant BBL, which is a unilateral obligation of government. On the
part of the MILF, we assure everyone including the international community
that we will adhere to the CAB and comply with its obligations. And finally in
order to preserve the gains of the peace process, government and MILF should
journey together in faithfully implementing the CAB, guided by the principle
of as is, where is. In other words, the most immediate step is either the BBL
will be refiled in Congress or a new basic law, faithful to the letter and spirit of
the CAB, will be crafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC),
which will most likely have new faces as members. This is the only way forward.
Thank you, and good morning to all!
(Clockwise from top left) GPH Panel Chair Chair Ferrer

delivers her message during the Panels special
meeting in Kuala Lumpur on 10-11 February 2016,
with other GPH panel members NCMF Sec. Yasmin
Busran-Lao and Senen Bacani listening intently.
MILF Panel Member Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga,
and MILF Panel Member Abdulla Camlian listen
as MILF Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal delivers his
Opening Remarks.
Tengku Dato Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed (center)
with ICG members: (from left) UKs Rupert Compston
and Thomas Phipps, and Conciliation Resources
Emma Leslie and Krsitian Herbolzheimer. (Photos
by OPAPP)
Public Launch of the Transitional

Justice and REconciliation
Commission Final Report
15 March 2016
Alnor Convention Center, Cotabato City
Message

ood morning. Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahitaala Wahbarakatuh. A

peaceful morning to everyone here.
I am pleased to be part of our event this morning, an event which comes

out of our daily, sometimes seemingly futile grappling with questions as we
work to bring to an end more than four decades of internal armed conflict here
in Southern Philippines:
Why do we have wars? Why do people have to suffer so much pain in the
hands of their fellow human beings? And how do we make it all stop? How do
we pick up the pieces left shattered in wars aftermath? How do we even begin
to get back to where we were before war left us battered and wounded and
grieving? How do we make peace with each other when decades-old divides,
exacerbated by war, separate us?
How do we get to that point where, as the Psalm 85:10 announces, Mercy
and truth have met together, justice and peace have kissed?
In different parts of the world, countries have looked for answers in peace
processes that have all too often focused on the armed protagonists without
heeding the voice of the countless victims of war desperately crying out for
justice, and without addressing the deep roots of conflict in historical and
cultural divides. In many cases, the decision to establish mechanisms to bring
transitional justice and foster reconciliation have been made unilaterally, usually
by the state party. Rarely, if ever, have the two parties to the conflict taken the
initiative to make a united decision to undertake this long and difficultbut
ultimately indispensibletask.
This is why, as the TJRC puts it, what we have accomplished here is a
global first with the mutual agreement of the government and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front to include in the peace accords the establishment of an impartial
and independent body mandated to study the legitimate grievances of the
Bangsamoro, historical injustices, human rights violations, and marginalization
183
184
Public Launch of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission Final Report
TJRC Chair M Bleeker briefs guests and participants on the TJRC report, a product of rigorous
consultation conducted across Mindanao since the bodys organization in September 2014, in a
public launch held on March 15, 2016 at Alnor Hotel in Cotabato City and witnessed by various
peace partners both from the public and private sectors. (Photo by TJRC)
through land dispossessioneven while they were still traversing the difficult
negotiating table.
Truly, without justice and reconciliation, there can be no true peace.Without
justice and reconciliation, the most we can hope for is nothing but a prolonged
ceasefire, where the wounds of war never heal and the deep divides it worsens
will never be bridged.
And yet, in our countrys long journey to peace, we have not seen serious
efforts at transitional justice and reconciliation.For the longest time, we have
been struggling to build peace without giving due attention to the necessary tasks
of truth-telling, remembrance, and exacting accountabilities regarding the dark
periods of our national history in order to ensure that these are not repeated,
that grievances are attended to, and divisions are bridged. It is a big missing
part of how we have been dealing with our past and, I believe, the reason why
the dark past keeps reinventing and re-inserting itself in the present, as we are
Alnor Convention Center, Cotabato City15 March 2016
185
again seeing today in the competing narratives of our present national electoral
campaign, threatening and undermining our strivings to achieve a better and
brighter future.
This is why, early on, in the peace process under this administration, the
government had determined that, this time around, we would make sure that
the peace accords we would henceforth sign would include the element of
transitional justice and healing.Thus, as some of you may recall, the 3-for-1
proposal that we proferred during the initial exchange of drafts between the two
parties in 2011 had, as its first component, retelling history.And we, indeed, are
glad that this element found its way, in far clearer, more comprehensive, more
robust terms, in the Normalization Annex, and, thus, fully accept and take on
governments responsibility in this regard.
It is thus our call and our hope that every Filipino would take the time to
read the report that we are launching today. If we are to build the future that
we wantsurely a future where all Filipinos can live in a state of progress and
prosperity under an atmosphere of peace and harmonywe will have to come to
terms with our past. And in dealing with the past, we will have to raise difficult
questions and open conversations on topics we might not all be comfortable
withtopics dealing withquestions of truth, justice, history, and reparations.
This report was crafted precisely to start these conversations, containing, as

it does, recommendations based on the listening process conducted in conflictaffected communities, the work of four Study Groups that covered studies and
reports relating to the TJRCs mandate, an assessment on Dealing with the Past,
and key Policy Interviews that validated the findings and recommendations of
this report. Simply put, in giving us a thorough examination of the past, the
report now offers us a way forward.
We commend and thank everyone who formed part of this whole process,
especially the members of the TJRC: with its chair Ms. M Bleeker, Special
Envoy of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs; GPH delegate, Atty.
Cecilia Jimenez; and MILF delegate, Atty. Ishak Matura; together with GPH
alternate delegate, Atty. Mohammed Al-amin Julkipli, who was very newly
appointed as Commissioner of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos;
and MILF alternative delegate, Atty. Rusty Kalim. We also acknowledge the
invaluable contribution of the TJRC Senior Adviser Mr. Jonathan Sisson, also
of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
186
We know you consulted more than 3,000 individuals spanning 210 Muslim,
Lumad, and Christian communities in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, and
we are truly grateful for every step you took in coming up with this report.We
know that the process could not always have been easy and, particularly for the
community facilitators who worked with you, there are new pains and trauma
that also need healing.The process you chose to undertake is truly a hallmark of
the inclusiveness the Bangsamoro peace process has always striven to embody,
and we have no doubt it will make large strides towards bridging the divides
between our peoples and healing the wounds left by war.
We also wish to give special acknowledgement and thanks to the grassroots

participants of the extensive listening process that, I believe, constitutes
the heart and soul of this report. We thank them for bravely and generously
sharing their stories. Salamat sa lahat ng nagbahagi ng kanilang kwento sa
mahaba at malawak na prosesong ito.Alam ko pong hindi madali, kundi
napakasakit, kahit ang alalahanin lang, lalo na kung ibahagi pa, ang mga hirap
at dusa na pinagdaanan ninyo. Ipinangangako ko na aming laging gagalangin,
pahahalagahan, at bibigyan ng nararapat na saysay ang inyong mga kwento at
mapait na alaala.
With full intent and drawing on all our available resources and powers,
the Aquino government is taking this report seriously. It will not just end up
gathering dust in a filing cabinet somewhere.
To this end, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Noting that the TJRC
Report contains specific recommendations addressed to various government
agencies as to actions that may be taken to help address legitimate grievances
and and correct historical injustices, signed a Memorandum of Instructions
last March 11, directing the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (and I
am now quoting directly from the Memorandum) to: (1) endorse the TJRC
Report to the relevant agencies for the agencies review and assessment; (2)
convene and coordinate with the agencies to work towards the adoption and
implementation of the recommendations; (3) identify and mobilize resources
to support the programs that may be implemented; and (4) encourage and
initiate activities towards the mainstreaming and popularization of the
framework for transitional justice and reconciliation.Finally, The PAPP is
required to present a report to the Executive Secretary on her compliance
with these instructions.
187
In compliance, I will be issuing within this week an Office Order to compose

a working committee composed of representatives from the different relevant
units of OPAPP to undertake the tasks set forth by the Executive Secretary.The
working committee shall work under my direct supervision.We will seek at the
earliest possible time to draw up Memoranda of Agreement to institutionalize
the partnership along these different tasks with selected government agencies,
led by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, the National Commission
on Indigenous Peoples, the Department of Education, the National Historical
Commission, the Claims Board for Human Rights Victims of Martial Law, and
the ARMM Regional Government, particularly its regional human rights body
and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which agencies
have already initiated relevant processes and reforms on which the further work
of truth-telling, memorialization, redress, and reconciliation can build.
We will also work closely with the Peace and Human Rights Desks of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, respectively.
We will further mobilize the Steering Committee for the National Action
Plan on Women, Peace and Security, pursuant to UNSCR 1325, to revisit their
programs with the additional lens of transitional justice and reconciliation. As
well, we will try to expand our efforts by tapping the expertise and knowledge
base of the academic community and civil society. Certainly, it is our intent to
maintain continuing conversation with the MILF with regards all these efforts.
I cannot guarantee that we will agree with all the points raised in the report, but
I can commit that we will study each point carefully. Before we step down from
office on 30 June 2016, in compliance with the instructions of the Executive
Secretary, we will be ready to report to you in full the progress we will make in
the coming months.
We only have three-and-a-half months left to our term107 days to go,
to be exact. It is not much time but, indeed, time enough to identify strategic
program thrusts and embed these through the appropriate department orders
and funds allocation in the mainstream work of selected relevant agencies. It is
enough time to raise consciousness among the relevant government agencies and
strategic partners in the academe and civil society on the unfinished business of
transitional justice and reconciliation that will have to be pursued under the next
administration and beyond. It is enough time to get a core of our national leaders
to care and to claim their own responsibility in pursuing redress of legitimate
grievances, bridging the divides, and healing the wounds of war.
188
Our efforts in this regard in the remaining months of this administration

will hopefully lay the groundwork for establishing a more permanent and
independent structure to oversee the entirety of the process, which may, in time,
be created by law. In any case, this now firmly sets into place another part of our
roadmap, specifically under the Normalization Track of the Bangsamoro peace
process, and that comes with the recognition that it is a long-term effort that
must and will span many administrations beyond this one.
Surely, this work must accompany our efforts in the political track to ensure
the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law within the first half of the next
Congress.As we have noted several times over, the bile and vituperation flowing
post-Mamasapano revealed, in the words of a Mindanaoan, the fault lines, the
fundamental hatred and antagonisms that need to be addressed for BBL to
grow deeper roots.We canand we willlegislate a new political entity, but
we cannot simply legislate a change of hearts. For this, we need to undertake
the hard, long-term efforts such as those embodied in the recommendations of
the TJRC Report. As government continues to pursue its political commitment
for the passage of the BBL in accordance with the roadmap laid out by the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, we fully accept the additional
tasks that the TJRC Report calls us to.These are the foundations that will allow
us to translate our vision of peace into realitypeace that is truly inclusive,
lasting, and just; peace that translates to real and tangible changes for families
and communities on the ground; peace that leads to harmony and reconciliation.
The launch of TJRCs Report was done in Cotabato City on March 15 (left) and in Manila on
March 16 (right) with various representatives from government agencies, security forces, CSOs,
the diplomatic community, academe and the media attending the event. Gracing the launch in
Cotabato were members of the BTC: Comm. Akmad Sakkam, Comm. Said Shiek, Comm. Hussein
Muoz, Comm. Maulana Bobby Alonto, and Comm. Raissa Jajurie. (Photos by TJRC)
189
(LR) Brunei Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Datin Paduka Malai Hajah Halimah Malai Haj Yussof,
MILF Alternate Member to the TJRC Atty. Rashid Kalim, MILF representative to the TJRC Atty. Ishak
Mastura, MILF Panel Member Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga, TJRC Chair M Bleeker, Swiss Ambassador
to the Philippines H.E. Andrea Reichlin, GPH representative to the TJRC Atty. Cecilia Jimenez-Damary,
GPH Panel Member Senen C. Bacani, and GPH Alternate Member to the TJRC Atty. Mohammad Al-Amin
Julkipli, during theTJRC Report Launch at Dusit Thani Hotel in Manila on March 16. (Photo by TJRC)
There is no question that we must and will continue to uphold the CAB. As
the TJRC so forcefully states, with the implementation of the Comprehensive
Agreement, we now have a Bangsamoro opportunity rather than a Bangsamoro
problema unique and extraordinary opportunity for the Bangsamoro and the
entire Filipino nation to bring to light and embrace the reality that we are a
nation of many identities, and it is this diversity that makes us strong. It is an
opportunity for us to show our country and the rest of the world that there is a
better way to livethat, despite our differences, we can all coexist peacefully in
a democratic, pluralistic society that gives all its peoples, not just the dominant
majority, the political space they need to articulate their interests and manage
190
conflicting views without resorting to violence, and where we can join hands
with each other to promote the rule of law, security, and development. It is
an opportunity to show that our nation is large enough to accommodate the
myriad identities and aspirations of our peoples, especially the Bangsamoro and
the indigenous peoples, who are as vital and vibrant parts of the Philippines as
much as anyone.
This Bangsamoro opportunity is one we ignore at our own peril. And we
take heart in seeing that the parties in this peace process are not ignoring this
opportunity and are in fact doing all they can to make sure we take it and make
the most of it. Despite setbacks and difficulties along the way, and we are sure
that there will be more challenges awaiting in our way forward, no one is backing
out. No one is giving upnot the MILF, surely not the government. And we
ask you not to give up as well. Not now, when we are as close as we have ever
been to bringing peace to our countryso close that we can almost see, with
greater clarity than ever before, that bright new dawn awaiting us all at that
place where mercy and truth are met together, at that place where justice and
peace have kissed.
Thank you and good morning. Shukran.
The TJRC report contains recommendations on how to heal the wounds of war
and historical injustice, and address the legitimate grievances of the Bangsamoro.
(Photo by OPAPP)
Second Anniversary of the

Signing of the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro
28 March 2016
Notre Dame University Gym, Cotabato City
Stand Up for Peace! Long Live the CAB!

agandang hapon po sa ating lahat.
Assalam Mu Alaikum. Isang mainit na pagbati.
Una sa lahat, papasalamatan ko yung ating mga hosts ngayong araw na

ito, walang iba kundi ang Notre Dame University sa pangunguna ng kanilang
presidente, si Fr. Charlie Inzon: Salamat po sa taos-pusong pagtanggap sa
government at MILF peace panels at sa Bangsamoro Transition Commission
na itanghal sa inyong campus ang ating programa sa okasyon ng ikalawang
anibersaryo ng pagpapasa at pagpirma sa Comprehensive Agreement on the
Bangsamoro.
Sa ating pong mga kasama mula sa Armed Forces of the Philippines,

Western Mindanao Command, Lt. Gen. Mayoralgo dela Cruz, Deputy Chief
of Staff for Operations, J3 BGen. Charlie Galvez, ating mga kapatid mula sa
6th ID sa pamumuno ni MGen. Edmundo Pangilinan, at Deputy Western
Mindanao commander BGen. Glenn Macasero na kasama din po natin ngayon:
Maraming salamat sa pagpapahiram ninyo ng C130 para ligtas na makalipad
dito sa Cotabato ang ating mga guests galing sa Manila.
Siyempre, sa aming hanay: OPAPP Secretary Deles, National Commission

on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Secretary Yasmin Busran Lao, at mga officials
at staff ng OPAPP at NCMF na kasama natin ngayon. Kay Cardinal Quevedo,
at sa MILFang ating mga counterparts, ang ating partners sa peace process.
Nandito po ang kinatawan ng peace panel ng MILF walang iba kundi si
Chairman Mohagher Iqbal, ang kinatawan din ng Central Committee si
Ginoong Muhammad Ameen at mga kasama niya sa BTC. Mga ulama, ustadz,
mga kapatid na lumad, ang ating Teduray dance troupe na nagtanghal kanina.
Mga kapatid mula sa Moro National Liberation Front, mga opisyales ng ARMM
at local governments bagamat busy sa eleksyon ngayon ang iba sa kanilalahat
ay binigyan tayo ng panahon.
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Notre Dame University Gym, Cotabato City28 March 2016
193
Gayundin ang ating foreign partners from Malaysia, Norway, Brunei, Libya,
Japan and EU, the Mindanao Trust Fund and the World Bank, Forum ZFD from
Germany, mga civil society na kasama natin mula dito sa Central Mindanao, sa
ibat ibang bahagi ng Lanao del Norte, Cotabato, Lanao Sur, Maguindanao,
Davao at iba pa mula naman sa Metro Manila.
Mga student leaders sa high school at college dito sa Cotabato City, local
at national media: Youre all welcome in this event.
Iikot po sa dalawang salita ang aking pambukas na mensahe para sa inyong

lahat sa mahalagang araw na ito ng pagmarka sa pangalawang taon ng ating
Comprehensive Agreement. Ang dalawang salita po ay: Pagpapatuloy at
pananampalataya.
Pagpapatuloy. Meron tayong kasabihan: Ang hindi tumingin sa pinanggalingan,

ay di makakarating sa paroroonan. Kung kayat sa ikalawang anibersaryo ng
pagpirma ng Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, minabuti natin na
itanghal ang ating pasasalamat sa ganitong paraan: pagkilala at pagbibigay-pugay
sa lahat ng taot bansang nakasama natin sa ating prosesong pangkapayapaan.
Mula sa kauna-unahang major agreement na napirmahan ng sinaunang
government at MILF panelsang ceasefire agreement na nagpa-anak sa ating
pinagpupunyaging ceasefire mechanisms noong 1997hanggang sa huling
Annex on Normalization na napirmahan nuong 2014 at nagsaad sa pagtatayo ng
ibat iba pang joint mechanisms, maraming tao na ang nag-ambag ng kanilang
pawis, kakayanan, at diwa.
Ang ilan sa kanila ay pumanaw natulad nina Aleem Ali Mimbantas, Atty.
Lanang Ali, Atty. Musib Buat, Datu Tony Kinoc, ang first chairman ng MILF
Ceasefire Committee na si Sultan Saiffudin Tomawis, ang dating chairman ng
kanilang Ceasefire Committee na si Tops Julhani, ang ika-apat na chairman
ng Ceasefire Committee nila na si Benjie Midtimbang, at gayundin ang isang
kasapi ng ating JCMP sa Cotabato tulad ni Bapa Keds Manan.
Sa bahagi naman po ng government, wala na rin si GPH panel member
Emily Marohomsar, at dating Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Anabelle
Abaya, at JCMP member ng government na si Sgt. Roger Emben mula rin sa
JCMP Kitango.
Ang iba ay kasalakuyang may sakit at nagpapalakas tulad ni Rasid Ladiasan

na dating ceasefire chair ng MILF. Ipinagdadasal po natin ang mabilis niyang
paggaling.
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Second Anniversary of the Signing of the CAB
Dapat lamang na ibigay natin itong pasasalamat. May nawawala, mayroong

dumarating. Habang nagtatagal, lalong dumami. Sa habang panahon ng
negosasyon, di iilang beses tayong nabigo, natumba, natapilok. Ngunit palagi
tayong tumitindig at umusad paunti-unti, puno ng determinasyon para makamit
ang nagkakaisang layunin na wakasan ang gera, ayusin ang mga kondisyon na
nagdudulot ng hidwaan at hinagpis at kawalan ng pag-asa.
Ginawa natin sa Cotabato City itong ating pagmarka sa ikalawang

anibersaryo ng pagpipirma ng Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro
dahil dito nakabase ang kalakhan ng mga mekanismong nabanggit. Dito
matatagpuan ang ating joint offices. Idagdag din ang opisina ng Bangsamoro
Transition Commission, at hindi rin kalayuan ang headquarters ng MILF kung
saan nag-oopisina ang MILF panel, at gayundin ang old provincial capitol kung
saan natin isinasagawa ang ating mga training para sa Joint Peace and Security
Teams at decommissioned combatants.
Mula rin dito titiyakin natin ang pagpapatuloy ng ceasefire at normalization
hanggang makarating sa panibagong autonomous Bangsamoro government at
mapirmahan ang exit agreement.
Pangalawang salita: Pananampalataya. Mayroong kasabihan: Nasa Diyos ang

awa, nasa tao ang gawa. Kung di tayo manghihina, di tayo magdududa sa ating
pagsisikap para sa pagbabago, sa makatarungang reporma na ating itinataguyod,
may biyaya tayong makakamit. Panghawakan natin ang pananampalataya na may
mapupuntahan, may tinutunguhan ang ating pagsisikap; ang pinaka-ebidensya
niyan ay kung saan na tayo nananatili ngayon ay malayong-malayo na mula sa
kung saan tayo nag-umpisa. Hindi binubura ng isang kabiguan ang lahat ng
nakamtan sa loob ng dalawang dekadang pagsisikap sa paraan ng pakikipagusap ng kapayapaan o peace talk. Hindi naman siguro dapat itakwil na lamang
lahat nang naitayo, nagawa, nai-deliver at naprotektahan. Totoo, isang malaking
sangkap sa kabuuang proseso ang pagpapasa ng Bangsamoro Basic Law. Ito
kasi ang magtatayo ng panibagong institusyon na may higit na kapangyarihan
at mapagkukuhanan ng kita, mas representatibo, at may cohesive na relasyon sa
national government at maging sa mga local governments na mapapaloob dito.
Natural lamang na dahil sa ating kabiguan na makamtan ang BBL,

may mga nagsasabi na wala tayong ipagpupunyagi ngayong araw. May mga
pahayag ng pagdududa. May mga nagpapakita ng paghina ng loob, pagkainip,
pagkayamot, pagkagalit, pagkawala ng tiwala. Hindi ba nagalit tayo noong 2008
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nang patawan ng Supreme Court ang MOA-AD ng death sentence? Hindi

ba nakabangon din ang proseso? Hindi ba higit na maganda na ngayon ang
kalagayan sa pangkabuhayan kaysa noon, salamat sa inyong pagpapatuloy at
pananampalataya? Nasaan kaya tayo, ang Mindanao, ang Pilipinas ngayon kung
hindi natin ipinagpatuloy ang ating peace process matapos ang 2000 all-out war
at noong 2008 nang maudlot ang MOA-AD?
With all due respect, I disagree with those who are saying that we have
nothing to celebrate because we did not get the BBL. Huwag nating balewalain
ang mga tagumpay na nakamit, ang mga benepisyo nang naramdaman, ang
unti-unti nang pag-usad na nagdala sa atin, sa inyo, kung saan tayo ngayon.
Ipagdiwang natin ang mga kaguluhan na naiwasan, ang mga buhay at ari-arian
na napangalagaan, ang mga umusbong na civil society organization, ang higit
na kahusayan at mga paghahanda para sa naantala pero darating at darating pa
ring transition.
Pag-usapan natin. Suriin natin. Tukuyin natin kung ano pa ang dapat
gawin at hanapan natin ng paraan. Paghandaan natin ang susunod na laban sa
susunod na administrasyon at Kongreso. Magkaroon tayo ng magandang plano.
Magtulungan tayo upang matugunan ang kailangan ng bawat isa. Imbes na
magsisihan, kumuha tayo ng lakas sa isat-isa. Palakasin natin ang ating hanay.
Let us make more friends, let us not make our friends our enemies.
Pananampalataya sa harap ng uncertainty: ito ang ating panangga doon sa mga
nagnanais na madiskaril ang Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
We call on our Muslim brothers and sisters to join us on this journey: There
is a place for everyone. This is not just for the MILF. Stop the killing of
Filipinos by other Filipinos. Stand together and share the faith with us. We
call on politicians, decision- and opinion-makers, to know more about the
Bangsamoro and our peace process, what we aim and continue to achieve, to
see our mechanisms in action, and to appreciate what we have accomplished in
building the foundations for peace and progress so that you can help complete
and strengthen this foundation.
To those who will be elected: It will be your duty, your obligation, to continue
this process. Subok na ito; kailangan lamang na palakasin, punuin yung mga
magagaspang pa na bahagi, at higit na palawakin ang mga kasama sa paglalakbay.
Maraming salamat po. Mabuhay tayong lahat!
Welcome Remarks
Mohagher Iqbal
n almost all occasions that I have attended after both Houses of Congress
failed to enact the Bangsamoro Basic Law, the common question raised is:
What to do now?
Even after the Special Meeting of the Peace Panels in Kuala Lumpur last
10 and 11 February, and even as well after MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad
Ebrahim issued an official statement on 18 February, we are still hard pressed
to explain to our fellow Bangsamoro the ways forward.
That they have journeyed with us in every step of the peace process only
raised their expectations. The public consultations, advocacies, information
dissemination of all sorts, and the glaring coverage of traditional and social and
mainstream media have all contributed to the high awareness of the BBL: that
it will pass into law. That is why, when hopes were raised, with good reasons
of course, and those high hopes were dimmed or shut out, we have a flurry
of frustrations, of anger, of doubt, and of fear over a future that is becoming
uncertain again. At the back of their mind, they see this country as not wanting
genuine and permanent peace at all.
This commemoration of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro

is not spared from mockery and opposition. There are those who see no need,
meaning, and wisdom over this commemorative event. For them, the non-passage
of BBL totally diminishes the value of the CAB.
There may be germ of truth to this opinion. We are all agreed that without
the BBL, the CAB will never be fully implemented. While some aspects of CAB
can be started, yet we will never agree that we just only observe the ceasefire and
socioeconomic initiatives without seeing the fulfillment of the political track.
Without the BBL, the CAB can never become the solution to the Bangsamoro
Problem or Question.
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At this juncture, a question has to be asked: Who caused the non-passage of

the BBL in Congress? Many explanations, nay alibis, were offered, but the truth
of the matter is that the vested interests groups caused the defeat of the BBL
in Congress. They all ganged up together and worked their way triumphantly.
Who are they? They are those who are insatiable with wealth and power, and
those still enslaved by religious bigotry.
Given this situation, and I would say it is a worrying situation, there are
actually only three options left for the MILF and the Bangsamoro: one is to do
away with the peace process and revert to armed struggle; or to pursue further
the peace process, the BBL especially; or not to do anything at all.
Nowadays, one can be easily swayed by emotions, rhetoric, and agitations.

There are calls for war, as well as the passive acceptance of this fate of the BBL
by some sectors. The MILF chooses neither of the two options.
Instead, we are more determined to assert the full, unconditional
implementation of the CAB, especially the enactment of the BBL. This is a
commitment of the Government of the Philippines, whoever becomes its Chief
Executive on 30 June. This is a commitment that we will ask from all the organs
of the Government of the Philippines which, in its entirety, is the signatory to
the CAB, in the same manner that the MILF, also in its totality, is a signatory
to that historic agreement as well.
In commemorating the CAB today, I take this occasion to appeal to all

Bangsamoro, the migrant communities, the indigenous peoples and the Filipino
nation in general not to take for granted the value of the CAB. The CAB is very
much alive. Even though we suffer the setback in the BBL, it is not the end of
the road. It was the BLBAR that died, not the BBL that is based on the CAB.
I also take this opportunity, and I do hope it would reach them or their
campaign strategists at the very least, to appeal to all our presidential candidates
and senatorial aspirants to take their unequivocal stand on the CAB and the
BBL. You will surely inherit this political problem. We urge all of you to clarify
to us the policy that your administration will pursue vis--vis the CAB and the
BBL. The Bangsamoro votes may pale in comparison to the votes of Christians,
but even a single vote can make a difference.
Many of us shed tears when the CAB was signed, something hardened
warriors never do in public and rarely in private. But the CAB is the summation
198
of all our aspirations and emotions. Now that our legitimate grievances
and aspirations have already been recognized and affirmed not only by the
Government of the Philippines but by the nations of the world, do we have to
stop in our struggle just because the moment is not favorable to us? No, and I
personally urge everyone to: Stand Up for Peace! Long Live the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro!
Accept my warmest welcome to all of you.
Thank you and good day!
(Clockwise from top) With the theme Stand up for Peace! Long live the CAB!, the GPH and MILF
Peace Panels commemorated the second anniversary of the signing of the CAB on 28 March 2016
at the NDU Gym in Cotabato City. Before the program proper, guests watched a series of short
films produced by the Forum ZFD tackling issues on Mindanao. An exhibit depicting the stronger
partnership between the Parties, as well as the human costs of conflict, was also installed at the
event venue. (Photos by OPAPP and AFP PPO)
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Representatives from the IMT pose for a group photo after receiving their plaques of appreciation
from the Panel Chairs. Present during the ceremony are representatives from the Governments
of Brunei, EU, Indonesia, Japan, Libya, Malaysia, Norway, Mindanao Peoples Caucus, Moslem
Organization of Government Officials and Professionals, Non-Violent Peace Force, and Mindanao
Human Rights Action Center. (Photo by OPAPP)
MILF Peace Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal goes around to thank members of the Panels Ad Hoc
Joint Action Group. The event, which commemorated the signing of the historic peace agreement
on 27 March 2014, was also a recognition and appreciation of local and international actors who
have been part of the Bangsamoro peace process throughout the years. (Photo by OPAPP)
200
Sec. Deles, NCMF Sec. Yasmin Busran-Lao, Chair Ferrer, Chair Iqbal, MILF Central Committee
Secretary Muhammad Ameen (2nd from right) and MILF Panel Member Abdulla Camlian
(rightmost) with former CCCH Chairs and Heads of Secretariat: (L-R) Butch Malang (MILF-CCCH
Secretariat Head and OIC), retired BGEN Reynaldo C. Sealana, (GPH-CCCH Chair, 2008-2011),
retired Maj. Carlos T. Sol Jr. (GPH-CCCH Secretariat Head, 2007-present), BGEN Glenn Macasero
(GPH-CCCH Chair, Dec 2015-present), Toks Ebrahim (former MILF-CCCH Chair), retired LTGEN
Rey Ardo (GPH-CCCH Chair, Jan-May 2011), BTC Comm. Said Shiek (former MILF-CCCH Chair),
6th ID Commander MGEN Edmundo Pangilinan (GPH-CCCH Chair, Feb-July 2014), and BGEN
Carlito Galvez Jr. (GPH-CCCH Chair, July 2014-Dec 2015). (Photo by OPAPP)
Ms. Karen Taada (4th from left) receives in behalf of the TPMT the plaque of appreciation given
by the Panels. Also in photo (from LR): OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles, GPH Panel Member
Sec. Yasmin Busran-Lao, GPH Panel Chair Mirriam Coronel Ferrer, MILF Panel Chair Mohagher
Iqbal, MILF Central Committee Secretary Muhammad Ameen, MILF Panel Member Abdulla Camlian,
and MILF Panel Alternate Member Timuay Melanio Ulama. (Photo by OPAPP)
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Chair Ferrer and Chair Iqbal present the plaques of appreciation to members of the GPH and MILF
AHJAG for their contributions to the GPH-MILF peace process. In the photo are retired MGEN Leo
Cresente M. Ferrer (GPH-AHJAG Chair, May-Dec 2013, second from left), Atty. Abdul M. Dataya
(MILF-AHJAG Chair, 2005-present, 3rd from left), LTC Abdurasad Sirajan (GPH-AHJAG Western
Mindanao Area Action Officer, 4th from left), COL Ceasar D. De Mesa (GPH-AHJAG Team Site 1
Member, 6th from left), and other members of the MILF-AHJAG Team. (Photo by OPAPP)
(Left photo) Members of the ICG represented by Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue,
Community of SantEgidio and Japan take a photo with Sec. Deles and the GPH and MILF
Panels. (Right photo) Chair Ferrer shakes hands with TJRC members Atty. Cecilia JimenezDamary and Atty. Ishak Mastura as they receive the plaque of appreciation recognizing
Switzerlands support to the TJRC and the peace process. (Photos by OPAPP)
Closing Remarks

wo years ago, when the two parties signed the Comprehensive Agreement on
the Bangsamoro, we declared together, with courage and conviction, that a
new dawn has come. It was a time of renewed hope, of optimism, of euphoria, even.
And yet, over the past two years, we have also faced perhaps the greatest
challenges the Bangsamoro peace process has ever confronted. I will no longer
dwell on the whys and the hows and the aftermath of these challenges; today,
after all, is a celebration of peace and hope. But, of course, even then we knew
as we have always knownthat it would not be easy. Yet we also knew how
high the stakes are and how important this work is, especially for families and
communities on the ground. And so we buckled down and, together, kept moving
ever onwards, determined to give this tired, tired land the fresh start it so sorely
needs, and keeping faith that in the end, peace will always win.
Our faith is not misplaced: The peace process, while badly hit, remains intact;
while battered, it has emerged, I daresay, even stronger.
This is largely due to the strength, resilience, and determination of its

multifarious components that complement and work alongside each other with
the aim of bringing a more permanent peace to the Philippines. It is only fitting
then that, as we commemorate today the second anniversary of the signing of
the Comprehensive Agreement yesterday, we give due recognition to the various
actors and mechanisms that have become part of the peace process over the years.
These include, first and foremost, the successive GPH and MILF peace
panels and their respective chairs, who steered the negotiations for seventeen
years and now steer the implementation of the CAB to its completion; our third
party facilitatorwe have had three facilitators since Malaysia agreed to take
on this crucial role after the peace process broke down in Buliok in 2003; and
the state and non-state members of the International Contact Group which
became an integral part of the architecture of negotiations after the outbreak
of armed hostilities in 2008.
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As well, we express appreciation and thanks to what we refer to as three

generations of peace process mechanisms set up by agreement of the parties:
first, to enforce the ceasefire and restore it when disrupted, including during the
conduct of law enforcement operations in communities with MILF presence,
which mechanisms include both domestic and international players, working
jointly or as invited third party; second, to implement the multiple provisions
under the normalization program, including the decommissioning of MILFs
BIAF and several tracks of socioeconomic interventions; and, third, to undertake
specific independent functions set forth in the CAB, particularly with regard
needed study and advice on Bangsamoro policing and on transitional justice
and reconciliation, as well as to ensure sustained third-party monitoring of the
implementation of the CAB up to its completion, which will be marked by
an exit agreement between the two parties. We also recognize and thank the
various international donors to the special multilateral funding facilities which
have been set up in support of the Bangsamoro peace process.
Finally, our commitment today would not be complete without giving full
acknowledgment and heartfelt thanks to all the staunch advocates of peace who
have faithfully accompanied the peace process to where it is now. While many are
unable to join us here today, we salute you all and remember with gratitude those who
have gone ahead. You have our nations gratitude. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.
Your work has been instrumental in helping the peace process weather its
toughest challenges and accomplish its most crucial achievements. All this work
for peace, which spans decades and goes beyond administrations, has given us the
building blocks that now serve as the deep and steadfast foundation on which the
Bangsamoro peace process, along with all it has reached and achieved, is built.
And we have attained much despite the setbacks and difficulties we have
faced. Perhaps most important of these achievements is the fact that we have
managed to foster a felt measure of peace on the ground even as the peace
process is still moving toward its conclusion.
In face of harsh challenges, the fact is that there has been zero hostilities
between the government and the MILF since 2012, except for the tragedy that
struck Mamasapano and the entire nation in January 2015. The fact is that our
robust ceasefire mechanisms managed to prevent tragedy from exploding into
a full-blown conflagration, as has happened too many times in the past.
And this relative peace on the ground that we speak of is not simply an
abstraction or an intangible thing. Peace on the ground has meant that, instead
of fleeing from bombs and bullets, a child was able to stay in school; that
elementary and high school graduations were held in Mamasapano at the end
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of schoolyear 2015; that instead of anxiously staying awake at night to wait for
the warning sounds of coming danger, mothers and fathers were able to pursue
their livelihoods to provide for their families; that instead of being trampled
and destroyed in firefights, fields were tended and grown; that instead of being
broken yet again, families stayed together and communities finally see the chance
to begin the long process of healing.
It means that a people, especially the youth, who have come to know only
the history of suffering, now have the chance to rewrite their storyinto a
narrative where they live proudly and productively, without fear and want,
without injustice and prejudice, without the immeasurable pain of war, in a
country that accepts and embraces them.
We know that today this measure of peace we have achieved stands on
fragile and vulnerable grounds. The challenges are daunting. There is still so
much we have to do.
We must make the CAB not only intact but indelible. We must ensure the
fulfillment of its political and legal promise in the passage of the Bangsamoro
Basic Law early in the next administration, even as we undertake the difficult,
more long-term task of dealing with the painful past and healing its deep wounds.
We must continue to work on the building blocks of peace and preserve the
gains thereof so that we can keep moving, as one nation, ever closer to a peace
that will thrive and endure.
In closing, let me reiterate: The government remains unwavering in its
commitment to the Comprehensive Agreement and the Bangsamoro peace
process. President Aquino has repeatedly affirmed this commitment to the
peace accord up to his last day in office and beyond. The CAB, after all, is
a commitment to peace that must and will span administrations. Tuloy ang
pagpapatupad ng Comprehensive Agreement. Tuloy ang ating laban para sa
pangmatagalang kapayapaan. Tuloy ang ating trabahong siguruhin na wala nang
batang iiyak pa, na wala nang pamilyang masisira pa, at wala nang buhay pang
mawawala dahil sa giyera.
It has been a truly challengingbut at the same time rewardingtwo years.
And today, with greater courage and conviction, with hope that has been tested
and strengthened by the most severe trials, with renewed and wiser optimism
yes, optimismwe again affirm that this new dawn is here to stay; that we will
not slip back into the darkness of war and division yet again; that, with continued
effort, we have faith that, InshaAllah, we will soon see the sun of peace emerge
from its dawn to its brightest, its most beautiful and amazing zenith.
Thank you and good afternoon. Shukran.
Closing Remarks*
CHAIRMAN OF THE MORO ISLAMIC LIBERATION FRONT
ismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem. Alhamdulillah. Wassalaatu Wassalaamu Ala

Rasulillah.
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatoh.
To His Excellency Tengku Dato Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed, OPAPP

Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles, GPH Peace Panel Chair Professor Miriam
Coronel Ferrer, MILF Peace Panel Chair Brother Mohagher Iqbal, our reliable
members of the different normalization mechanisms of the peace process both
from GPH and MILF, members of the International Contact Group, Third Party
Monitoring Team, Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission, Joint
Normalization Committee, International Monitoring Team, the international
donor communities, todays awardees, to my Bangsamoro brothers and sisters,
and fellow peace advocates: Warm greetings to you all.
It cannot be more obvious: Peace has been elusive in this part of the country.
Much hope to finally grasp this ever-elusive prize of peace was strung around the
anticipated passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. But the elation that greeted
the submission of the draft in 2014 soon evaporated when both Houses of
Congress failed to submit what could have been the historic piece of legislation to
end the more than four decades of war and conflict in the Southern Philippines.
This recent development on the fate of the peace process would easily
discourage any optimist. But let me tell you, a hurried but flawed outcome
would have been counterproductive and could have added to the cycle of
distrust between the parties. To simplify, anything below the existing status quo
is objectionable to the MILF.
Turning our backs on the peace process would be a mistake. After all,
we have the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro intact, which is
* As delivered by MILF Central Committee Secretary Muhammad Ameen.
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206
over and above the Bangsamoro Basic Law. This silver lining among the dark
clouds is the legitimacy of the CAB and its binding effect on the GPH and the
MILF that forged the mutually acceptable agreement two years ago. It will take
patience, steadfastness, and leadership on both sides to reach the ultimate goal
of achieving just and lasting peace. And even if the roadmap was not met, the
signed CAB would at least ensure that commitments are kept and compliance
is demandable. Such strong words: commitment and compliance.
It is worth reiterating that the CAB sets up a new relationship between
the Central Government and the Bangsamoro Government that would involve
fulfilling the many legal obligations each party has assumed to put an end to
conflict. To name a few: The Central Government agreed to relinquish some
governmental powers to the Bangsamoro government, and to share in the
revenues generated within the region. The MILF, on the other hand, agreed
to terms of decommissioning where combatants would turn over weapons and
enjoy various developmental and capacity-building programs as part of the
normalization process.
The decision on the part of the MILF to agree to a symbolic decommissioning

in June 2015 was a gesture of good faith to give real and lasting peace a chance.
For the record, we did not rise up in arms if the continued nonchalance to our
causes had not provoked us to agitate for a remedy. But we remain committed
to strengthen the ceasefire mechanisms, through our able and competent MILF
representatives in the various peace process infrastructures, such as, the Joint
Normalization Committee, and the CCCH, AHJAG, Joint Peace and Security
Committee, Joint Peace and Security Teams, Task Force on Decommissioned
Combatants and their Communities, and Joint Task Forces on Camps
Transformation, to name a few.
What comes next after this is both a challenge and an opportunity to

all stakeholders since these crucial times shall ultimately decide the genuine
willingness of the parties, more so the government, to put an end to conflict in
the region. We know that the government has a critical role in bringing peace,
and we want to reach that optimal point where we do not need to question the
commitment of the government to improve security, peace, and services to our
people.
No one can be certain of the policies or priorities of the next administration.
This is why, more than ever, we need to assert the CAB and its implementation,
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which ensures the most reasonable framework for a sustainable basis for
peace, stability, and development. It would be the height of injustice to rob the
Bangsamoro once more of its rights asserted in the CAB. It would likewise be the
height of humiliation for the Government to sidetrack the process especially with
numerous sets of eyes carefully observing and scrutinizing the implementation
of the internationally-acclaimed agreement.
We should focus on post-agreement implementation. Acknowledging that

the CAB lives on and binds the parties is a good start to guide the incoming
administration. Whoever wins the elections must honor the CAB and place it
among the top of his or her agenda to ensure that everyones obligations are
fulfilled. He or she must recognize that while the risk of failure is high, so are
the costs of failure. Not only would a resumption of hostilities jeopardize the
gains of the peace process, it would also undermine longer-term political and
economic reforms for the country.
On the part of the MILF, we will continue to seek and work for the final
peaceful settlement of the conflict in Mindanao. In particular, we will continue
to ask government to comply with its unilateral obligation to enact a law that
would give life and realization to the letter and spirit of the CAB. The gains of
the peace process especially the FAB and CAB should be preserved.
Allow me then, at this point, to commend the various personalities and
entities that helped fashion the political dialogue of the peace process that led
to the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro: first, the
Government of the Philippines through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on
the Peace Process and the GPH Negotiating Panel; and the MILF Leadership
and the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel. This includes all of those who have
been part of the negotiations throughout its more than seventeen years and
even prior thereto.
Our most special thanks go out to His Excellency Prime Minister Dato
Sri Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak; His Excellency Dr. Mahatir Mohamad
under whose term of office as Prime Minister the peace negotiations were
done in Malaysia; His Excellency Ekmeleddin hsanolu, Secretary General
of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Malaysian Facilitator, His
Excellency Tengku DatoAb Ghafar Tengku Mohamed, and their Secretariat.
We also will never forget the tireless efforts and support of all the state and
non-state actors that compose the International Contact Group: the Governments
208
of the United Kingdom, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Japan; and its international NGO
componentsConciliation Resources, Muhammadiyah, The Asia Foundation,
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, and Community of SantEgidio; the Third
Party Monitoring Team (TPMT); the International Monitoring Team (or the
IMT) and its Civilian Protection Component (composed of ) Malaysia, Brunei,
Libya, Japan, Norway, Indonesia, and the European Union, the Non-Violent
Peace Force, Mindanao Peoples Caucus, Mindanao Human Rights Action
Center, and Muslim Organization of Government Officials and Professionals;
and to the numerous world organizations and countries that have signified
strong support to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro such as
the United Nations, the European Union, United States of America, United
Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation.
We likewise extend our deep appreciation to the organizers of this CAB
2nd anniversary commemoration, which seeks not only to remember but most
importantly, to honor, acknowledge, and recognize that the CAB is active and
alive.
Finally, to our Bangsamoro brothers and sisters, let this occasion be a reason
to stand up and stand strong for peace. We have not come this far to allow the
CAB to be put to waste. Let cool heads and good tempers ultimately prevail.
Remember that the greatest interest of the Bangsamoro is our primordial
concern. We need to solidify as a people and strengthen our resolve more than
ever, for a united Bangsamoro struggle. The struggle does not and may never
end, but every step closer to peace is already progress. We must realize that we
have never been more ready for peace. Stand up for peace! Long live the CAB!
Thank you everyone, and may we have a pleasant rest of the afternoon.
Wasalaamu Alaikum.
Decommissioned Combatants
Skills Training Closing Ceremony
25 April 2016
Old Maguindanao Provincial Capitol, Simuay, Sultan Kudarat,
Maguindanao
Speech
Miriam Coronel Ferrer

ag-uumpisa po ako sa pagpapasalamat sa mga tumulong sa atin dito sa

ating programa.
Siyempre po unang-una na yong Technical Education and Skills
Development Agency (TESDA) na kinatawan po ngayon ni Ginoong Omar
Dalagan ng ARMM at ni Director Zeus Ampuyas ng TESDA-Region 12.
Kasama din po nila ang ibat-iba pa nilang opisyales na sumubaybay sa atin at
sila nga po ang nanguna dito sa paglulunsad ng ating training. Pero bukod po sa
TESDA, alam nyo po na naging mahigpit din ang ugnayan natin sa Department
of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) sa halos pang-araw-araw na
pangangailangan nila; gayundin iyong mga development workers na itinalaga
nila para sa inyong madaling ugnayan sa pagsagot sa inyong mga katanungan
at iba pa.
At siyempre doon po naman sa ibang dumaan sa ibang kurso na ibinigay
ng Department of Education: Nagpapasalamat din po kami sa Department of
Education maski na wala yata silang kinatawan ngayon. Kasama rin po natin
ang representante ng Philippine Statistics Agency ng ating pamahalaan kasi
napaabot po sa amin ang sitwasyon ng iba po sa inyo na wala pa yatang birth
certificate lalo pa nung mga kailangan kumuha ng lisensya para sa driving o
kailangan ng TIN para sa BIR, kung mag-uumpisa na talaga ng negosyo at iba
pa. Gagawan po natin ng paraan para mapabilis ang pagsasaayos ng inyong mga
papeles tulad ng birth certificate.
At siyempre malaking pasasalamat din po sa liderato ng Moro Islamic
Liberation Front na kinakatawan po ngayon ni Peace Panel member Melanio
Ulama at ng kanilang head ng MILF Task Force Decommissioned Combatants
and Their Communities, walang iba po kundi si Commissioner Hussein Muoz
na kabahagi din ng Bangsamoro Transition Commission, at ang katuwang
niyang si Dr. Kikay.
Lahat po tayo ay may papel na gagampanan dito sa ating prosesong
pangkapayapaan. Alam ninyo naman kami sa Government Peace Panel, ang
malaking bahagi ng aming naging papel kasama ang inyong MILF Peace
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Old Maguindanao Provincial Capitol, Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao25 April 2016
211
Panel na pinamumunuan ni Chair Mohager Iqbal ay doon sa pakikipag-usap

o sa pag-negotiate para makarating tayo sa Comprehensive Agreement on the
Bangsamoro. At matapos naman nating mapirmahan itong Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro, heto na nga at nangangasiwa din tayo sa
pagtitiyak na mai-implement pa at magiging totoo lahat ng mga aspeto ng CAB.
Siyempre nagkaroon din tayo ng mga problema at ngayon, papunta na
tayo sa susunod na administrasyon kung kayat titiyakin din natin na hindi ito
mapapabayaan ng susunod na administrasyon.
Iyon naman pong mga kasama natin ngayon dito na kasali doon sa ating
ceasefire mechanism: Nandito po ang Chair ng inyong ceasefire committee,
walang iba kung hindi si Butch Malang. Kasama din naman namin iyong
head ng aming ceasefire secretariat, si Director at retired Major Carlos T. Sol
Jr. Sila naman po ang nangangasiwa para hindi tayo magkaroon ng tinatawag
nating misencounter na hindi sinasadyawalang kagustuhan pero dahil sa
may kaguluhan sa paligid, maaaring maging sakuna, o magkaroon ng malaking
pagkakamali na kung saan tayo mismo na magkasama dito sa prosesong
pangkapayapaan ay magkabakbakan. So lahat po sila, kasama ang mga local
monitoring teams nila at ang JCMP o Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Post natin,
tinitiyak nila na mapapangalagaan ang ating ceasefire agreement. Mahigpit
po ang ugnayan nila doon sa tinatawag nating Ad Hoc Joint Action Group
o AHJAG para sa pagsasagawa ng mga law enforcement operation upang
masigurado na hindi makompromiso itong ating peace process na hindi rin
naman makokompromiso iyung kailangang tugisin na anumang klaseng criminal
activities na nangyayari diyan.
So lahat po tayo mayroong ibat ibang klaseng papel. Alam ko po, maaring
tanungin ninyo: Ano naman ang papel namin bilang decommissioned
combatants dito sa buong prosesong pangkapayapaan na itinataguyod natin?
Nuong nakaraang taon, 16 June 2015, ating araw ng ceremonial
decommissioning. (Dito rin natin isinagawa sa lugar na itonatatandaan ninyo
pa po ba?) Yong araw na iyon kasama pa natin ang ating Presidente at iba pang
mga miyembro ng kanyang gabinete. Lahat po sila mahahalagang opisyales
niya. Dumating sila dito, sina Secretary of National Defense Voltaire Gazmin,
si Secretary of Local Government noon na si Mar Roxas, ang ating Presidential
Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles, at iba pang opisyales.
So, ano nga ba po ang papel ninyo dito sa ating paglalakbay para magkaroon
ng pangmatagalang kapayapaan at kaunlaran dito sa ating mga lugar, dito sa
ating mga komunidad, dito sa Bangsamoro?
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Kayo po ang pinili ng MILF, ng inyong organisasyon. Isa pong

napakahalagang papel na ginampanan ninyo ay para patunayan sa mundosa
mga kapwa Pilipino, lalo na iyong hindi nakakaintindina ang MILF ay walang
ibang hangarin kung hindi makamit ang kapayapaan at kaunlaran ng tao dito
sa lugar na ito.
Kayo po ang nagsisimbolo nito.
Maski na nahihirapan na tayo doon sa pagtaguyod natin ng Bangsamoro
Basic Law, maraming batikos sa atin, maging sa pagkatao natin, ni Mr. Iqbal
kasama na rin ako, pero itinuloy po natin nong 16 June noong nakaraang taon
itong ating ceremonial decommissioning para patunayan sa lahat ng nagtatanong:
Totoo ba iyan? Totoo ba na ang MILF ay isang partner sa kapayapaan? Talaga
bang sinsero sila na ito ang gusto nilang tahakin?
Doon sa mga hindi naniniwala, pinakita natin na totoo ito.
Kayo po ang simbolo na nagsasabing: Gusto naming magkaroon ng normal
na buhay. At kaya po nagkaroon tayo ng 145 decommissioned combatants doon
sa ating ceremonial decommissioning. Kayo po ang pinili para maging simbolo
ng ganyang klaseng patunay ng sinseridad, ng aspirasyon na walang ibang
hangarin kundi maging mapayapa at may pagkalinga sa ating mga komunidad.
Napakahalaga po ng papel na gagampanan ninyo. Naantala man iyong
BBL, ay nandito pa rin tayo. Itinutuloy natin yong programa natin. At walang
umaatras dito sa usapang ito. Pinagpapatuloy iyong programa na nakalaan para
sa first 145 at gayon din para sa mga susunod.
Ang isa pang mahalagang papel ninyo ay malaman natin kung papaano pa
natin aayusin itong ating programa ng decommissioning.
Alam ko po na mayroon po tayong mga naging problema. Nagkaroon
tayo ng mga ilang di pagkakaintindihan. Iyan po ay itinuturing nating mga
aral, tinuturing natin na guidelines o alituntunin para sa susunod na mga
decommissioned combatants o iyong mga susunod na batches, sa phase 2,
phase 3, at phase 4 ng ating Annex on Normalization. At alam na natin kung
nag-umpisa tayo sa 145, kung ang susunod ay libu-libo, mas maganda na natin
mapapatakbo ang kabuuan ng programa.
So, pagpasensyahan ninyo na po kung meron tayong ilang aberya kasi
kayo po talaga ang nauna. Kayo iyong mangunguna sa pagpapatunay din. So
medyo nagsakripisyo kayo. Naranasan ninyo muna iyong paghihirap nitong
ating proseso. Pero masasabi natin sa susunod na mas maganda na ang ating
magagawa kasi kung anuman ang kakulangang nakikita natin ngayon ay sa
susunod ay susubukan na natin ang lahat para maayos iyan.
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Pangatlo, kayo rin po ang magpapatunay sa mga susunod na merong

mararating, mula dito mayroong mararating, kaya napakahalaga po na
ipagpatuloy ninyo iyong bagong pagsisikap. Mamaya po makikita natin iyong
mga tools of the trade na gagamitin ninyo para doon sa mga kurso ninyong
pinag-aralan. Gamitin po sana natin iyan nang mabuti. Mapakinabangan
niyo po sana kasi kailangan nating sabihin na mayroong buhay pagkatapos ng
giyera. Merong buhay na hindi baril ang hawak kung hindi mga kagamitan para
maging produktibo, para kumita, para mapakain nang may dignidad ang ating
mga pamilya, mapag-aral ang ating mga anak; na may buhay pong ganoon na
pwedeng makamit sa pagsisikap ng bawat isa, sa pagsisikap natin na sama-sama.
Napakahalaga po ng inyong papel kasi kayo po ang mangunguna dito. Kayo
ang magtataguyod nito. Kayo iyong magpapakita na meron tayong pupuntahan,
meron tayong pupuntahan pagkatapos ng giyera.
Hindi po madali, hindi po ba? May pag-aalinlangan sa loob natin. Maaaring
ang inyong nararamdaman ngayon ay haluhalong lungkot, haluhalong saya. May
galit pa siguro kung bakit ganito at walang katiyakan. Parang walang katiyakan.
Pero sana po ay hindi tayo mawalan ng pananampalataya. Sa pagsisikap
ng bawat isa, sa pagsisikap nating sama-sama, hindi po iyon mangyayari na
mapupunta na lamang sa wala lahat ng ating pinaghirapan para makarating
dito sa araw na ito.
Iyon pong ating pagkilala sa ating sarili, wala pong nabawas at nadadagdagan
po iyan. Kung dati isa tayong combatant na ang ating lakas ay kinukuha natin sa
ating pakikipaglaban, galing sa pakikipagdigmaan, ngayon po kukunin natin ang
ating lakas sa ating pagtutulak sa prosesong pangkapayapaan. Sa pagpapakita na
maganda at kailangan ito, at dapat sana maintindihan ito ng buong bansa. At
ipapakita natin sa kanila na: Kami ay may maayos na layunin. Meron kaming
magandang aspirasyon at iyan ay aming itataguyod. Hindi kami aatras.
Ganoon po ang ating iuwi ngayon sa araw ng ating pagtatapos sa TESDA.
Mas malinaw iyong nakikita nating papel. Yong ating role dito sa kabuuang
prosesong pangkapayapaan bilang decommissioned combatants, bilang graduates
ng skills training.
Asahan ninyo po na hindi po kayo mapapabayaan. Magiging mahigpit pa
rin ang ating ugnayan.
Magwawakas po ako rito. Ang akin lang pong panawagan ay yong panawagan
ko pa rin noong ating 2nd Anniversary ng Comprehensive Agreement on the
Bangsamoro. Marami naman yata sa inyo nakadalo rin doon sa ating selebrasyong
ginanap doon sa Notre Dame University.
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Yon pong pananampalataya ay kailangan nating ipagpatuloy

pananampalataya na tama ang ating landas na tinatahak. At ito ay ating
pagsisikapan, ipagpapatuloy; bawat indibidwal at bilang isang grupo na nagsama
sama; ang ating ibat ibang partner sa Gobyerno, sa Civil Society, maski na sa
ibang bansa na talaga namang todo-todo ang suporta sa atin.
Sana po huwag po tayong mawawalan ng tiwala dito sa proseso. Malaki
na ang naiambag natin dito. Hindi tayo dapat mag-gi-give up. Hindi tayo
mawawalan ng pag-asa at talagang lahat tayo ay may maaambag pa. Mas marami
pa tayong maibibigay para sa tagumpay nitong proseso batay sa ating ibat ibang
lokasyon, ibat ibang papel dito sa kabuuang prosesong pangkapayapaan at sa
pag-implementa ng Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat.
Notes:
Last 25 April 2015, 133 of 145 decommissioned combatants (DCs) attended the TESDA
graduation ceremony at the Old Provincial Capital of Maguindanao. On the same day,
TESDA officials distributed the tool kits for the graduates. The DSWD also released
P25,000.00 financial assistance to 64 DCs in support of the latters planned business
activities under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP); 80 DCs received their assistance
earlier on 29 March 2016.
Eleven of the 145 DCs opted not to undergo skills training. On 24 April 2016 at Old Capitol,
Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao the GPHs Socioeconomic Team consulted seven of the
eleven DCs if they have someone in the family whom they wish to take the TESDA skills
training in their behalf. Three of the seven affirmed and recommended their children.
Four DCs declined the TESDA opportunity. The DSWD and DW will facilitate cash-for- work
activities for these four DCs.
One DC from Wao, Lanao del Sur, who suffers from cancer is continuously attending his
therapy. From October 2015 up to January 2016, he completed forty-two radiotherapy
sessions, and one of six sessions for chemotherapy. PhilHealth and DSWD, and the
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Organization, have beeng providing financial support to
cover the medical fees.
One DC who chose the college education track had already taken the National Assessment
and Equivalency Examination conducted by the Department of Education on 24 April 2016
following two weeks of intensive review facilitated by the DepEd-Cotabato City Division
offices Alternative Learning System (ALS) team. The GPH Panels Socio-Economic Team
provided for his full board and lodging requirement and the daily stipend for the entire
period of his review up to the day of examination.
Within the third quarter of 2016, the Department of Agriculture will distribute the farming/
fishery assistance to the DCs. This is the last common item to be delivered as part of the
package enumerated in the DCs service vouchers.
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Haji Usman Akmad, one of

the oldest decommissioned
combatants who completed
his dressmaking course
under TESDA happily takes
a photo with his daughter
and granddaughter with
his newly received sewing
machine. With his acquired
skill, he intends to assist his
daughter in her small tailoring
business. (Photo by OPAPP)
(Above) Decommissioned combatants also receive from TESDA toolkits (e.g., carpentry tool box,
sewing machines, toaster ovens, motorcycle tools, electrician tools, etc.) in support of their startup business/livelihood. (Photos by OPAPP)
Speech
Commissioner Timuay Melanio Ulama

MEMBER, BANGSAMORO TRANSITION COMMISSION
ALTERNATE MEMBER, MILF PEACE PANEL
y warm greetings to our brothers na maluwalhating magsisipagtapos

ngayong araw sa kanilang skills training. Pagbati po ng kapayapaan sa
inyong lahat.
Ang araw na ito ay napakalaking simbolo ng biyaya ng mahal na Allah
Subhanahu Wa Taala na tayo ay nagtipon-tipon; at isang karangalan na
mapabilang dito upang matunghayan ang skills training closing ceremony ng
ating mga kapatid na decommissioned combatants. Ang mga skills na tinuro at
inyong natutunan ay isang biyaya na binigay ng mahal na Allah na inaasahang
gagamitin nang buong husay upang makamit ang mga magagandang pangarap
sa buhay na may kababaang-loob na naging sanhi rin ng pagbaba ng ating mga
armas na binigay sa pamahalaan, na tinanggap naman ng ating kagalanggalang
na Pangulong Benigno Aquino III.
Alam ninyo mga kapatid, ang skills training ay malaking biyaya sa atin upang
maging dagdag-kaalaman at lubusang maging matibay, maging lubos na matatag
sa mga pagsubok at pangyayaring kakaharapin. Kagaya ng naunang sinabi ng
GPH Panel Chair Ferrer, maraming naging pagsubok at pangyayari sa simula
pa lamang ng usaping pangkapayapaan, way back seventeen years ago. Ang
hindi pagpasa ng BBL sa Congress, both sa Lower at Upper House, ay malaking
kabiguan sa ating Bangsamoro at sa lahat ng mamamayan sa Mindanao, sa kabila
ng pagsisikap ng ating mga partners at mahal na Chairman. Karamihan sa atin
ay nag-iisip na ang BBL ay patay na, ngunit hindi po patay ang BBL. Habang
nandirito tayong mga mamamayang Bangsamoro na patuloy na nakikibaka,
umaasa na matatamo ang kapayapaan, ay mananatiling buhay ang BBL. Ayon
sa mahal na Chairman ng GPH, ang BBL ay naantala lamang po sa Congress.
Maraming salamat sa ating dalawang panelang panel po ng GPH at
panel ng MILF na ipinakita sa atin ang kanilang buong suportaat sa ating
mahal na Chairman sa MILF. Dahil po sa hindi siya nakapunta rito dahil sa
kanyang naunang imbitasyon, ang sabi nya sa akin, Sikapin mong makapunta
ka sa graduation ng ating mga decommissioned combatants para iparating sa
kanila na ako ay buong suporta sa programa ng gobyerno at sa pagsuporta ng
dalawang panel at sa ibat-ibang sektor ng civil society. Salamat rin lalong-lalo
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na po sa mga kapatid natin sa Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindananao

sa pamamagitan ng ating kapatid na si Hon. Omara Dalagan, gayundin po sa
ating Gobernador ng Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Ang decommissioning ng mga armas na isa sa makasaysayang simbolo ng
pagkakasundo ng dalawang panigang GPH at ng MILFay naantala po
ngunit ang mga pinagkasunduan ay patuloy na ini-implementa ng dalawang
panig. So, ang nakikita po natin dito ngayon, ito po ay kongkretong patunay na
ang mga programa ay hindi naantala bagkus ito po ay tuloy-tuloy.
I heartily congratulate you on your closing ceremony as you end one stage of
your journey to a new environment of life. You commence another but you have
learned many things in your skills training. You have gained a lot of knowledge
about the world and about yourselves. You have learned a lot of new skills, rational
and physical. Most of all you have imbibed new values that are most necessary
for your success in life. Your skills training taught you about values such as truth,
integrity, justice and fairness, peace, harmony, freedom, and love. Allah is always
good to his people. He never leaves us unattended; so long as we always do our
part. There is always a reward given to every effort to accomplish, done in good
faith and with good and noble purpose. Blessings come down from Heaven as
they did, promised for us who did our best for Him and to ourselves.
My dear graduates, be proud of it because this is the fruit of what you want.
It is the perfect symbol of Allahs gift to all of you. Make everything possible
using all your talents, skills, and be hopeful that for every given challenge, there is
always a corresponding victory. One has to reface lifethe totality of lifewith
great talents. Be responsible in everything you do; be a person of character. My
best wishes to all of you. In due time, you will realize how beautiful life is if it is
being led with hope, challenges and sacrifices. Take one step at a time and one
day your final step to success will be realized.
My dear brothers, decommissioned combatants, ang pagkaantala ng BBL
sa Congress ay hindi ibig sabihin na tayo ay talo. The non-passage of BBL in
Congress is not a loss for us Bangamoro; but instead it is a blessing from Allah.
Ano ang darating ngayon? Fast approaching na halalan para sa national,
regional, provincial and local officials. Magkakaroon po tayo ng tsansa dahil
after the election may mga bagong opisyales with whom we can engage our
continuous process sa BBL, kaya malaking pagkakataon po ito. Kayat lagi naming
sinasabi na ang BBL ay buhay na buhay, nagpapahinga lang sa Congress. It is
not the end of the BBL.
Brothers, once again my heartfelt congratulations to all of you my brotherscombatants. May Allah bless you.
Speech
Ustadz Jacob Palao

DECOMMISSIONED COMBATANT
agandang hapon sa kanilang lahat sa GPH, sa Deputy Chief of Staff

ng Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, at sa mga ka-batch kong 145
decommissioned combatants. Sana po ay tanggapin ninyo ang mainit na
pagbati sa isang mahalagang yugto ng inyong buhay. Ibinabahagi rin natin ang
pagbating ito sa mga opisyal ng eskwelahan natin sa Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority. Sa mga guro natin, sa mga magulang na hindi
nagkait ng kanilang pagmamamalasakit upang mabigyan tayo ng edukasyon o
hindi kayay kaalaman na magiging baon natin sa buhay.
Mahalaga ang okasyong ito dahil naganap ito sa gitna ng isinasagawa nating
malawakan at malalim na pagbabago sa sistema ng pamumuhay sa bansa. Ang
mga skills training na nakumpleto ng mga decommissioned combatants ay
siyang ilalatag sa darating na pasukan, o hindi kaya ay sa darating na pagpasa
ng Basic Law.
Umaasa kami na maihahanda namin kayo nang buong husay upang maayos
ninyong mahanap at mapagtagumpayan ang mga hamon ng pagbabagong ito.
Muling ipinapaalaala sa atin ng temang mujahideen mula sa decommissioned
combatants na tagapagdala ng kaunlaran sa Bangsamoro at sa bansang Pilipinas.
Ang mahalagang papel ng mujahideen upang maitatag nating lahat ang
pamayanan, ang inaasam nating lahat na masayang buhay dahil may nakalaan
na lugar para sa nagsisikap na isaayos ang sariling buhay, at sa mga handang
maglingkod sa kapwa.
Lagi ninyo sanang maalala ang mga tagubilin na kung dumating ang
sitwasyon na may pagkakaiba-iba: Maging tulay nawa kayo ng pagkakaisa. Sa
yugto ng buhay ng kagipitan, matuto pa rin kayong maging mapagbigay. At sa
panahon ng mas maraming suliranin, laging ang katwiran at ang puso ninyo
ang pairalin upang maituwid ang mahirap na daan. Nasa inyo ang lakas ng
katawan at lakas ng isipan upang laging maitaguyod ang pagmamahal sa bayan.
Sa inyong paglabas sa silid paaralan upang harapin ang tunay na buhay, laging
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tandaan na ang mundo ay puno ng magagandang pagkakataon na pinanday sa

loob ng paaralan.
Sa aking mga minamahal na guro at mga kawani ng paaralan, lagi sana

nating alalahanin ang ating bokasyon na maging tagapaghubog ng Kanyang
bayan. Muli ang aming pagbati at panalangin na dalhin nawa kayo ng inyong
mga puso sa tagumpay, at patuloy tayong magsama-sama.
Wasalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatoh.
Notes:
On 16 June 2015, 145 BIAF-MILF combatants and seventy five weapons consisting of
fifty one high-powered and twenty four crew-served weapons were decommissioned
and turned over by the MILF to the IDB in a historic ceremony held at the Old Provincial
Capitol Building in Brgy. Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao. As an integral part of
Phase 1 of the GPH-MILF normalization process under the CAB, the decommissioning
processwhere MILF forces and weapons are put beyond use in a graduated program
entails the GPH and MILF parties commitment to transform former combatants into
productive civilians.
Towards this objective, the 145 BIAF members initially decommissioned were provided
immediate cash assistance and health insurance at the ceremonial turn-over in June
2015. They were also given options for further benefits (such as livelihood packages,
college or high school study grants) that would be provided after the conduct of
counselling and needs assessment.
The DCs have continued to undergo various capacity-building interventions, with 133 of
the 145 completing various technical and vocational skills training courses in February
to April 2016 (e.g., automotive servicing, baking, carpentry, cookery, dressmaking/
tailoring, driving, electrical installation and maintenance, small engine mechanics,
welding, and entrepreneurship).
133 decommissioned combatants underwent various technical and vocational skills training under
TESDA in February to April 2016. (Photos by OPAPP)
PART II: OTHER STATEMENTS
Statement
GPH Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer on the
Proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law
(Pre-GPH-MILF Special Meeting in Kuala Lumpur)
7 JULY 2014
he implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro

is in the critical stage of processing a draft Bangsamoro Basic Law that
the President can confidently submit to Congress and certify as urgent upon its
adoption as an official bill in Congress, shortly after the reopening of Congress
on July 28.
We know that the review process conducted by the Office of the President
(OP) on the proposed law submitted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission
(BTC) has raised some apprehension over some content where modifications
were recommended by the OP review team. That is why we are taking the
necessary steps to ensure better understanding of the concerns, and to find a
good resolution through frank and open discussion.
Last July 3, in an en banc meeting held in Cotabato City, the Bangsamoro

Transition Commission passed a resolution elevat(ing) the matter or process
to the Panels for clarification, discussion, and resolution of issues that may have
been affected by the proposed revisions in the proposed BBL, in the higher
interest of finding a lasting solution to the conflict in Mindanao.
The Government Panel readily accepted the task. Together with the
MILF Panel, Malaysian Facilitator Tengku Ghafar and the members of the
International Contact Group, we will be meeting in Kuala Lumpur this week in a
workshop that would thresh out the various substantive matters that have arisen
from the BTC submission and the subsequent OP review. The members of the
BTC will also be present, thereby ensuring close coordination and processing.
To begin with, neither the BTC draft nor the OP-reviewed text is so
complete and perfect to leave no more room for discussion, or no other option
but to choose between one or the other.
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Closed options have never been the practice in our past negotiation. It
shouldnt be now in the implementation stage. Then and now, problem-solving
has defined our modalities and this approach has produced the workable results
that brought us this far.
For both the Government and the MILF, the bottom line is set by the signed
documents that make up the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
There is no backtracking on either side. Any perception of backtracking can be
duly addressed and rectified during the discussion. On the other hand, details
or aspects beyond the signed documents are policy options that the BTC has
taken and which the OP team took care to study and uphold as much as possible.
But as in any piece of legislation, there are various ramifications to any single
text or gaps that might not have appeared at first instance. The Kuala Lumpur
workshop will help sort out these grey zones.
If we are going through this difficulty now, it is because we want the next
stages to be less difficult not only between the government and the MILF, but
among all the institutions and actors that will be or have been playing a role in
the process. A well-processed bill that goes through the legislative mill, with
the certification of the President as urgent, will stand much better chances of
smooth-sailing passage in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
As we have said many times in the past, this partnership between the GPH
and the MILF is not for the fainthearted. It is also not for the impatient and
the impetuous who, in the face of difficulty, immediately throw in the towel.
Rather, it is for those who persevere so that when the going gets rough, they
get going. They do not turn back to their old comfort zones or to the familiar
sound of their war cries.
Surely, we are not throwing in the towel because we do need the towel for
this laborious task that is 99 percent perspiration.
We appeal to the understanding of all sectors who have accompanied this

process and who like us desire to institutionalize a Bangsamoro that is grounded
on a solid foundation and enjoying very strong peoples support.
Let our peace process continue to be the bright spot amid the violent
conflicts that beset many countries in other parts of the globe today.
Statement
GPH Panel Chief Negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer on the
Status of the Draft Bangsamoro Basic Law
21 JULY 2014
he Aquino administration has been consistent in its commitment for a

Bangsamoro Basic Law that conforms to what has been agreed upon in the
signed Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. As the review of the draft
BBL by the negotiating panels of the Government of the Philippines (GPH)
and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) progresses, there continue to
be significant points of differences between the Parties.
The GPH stands firm that we want a Bangsamoro Basic Law that can
withstand political and legal scrutiny and be acceptable to various stakeholders,
and the nation as a whole.
We will not and cannot move forward in the roadmap toward the
establishment of the Bangsamoro unless we hurdle this crucial stage. We wish
the MILF to understand the basis for the comments made as part of the review
process by the Office of the President.
From the beginning it was very clear that the BBL will pass through regular
legislation in Congress and, therefore, must fall within the parameters of the
Constitution. We have been trying to stretch these parameters to accommodate
the ideas that have been put in the BBL, in addition to what have been put in
the signed documents. But it is very clear we cannot overstep the boundaries of
the Constitution. That said, the BTC has been given the mandate to recommend
changes in the Constitution all those ideas that could not be accommodated
now under this Constitution. But the BBL must necessarily be constitutional.
This doesnt mean also that key features that will distinguish the ARMM
from the Bangsamoro are not being put forward in the draft law such as the
parliamentary form of government, a parliament with more than fifty members
made up of district, party list and reserved seats; an autonomous government
that will enjoy high fiscal autonomy; and a transition arrangement where the
MILFs brand of leadership will be tested.
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All of us want the BBL draft to be submitted to Congress as soon as

possible. But we cannot substitute haste with prudence. Whatever delay we
are experiencing now is intended to avoid further difficulties after the bill is
submitted to Congress.
We understand the apprehensions of people who have long fought the

government and now we entering a new stage where they can actually participate
in the government. But what we want is a mutually acceptable draft as the two
panels have agreed to accomplish. We ask the MILF to reflect on how we can
arrive at this.
We believe with reason and goodwill, we will overcome this current difficulty.
Notes:
By virtue of Executive Order 120 issued on 17 December 2012, the members of the
Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), composed of both GPH and MILF nominees,
were formally appointed on 25 February 2013. The main task of the BTC is to draft
the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which once enacted, will provide for the creation of the
Bangsamoro political entity.
The BTC completed its draft which it officially transmitted to the Office of the President
(OP) on 22 April 2014. After conducting a rigorous review, the OP returned to the BTC
its comments and suggested revisions. The BTC, finding their draft to be substantially
critiqued by the OP, issued a resolution on 3 July 2014, elevating to the Panels for
clarification, discussion and resolution (the) issues that may have been affected by
the revisions in the proposed BBL, in the higher interest of finding a lasting peaceful
solution to the conflict in Mindanao.1 This led to a series of meetings between the
Panels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (July 811), Manila (July 1821 and 2527) and
Davao City (August 110 and 1315).
The four-day special meeting in Kuala Lumpur served as an opportunity for the peace
panels to clarify misperceptions and affirm the intent and sincerity of the parties to
abide by the signed agreements.2 The succeeding meetings in Manila and Davao were
held to arrive at a common language for the draft BBL. In Davao, Executive Secretary
Paquito Ochoa Jr. also met with BTC and MILF Peace Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal to
1. BTC Resolution No. 002 series of 2014, approved on 3 July 2014 in Cotabato City.
2. Joint Press Statement by the GPH and MILF Negotiating Panels released on 11 July 2014 at
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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resolve remaining issues.3 The MILF remained engaged with the OP to finalize the draft
BBL even after these meetings.
After arduous consultations and legal review, a mutually agreed draft BBL was finally
turned over by BTC Chair Iqbal to Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Feliciano
R. Belmonte Jr. at the Malacaan Palace on 10 September 2014 in the presence of
Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III.
The bill was filed in the Senate as Senate Bill 2408,4 with 13 sponsors led by the Senate
President, and referred jointly to the Committee on Local Government chaired by Sen.
Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., and the Committee on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity chaired
by Sen. Teofisto TG Guingona III.
In the House of Representatives (HoR), it was filed as House Bill 4994,5 with 17 sponsors
led by the Speaker. It was referred to the specially formed 75-member Ad Hoc Committee
on the Bangsamoro Basic Law chaired by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.
3. Joint Statement of Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. and BTC Chair Mohagher Iqbal.
4. SB 2408 is authored by Senators Franklin M. Drilon, Vicente C. Sotto III, Alan Peter S.
Cayetano, Loren B. Legarda, Ralph G. Recto, Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, Maria Lourdes Nancy
S. Binay, Francis Chiz G. Escudero, Paolo Benigno Bam Aquino IV, Juan Edgardo Sonny
M. Angara, Pia S. Cayetano, Gregorio B. Honasan II, Teofisto TG Guingona III.
5. HB 4994 is authored by Congressmen Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Henedina R. Abad, Rep. Giorgidi
B. Aggabao, Sergio A.F. Apostol, Pangalina M. Balindong, Carlos M. Padilla, Neptali M.
Gonzales II, Senen S. Sarmiento, Enrique M. Cojuangco, Mark Llandro L. Mendoza, Eleandro
Jesus F. Madrona, Elpidio F. Barzaga Jr., Antonio F. Lagdameo Jr., Rolando G. Andaya Jr.,
Nicanor M. Briones, Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza, and Roberto V. Puno.
Statement
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles
on the Draft Bangsamoro Basic Law
8 SEPTEMBER 2014
he Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government have agreed
on a mutually acceptable draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to be
endorsed by President Benigno S. Aquino III for enactment by Congress. This
was confirmed in a meeting between the President and MILF Chair Murad
Ebrahim held last Thursday, 4 September, in Malacaang. Chair Murad was
accompanied by MILF panel and Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC)
Chair Mohagher Iqbal while the President was joined by several cabinet
members, led by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr., and GPH panel
chair Miriam Coronel Ferrer.
Over the weekend, the BTC met en banc to review the final version of the
draft bill. The BTC is poised to submit a letter transmitting the draft BBL to the
Office of the President later today. The letter was signed by all BTC members
yesterday afternoon at the end of their two-day meeting.
The President has decided to personally submit the completed draft to

Congress to highlight the importance of the proposed legislative measure. The
BBL tops the list of priority legislation which was submitted by the Office of the
President to Congress two days after the Presidents State of the Nation Address.
The turnover of the draft legislation is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, 10
September, at 10:00 a.m. in Malacaang. The President will personally hand over
the draft BBL to Senate President Franklin M. Drilon and Speaker Feliciano
Belmonte Jr., who will lead their respective delegations to receive the draft bill.
The ceremony will be attended by Chair Mohagher Iqbal and members of the
BTC, as well as members of both negotiating panels.
As the implementation of the CAB moves to the next stage of the process,
we again ask for everyones prayers and support as we continue to endeavor to
address and overcome all the challenges that surely still lie in our path toward a
just and enduring peace in the Bangsamoro and for the entire country.
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Statement
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles
on the Transmittal of the Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress
10 SEPTEMBER 2014
oday, we reach a turning point in our national quest for peace in Mindanao.
His Excellency President Benigno S. Aquino III has submitted to the

leadership of the House of Representatives and the Philippine Senate a
document embodying the administrations proposal on the provisions of the
draft Bangsamoro Basic Law.
This draft embodies the substance and spirit of the Comprehensive

Agreement on the Bangsamoro that was signed by the government and MILF
negotiating panels last 27 March in Malacaang Palace. Once enacted into law,
the consent of the people in the proposed Bangsamoro core territory will have
to be obtained through a plebiscite to be held next year. For the areas that vote
yes, they will be governed by a Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), which
will be created by the law with members to be appointed by the President. In
2016, simultaneous with the national and local elections, the first Bangsamoro
elections will be held that will install the first set of officials of the Bangsamoro.
This political roadmap is firmly on track, and we hold our congressional
leaders to their promise to prioritize the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
We are grateful beyond words for the patience, fortitude, and resilience shown by
the Government and MILF peace panels, as well as the Bangsamoro Transition
Commission, in the pursuit of peace, guided solely by the best intentions not
only for the Bangsamoro people, but also for the entire country.
We expect and look forward to a vigorous public debate arising from a
thorough and sober review of every provision contained in this draft document,
once filed in the Senate and House of Representatives.
For now, let us welcome the dawning of a new era that has taken us more
than seventeen years to bring to our peoples doorsteps. Every word, line, and
provision shall be subjected to the sunshine of democratic debate, where all
voices will be heard, with our Constitution as the guiding light.
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This is the farthest distance we have reached in our peace journey with the
MILF, and the most significant political step we have taken in our political
roadmap for the Bangsamoro.
To our esteemed partners in the peace process, now is not the time to rest or
be complacent. Now is the time to be heard and to listen to the views of others,
as we set aside our differences to unite behind the cause of peace.
Today, our generation holds the key that would unlock the unlimited
potentials of a peaceful Mindanao, of more developed Bangsamoro communities,
and a more cohesive, prosperous, and united Philippines.
Let us pass a Bangsamoro Basic Law that would make past and future
generations proud.
Maraming salamat po!
MILF Peace Panel and

BTC Chair Mohagher Iqbal
shakes hands with House
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte
Jr. after turning over the
draft BBL to Congress at
a formal ceremony held
at the Malacaan Palace
as Pres. Aquino and
Senate President Franklin
Drilon look on. (Photo by
Members of the Senate and
House of Representatives also
witnessed the BTCs turn-over
of the draft BBL to Congress.
(L-R) Sen. Vicente Sotto III,
HoR Ad Hoc Committee on
the BBL Chair Rep. Rufus
Rodriguez, Sen. Pia Cayetano,
Pres. Aquino, Sen. Drilon,
Sen. Ferdinand Bongbong
Marcos II, Speaker Belmonte,
Sen. Ralph Recto, and Sen.
Teofisto TG Guingona III.
(Photo by OPAPP)
Statement
GPH Panel Chair Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer on the
Transmittal of the Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress
10 SEPTEMBER 2014
he submission of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law to the leaders of

the Philippine Congress today, 10 September 2014, brings us to the next,
crucial stage in our roadmap to the Bangsamoro political entity: the formal
legislative process.
The proposed BBL has transposed into legal form and further elaborated on
the various annexesnotably the Wealth-sharing and Power-sharing Annexes
to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
It builds on the foundation provided by the past organic acts on the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). But it has several distinct
features that distinguish it from the ARMM.
Significantly, the proposed BBL provides that the Bangsamoro government

shall be parliamentary in form. This institutional design would allow for a broader
base of political representation and participation in governance. It would compel
the formation of competitive and sustainable political parties in the region.
In this regard, we welcome the ongoing efforts of the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) to form a political party that would serve as their
vehicle for effective participation in electoral politics and consequently assist in
their transformation from combatants to full-time civilian life as active Filipino
citizens in the Bangsamoro.
We enjoin other groups and sectors to consider forming their political
parties that would equally enable them to participate fairly and peacefully in
the Bangsamoro elections in 2016 and thereafter.
As envisioned, the Bangsamoro Government will enjoy significant powers

over and above the powers granted to the ARMM today, all on the basis of
the powers given to autonomous regions in our Constitution, and the creative
spaces or flexibilities found therein.
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As envisioned, the Bangsamoro shall enjoy fiscal autonomy through

fiscal and other revenue-generating powers in its hands. It shall be given an
automatically appropriated annual block grant similar to the internal revenue
allotment (IRA) received by other local governments.
Moreover, it would be provided with additional funding support that would
hasten socioeconomic development in this region that has been left behind due
to intermittent conflicts and malgovernance in most of the last five decades.
With more powers and resources come more responsibilities. This is the
advantage as well as the duty of those who will be leading the Bangsamoro
in the years to come. It is an opportunity that must be made available for the
common good, but also one that must not be squandered.
As envisioned, the Bangsamoro Government shall be secular and democratic,

a government of all, even as it establishes institutions, programs, and policies
that would serve the needs and uphold the ways of life of its majority Muslim
population.
The basic rights of all inhabitants shall be guaranteed, and special rights
accorded all indigenous peoples, women, children, and minorities shall be
respected and promoted.
These and other key features are detailed in the draft BBL that shall very
soon be deliberated on by Congress.
We trust that our esteemed lawmakers, cognizant of the historic import of

this process, would view the submitted draft with open hearts and minds, and
would take on the monumental responsibility of bringing forth the Bangsamoro
with seriousness of purpose and urgency.
Statement
GPH Panel Member and NCMF Secretary Yasmin Busran-Lao
on the Transmittal of the Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress
10 SEPTEMBER 2014
he transmission to Congress of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL),

which was jointly prepared by the GPH and MILF panels comprising
the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) and reviewed by the Office
of the President (OP), is a welcome development for all the stakeholders of
the proposed measure. It brings to the fore the commitment of His Excellency,
President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III, to put an end to the conflict in
Mindanao which has threatened the sociopolitical stability and stunts the
economic growth and development of the region.
We have to view and appreciate with objectivity the efforts of the two panels
and the delay attendant to the submission and/or transmission to Congress of
the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law as part of the dynamics of democracy and
same should not be a bar to our quest for lasting peace in Muslim Mindanao
and the other conflict-affected areas of the country;
The draft of the BBL has to be appreciated as done and pursued in

conformity with the essence of the duly signed Comprehensive Agreement
on the Bangsamoro (CAB) which has been highly accepted and viewed
with optimism by the stakeholders thereof, including foreign governments,
international organizations, and facilitators that extended support and good
offices to ensure the success of the peace process;
In applying and/or using specific provisions of the Constitution, as they
relate to the contents of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, a degree of liberality
has to be observed, keeping in mind that too restrictive application and/or
interpretation of the fundamental law would frustrate our quest and aspiration
for peace. We have to be guided by the legal maxim that: The will of the people
is the supreme law.
Flexibility in accommodating proposals, suggestions and positions aimed at
reflecting in the draft basic law the spirit and intent outlined and manifested in
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the duly signed Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, has to be applied,

provided that same will not compromise basic constitutional principle.
We encourage all concerned to allow and facilitate the passage of the bill
into law to provide opportunity for qualified residents and voters of the affected
areas to approve or reject the proposal as part of their democratic right of suffrage
to be expressed through the plebiscite to be called for the purpose.
Let us avoid unnecessary comments and/or remarks that might inflame
or exacerbate the rising emotions attendant to highly charged discussions and
deliberations on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.
We have to think and act in accordance with what is best for our country
and people, giving paramount importance and relevance to effort towards peace
and development.
Maraming salamat po, at magandang araw sa inyong lahat.
GPH Panel Member and then Presidential Assistant for Muslim Concerns Undersecretary Yasmin
Busran-Lao explains the Bangsamoro peace process in a consultation with IP leaders in 2013.
(Photo by OPAPP)
Statement
International Supporters for Peace in the Philippines
15 OCTOBER 2015
e, the undersigned, share a common aim with the people of the

Philippines to work toward a just and lasting peace in Mindanao that
brings prosperity, security, and social benefits to all Filipinos and maintains the
unity of the Republic of the Philippines.
We commend all sides of the peace negotiations on the milestones resulting
from the peace agreement, and their steadfast commitment to building peace.
We express our solid support and commitment to the continuity of the

peace process in our common interest.
Commitment
We call on all concerned to remain engaged in the peace process to give
life to the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro, and to the long-term
political, economic, and social pillars that will bring the peace dividend to the
country as a whole.
We ask for a continued commitment from all stakeholders to seize this

opportunity to enable the Bangsamoro people to form an effective and inclusive,
devolved administration as called for in the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on
the Bangasamoro. To do this will require flexibility on all sides to work within
the current Constitution of the Republic and recognition of the aspirations of
the people of Bangsamoro.
Continuity
In sustaining the peace effort, it is vital that there is no return to violence
and that long-established institutional safeguard measures remain in place
to monitor and resolve disputes. It is important that work on normalization
progresses credibly.
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The long and difficult history of this troubled region can and should move
to a more positive future agenda. Much work has been done to bring the parties,
activists, politicians, business and civil society to the brink of a settlement. For
the country as a whole, it is essential that setbacks are overcome and people of
vision and faith come together to ensure that the momentum for peace continues.
Common Interests
We have a stake in the Philippines not just as committed friends and
development partners but as investors and members of the community through
our citizens. In a world of conflict and instability which has marred the lives
of so many, we want to support the Philippines to emerge as a nation that is at
peace within itself.
H.E. Ambassador Bill Tweddell
H.E. Marion Derckx
Australian Embassy Philippines
Netherlands Embassy in the Philippines
H.E. Ambassador Erik Forner
H.E. Ambassador Luis Calvo
Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila
Embassy of Spain in Manila
Charg dAffaires a.i. Raoul Imbach
H.E. Ambassador Asif Ahmad
Embassy of Switzerland in Philippines
British Embassy in Manila
H.E. Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa
H.E. Ambassador David Strachan
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines
New Zealand Embassy in the Philippines
H.E. Ambassador Rolando A. Guevara Alvarado
H.E. Ambassador Philip Goldberg
Embassy of the Republic of Panama

in the Philippines
Embassy of the United States of America

in the Philippines
H.E. Ambassador Jan Top Christensen
H.E. Ambassador Jaroslav Olsa, Jr.
The Royal Danish Embassy

in the Philippines
Embassy of the Czech Republic

in the Philippines
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H.E. Ambassador Massimo Roscigno
Charge dAffaires a.i. Ngerikl Baules
Embassy of the Republic of Italy

in the Philippines
Embassy of Palau
in the Philippines
Charg dAffaires a.i. Stella De Araneta
H.E. Ambassador-Designate Franz Jessen
Embassy of the Republic of Colombia

in the Philippines
Delegation of the European Union

to the Philippines
H.E. Ambassador Thomas Ossowski
Charg dAffaires Mihai Sion
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany

in the Philippines
Embassy of Romania
in the Philippines
H.E. Ambassador Marthinus Slabber
H.E. Ambassador Jae-Shin KIM
Embassy of the Republic of South Africa

in the Philippines
Embassy of the Republic of Korea

in the Philippines
H.E. Ambassador Neil Reeder
Deputy Head of Mission Laurent Legodec
Embassy of Canada in the Philippines
Embassy of France in the Philippines
International envoys sign a statement of support for the Bangsamoro peace process on 15
October 2015. (Photo by the Netherlands Embassy in Manila, Philippines)
Let Us Not Lose Time:

Open Letter to the Philippine Congress from the Government
and MILF Peace Panels
26 NOVEMBER 2015
Dear Legislators:
ime is short, but there is still time. We ask our legislators to work for the
immediate passage of the draft law on the Bangsamoro.
Time is of the essence, and opportunity knocks only once.
The passage of the law will pave the way for the decommissioning of
thousands of weapons and combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF). It will enable the peaceful transition of an armed group into regular
members of society, participating and competing in free and fair elections.
Let us allow the MILF to proceed to the third and last stage of their struggle:
from pure armed struggle from 1972 to 1997; political struggle from 1997 to
the passage and ratification of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL); to
democratic struggle where their rights and aspirations are pursued solely through
civilized and democratic means.
The Bangsamoro law will establish a more representative and responsive

autonomous government, without the structural flaws found in the current
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). It will sustain the
development initiatives that have flourished under the current ceasefire and the
normalization programs provided for in the Comprehensive Agreement on the
Bangsamoro (CAB).
Let us not lose time.
A good piece of legislation passed in this Congress will redound to the

benefit of the next administration. For one, the next president will be in an
immensely better position to continue the peace and development efforts that
have been gradually put in place, without the difficulty of having to reinstate a
stalled process.
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Secondly, the next Congress will be able to focus on other important laws.
It will be spared the burden of having to go through new rounds of committee
hearings and plenary interpellations on a Bangsamoro law.
Some say that the next administration and Congress will have more time.
Our fear is that it would have lost precious time tooprecious time that could
have closed the door to extreme, violent movements that recruit followers by
exploiting the alienation of segments of the population from government and
society at large.
In the light of the recent horrible spate of violence that we have been
witnessing in Paris, Mali, Syria, and other parts of the world, we call to mind
the words of the National Security Council last 20 October 2014, at the public
hearing of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on the draft law:
The passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law has positive national
security implications. For one, this will settle one of the more
serious internal armed conflicts and essentially free up a significant
component of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to shift
resources to focus on external concerns, principally the protection of
our external territorial integrity and maritime domain which is now
being threatened.
Passing the BBL can help in curbing the spread of extremism in
Mindanao. In particular, the Bangsamoro government would be able
to help moderate Islamic leaders to counter the ideology of radicalism
being promoted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and steer
the Muslim community away from ISIS influence.*
From this global lens, the Philippine peace process on the Bangsamoro
has earned the support of the international community for providing a model
whereby an Islamic movement can find redress of its grievances through a
civilized and democratic process, within the countrys territorial integrity and
constitutional framework.
* Letter of National Security Adviser Cesar P. Garcia, Jr., director-general of the National
Security Council, read before and submitted to HoR Ad Hoc Committee Chair Rep.
Rufus Rodriguez on October 20, 2014.
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We are at the cusp of closing a major armed conflict that has divided our
people for decades. But we cannot reach our destination without the goodwill
and show of statesmanship from our leaders in the august halls of Congress, in
whose hands the legislative power lies.
In particular, we beseech Speaker of the House Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and

Senate President Franklin Drilon, as well as House Ad Hoc Committee Chair
Rufus Rodriguez and Senate Local Governments Committee Chair Ferdinand
Marcos Jr., to see through the legislative process leading to the passage of the law.
We ask you, our legislators, to open your hearts and to give our Bangsamoro
brothers and sisters this one good chance to enjoy the right to peace, and partake
of meaningful reforms and development.
In behalf of the Government and MILF Peace Panels,
MIRIAM CORONEL FERRER

Chair, GPH Panel
MOHAGHER IQBAL
Chair, MILF Panel
Statement
OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles on the Latest Developments
in Congress Deliberations on the BBL
16 DECEMBER 2015
ast week, the President clearly and thoroughly laid out the challenge as well
as the historic opportunity that lie before Congress in enacting the BBL:
that is, the challenge and opportunity to change the Bangsamoro narrative from
one of deprivation, despair, and violence to one of justice, new opportunities, and
hope; also the challenge and opportunity to bring a just and peaceful resolution
of a long-drawn and vicious armed conflict in a world that is in search of respite
from violence and hungry for a way out of the current quagmire of intolerance
and terror that is taking over more and more spaces of our globe. He stressed
that peace in the Bangsamoro is not an issue of his personal legacy; it is not just
for the Bangsamoro but will bring benefits to the entire country.
We continue to hope that Congress will rise to the challenge and seize this
historic opportunity to make a difference and radically shift the landscape not just
for now but very especially for future generations. The House leadership assures
us that there is still time and a way to complete their task, with the immediate
target of completing and closing the interpellation period this December. It is
a very critical period for peace advocates to let their voices be heard loud and
clear by our representatives in Congress. More than ever, we are called to stay the
course in this time of great challenge and possible peril, which is also a season
of great faith, immense hopeof peace, joy, and goodwill for all.
240
Statement
GPH Chief Negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer on the
Adjournment of Session of the 16th Congress of the
Republic of the Philippines (for the Christmas Season)
17 DECEMBER 2015
e commend the members and leaders of the House of Representatives

for concluding the period of interpellation on the proposed Bangsamoro
law in its last session day for 2015 and the quorum that we witnessed in the last
few days. The end of this legislative phase is an important step in our quest to
eventually pass the needed legislation that would establish an enhanced and more
representative and accountable autonomous government in the Bangsamoro.
We are confident that with the support of Congress and our tireless peace
advocates, we will be able to achieve national consensus on the importance of
the road map that we have set out in the CAB (Comprehensive Agreement on
the Bangsamoro) and effectively, permanently end the armed conflict between
the government and MILF.
The hard work continues. In this Season of Peace, we ask that we recharge
our energies and prepare for the critical period of January 18 to February 5 when
Congress resumes sessions on the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
The proposed law on the Bangsamoro is not simply a document, nor is it
dead. It is about charting a better future now, not later, for our country, with
respect and dignity for all, regardless of faith or ethnicity.
As the saying goes, lets not do tomorrow what we can do today. The delay
may not matter to those who live outside of the conflict areas but it matters
a lot to the people in the region who have been most affected by the conflict.
We call on our Filipino brethren to help us see this through. May the
Philippines continue to serve as a bright light of hope for peaceful solutions to
a turbulent world.
241
Statement
GPH Chief Negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer
on the Adjournment of Session of the 16th Congress of the
Republic of the Philippines (to give way to the May 2016
National and Local Elections)
3 FEBRUARY 2016
et me state the fact: The proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, in whatever shape
or form, did not make it out of the 16th Congress.
The sheer indifference and chronic absenteeism of majority of the legislators

manifested in the lack of quorum almost on a daily basis in the House of
Representatives, and the prolonged and repetitive interpellation of oppositors
ate up the remaining sessions.
In the Senate, the intermittent absence of the bill sponsor and the remaining
interpellator stalled the deliberation. Moreover, a belated change in procedure
was entertained. Only last December 2015, the Senate practically conceded that
the Bangsamoro bill is of local application and, therefore, the upper chamber
should have just waited for the House version to be remanded to it.
In all, forty public hearings and fourteen plenary deliberations conducted
by the HoR Ad Hoc Committee chaired by Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, and fifteen
public hearings and fourteen sessions of plenary interpellations led by local
governments committee chair Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. amounted to
nothing, along with the millions of pesos of taxpayers money used up to finance
these drawn-out proceedings.
It is only to be expected that the Filipino people, especially those in the

Bangsamoro who had pinned high hopes on this new law, are grieving, hurting,
and once again, dreading what tomorrow may bring.
However, the collective inaction of our legislators to complete the deliberation
on the BBL did not, and will not, stop the momentum of the Bangsamoro peace
process. At this low point, we call for sobriety and perseverance.
The work many among us started and accomplished together through

seventeen years of hard negotiations and vigorous efforts to jumpstart and move
242
Other Statements
243
the implementation of the road map cannot be taken away. The Comprehensive
Agreement of the Bangsamoro (CAB) remains a signed document that binds the
Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to their
respective obligations in order to seal the peace through the legal and democratic
processes and meaningful social and political reforms laid out in the document.
The CAB duly takes into consideration the diverse interests of different
stakeholders in the Bangsamoro region, and provides the guideposts to institute
meaningful autonomy and promote social justice through equitable distribution
of wealth and political power in Muslim Mindanaothe very same obligations
that the 1987 Philippine Constitution mandated Congress to do.
The CAB prescribes the steps and mechanisms for the transformation of
conflict-affected areas and MILF camps into secure, productive communities. The
agreement also provides for a gradual and phased process of decommissioning of
MILF weapons and combatants. It addresses the threat posed by other armed
groups and creates the spaces for the convergence of other Bangsamoro claimants
such as the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in the new autonomous
government envisioned.
The CAB also includes transitional justice and reconciliation measures

that will address historical injustices and heal the wounds of war, and remove
the biases and prejudices that have created the huge gap in understanding and
affection between the Filipino majority and minority populations.
It took a long time to get to this set of practical steps. We need to take away
the fear and distrust of the Bangsamoro for our country to become whole. We,
therefore, urge our politicians and fellow citizens to take the time to study the
history of the conflict and the peace process so as to get a better understanding
of the road map and our unflinching efforts to see it through.
As members of the GPH negotiating panel, we will do everything in the
remaining time that we have to ensure that the infrastructure for implementing
the peace accord are fully functional so that the next administration will be in
a good position to carry forward the full implementation of the agreement.
The road map laid out in the CAB remains viable even as we shall now be
crafting adjustments in the timeline.
Press Release:
Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC) Meets Leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
1 MARCH 2016
he Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),

Mr. Iyad Ameen Madani received on Sunday 28 February 2016, Alhaj
Murad Ebrahim, Chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The
meeting came after the severe setback to the peace process due to the failure
of the Philippine Congress to adopt the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). The
Secretary General expressed his deep disappointment over the non-passage of
the BBL which is a major step toward the final resolution of the Bangsamoro
question. The Secretary General urged all parties to remain fully committed to
the process and to stay the cause of peace. He urged the incoming administration
to re-file the BBL as originally agreed upon and ensure its early passage.
Alhaj Murad assured the Secretary General that, in spite of the great
disappointment, the MILF would continue to uphold the peace process, and
would continue to call on the Bangsamoro people to remain patient and to
rally behind the full implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on
Bangsamoro (CAB).
The Secretary General welcomed this continued firm commitment toward

the peace process and towards sustaining the ceasefire and avoiding resorting to
violence. At the same time, the Secretary General warned of the adverse effect
of the delay of adopting the BBL or adopting a modified weak version of it,
on human, security and developmental aspect of the region. He also warned
against the risk of worsening the situation that could allow the spread of violent
extremism. A failure of peace process could adversely affect the good relation
existing between the Philippines and the Muslim world.
The Secretary General reiterated the firm support of the OIC to the peace
process and the full implementation of CAB and all related agreements, namely
the 1976 Tripoli Agreement and the 1996 Jakarta Agreement, and welcomed
the commitment of Malaysian government to continue its support for the
peace process and its willingness to work with the next administration for that
244
Other Statements
245
purpose. The Secretary General also called upon the international community,
particularly those involved in the peace process and those that witnessed the
signing of the CAB, to urge the incoming administration to save this process
and guarantee the passage of the BBL as originally agreed upon.
The Secretary General urged the Bangsamoro people to unify, consolidate
and converge together toward the advancement of the peace process and the
final resolution of the conflict in Mindanao. He further urged the leaders of
the Bangsamoro people in particular, the MILF and the MNLF to utilize the
existing mechanism, Bangsamoro Coordinating Forum (BCF), to achieve a more
unified position and a more coherent consolidated and sustainable cooperation
for the benefit of the Bangsamoro people.
The Secretary General urged the rest of the peace loving Philippines people
to stand by their brethren in the south in their struggle to support the peace
process.
The OIC headed by Sec. Gen. Iyad Bin Amin Madani (3rd from left) discuss with OPAPP officials
(including Sec. Deles, GPH Peace Panel Members F/Sec. Senen Bacani and NCMF Sec. Yasmin
Busran-Lao, and OPAPP Undersecretary Jose Lorena) the Philippine governments peace process
with the MILF and the MNLF in a meeting held on 17 April 2015 in Manila. The eight-man delegation
of the OIC had a five-day visit in the Philippines, showing their commitment to support the GPHs
peace efforts. While in Manila, the OIC also paid courtesy calls to DFA Sec. Albert Del Rosario, the
HoR leadership, Senate leadership, and Pres. Aquino. (Photo by OPAPP)
Joint Statement
GPH and MILF Peace Panels at the Special Meeting
in Kuala Lumpur
(30 MAY 2016)
he Government of the Philippines (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation

Front (MILF) Peace Panels successfully ended their two-day Special
Meeting held 29-30 May 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Parties signed the Declaration of Continuity of the Partnership of the
GPH and MILF in the Bangsamoro Peace Process that seeks to ensure the full
implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB)
in the next administration.
The Parties signed the Terms of Reference for the Establishment of the
Bangsamoro Normalization Trust Fund (BNTF), a multi-donor trust fund
envisioned in the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and the
Annex on Normalization. They have likewise signed the Terms of Reference
for the Project Board of the Mindanao Trust Fund for the Six Previously
Acknowledged MILF Camps (MTF-RDP Camps Project).
The GPH and MILF Peace Panels congratulate President-elect Rodrigo
Roa Duterte. They express optimism that the roadmap provided for in the CAB
will be fully accomplished under his term.
The Peace Panels appreciated the statement issued by Presidential Peace

Adviser-Nominee Jesus G. Dureza who welcomed the forging of a declaration of
continuity in the search for sustainable peace between the Philippine government
and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Mr. Dureza, in his statement, also
expressed intent to continue with the gains and build on those already done
and achieved.
The Parties expressed their appreciation to His Excellency President Benigno
Simeon Aquino III, under whose guidance and leadership, the peace agreements
were signed; to His Excellency Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Sri Mohd Najib
Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak for his continued support to the Bangsamoro Peace
Process; Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles and
246
247
Other Statements
to the members of the MILF Central Committee and Chairman Al Haj Murad
Ebrahim for their commitment to continue the path to peace.
The Parties also extend their gratitude to His Excellency Tengku Dato Ab
Ghafar Tengku Mohamed as the Third-Party Facilitator from Malaysia; the
members of the International Contact Group, Third Party Monitoring Team
and the Independent Decommissioning Body who attended the meeting; and
the members of the other peace mechanisms for their invaluable contribution
to the Bangsamoro peace process.
Done this 30th day of May 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
FOR THE GPH:
FOR THE MILF:
PROF. MIRIAM CORONEL FERRER
MOHAGHER IQBAL
GPH Panel Chair
MILF Panel Chair
SIGNED IN THE PRESENCE OF:
TENGKU DATO AB GHAFAR TENGKU MOHAMED

Malaysian Facilitator
Index
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),

22, 65,131, 142, 147, 158, 160, 187,
192, 198, 238
Abad, Butch, 16, 20, 110

Abaya, Jun, 16, 110
Aceh, 60, 138
Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG),

146, 201, 206, 211
Adiong, Mamintal Jr., 6, 16
Akbal, Mamintal Jr., 6
Armed Forces of the Philippines Peace

Process Office (AFP PPO), 198
Arroyo, Gloria Macapagal, 61, 69, 135
Association of Southeast Asian Nations

(ASEAN), 34, 49
Ateneo de Manila, 117, 118, 128, 130
Akbar, Jum, 6, 16
AUSAID, 100
Alcala, Proceso, 16, 110
Australia, 14, 33, 45, 58, 75, 208
all-out justice, 17, 62, 167
all-out war, 13, 17, 57, 62, 167, 195
Alternative Learning System (ALS), 214
Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao

(ARMM), 111, 112, 130, 145, 150,
187, 192, 210, 224, 230, 237
Aman, Datuk Sri Anifah Haji, 3
American colonial regime, 93, 137, 166,

174
Antonino, Lou, 16, 110, 142, 150
Aquino, Benigno S. III, 3, 9, 13, 16, 30, 71,

72, 77, 85, 87, 88, 110, 142, 143, 145,
147, 150, 153, 159,180, 227, 228, 232,
246. See also P-Noy
Aquino, Cory, 13, 63
Aquino, Ninoy, 13
Bacani, Senen, 78, 99, 101, 145, 181, 189,

245
Balisacan, Arsenio, 103, 104, 110, 113
Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), 34, 35,

47, 48, 63, 69, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 98,
100, 101, 103, 107, 109, 110, 111, 123,
135, 143, 145, 149, 152, 154, 161, 162,
163, 169, 173, 174, 175, 178, 179, 180,
181, 188, 194, 195, 196, 197, 204, 205,
249
250
206, 212, 216, 217, 222, 224, 225, 226,

227, 229, 230, 231, 232, 237, 238, 240,
242, 244, 245
Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF),

245
Bangsamoro Development Authority
(BDA), 103, 105
Bangsamoro homeland, 11, 13, 14, 43, 44
Bangsamoro International Freedom

Fighters (BIFF), 52, 124, 131
Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces

(BIAF), 22, 25, 41, 144, 145, 148, 158,
203, 218, 219
Bangsamoro people, 11, 12, 13, 14, 26, 35,

44, 58, 70, 73, 96, 143, 144, 153, 154,
170, 179, 180, 228, 234, 244, 245
Bangsamoro question, 11, 41, 43, 51, 92,
244. See also Moro question
Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA),

35, 161, 228
Bangsamoro Transition Commission
(BTC), 34, 48, 69, 81, 85, 87, 88, 146,
181, 192, 194, 210, 216, 222, 225, 227,
228, 232
Bangsamoro Leadership and Management
Institute (BLMI), 18, 26, 28
Basic Law for the Bangsamoro

Autonomous Region (BALBAR),
197
Belmonte, Feliciano, 3, 131, 227, 229
Berk, Haydar, 142, 151, 152, 158
Board of Investments (BOI), 100
Index
Brunei, 14, 32, 34, 45, 75, 112, 147, 151,

154, 189, 193, 199, 208
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), 210
Busran-Lao, Yasmin, 81, 110, 145, 181,

192, 200, 232, 233, 245
C
Cagayan de Oro City, 135

Canada, 33, 75, 142
cash for work program, 17, 25, 75, 111,

214n
Catholicism, 123
Cause-oriented Groups (COGs), 57
Ceasefire agreement, 57, 135, 193, 211

Central Luzon, 118
Central Mindanao, 124, 138, 193

Christianization, 166
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), 19,

38, 63, 81, 153, 155, 171, 173, 188
Civilian Protection Components (CPC),

14, 45, 146, 208
collective security, 48, 64
Commission on Higher Education

(CHED), 16, 24, 157
Communist Party of the Philippines
(CPP), 121
Comprehensive Agreement on the

Bangsamoro (CAB), 29, 31, 32, 34,
36, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 49, 51, 54,
55, 57, 62, 65, 66, 68, 74, 78, 85, 90, 94,
97, 99, 110, 126, 130, 137, 145, 146,
151, 155, 165, 169, 174, 177, 178, 180,
251
Index
181, 188, 189, 192, 193, 195, 196, 198,

199, 200, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207,
208, 211, 214, 219, 222, 223, 224, 227,
228, 230, 232, 237, 241, 243, 244, 245
Department of Foreign Affairs and

Trade-Technical Assistance Facility
(DFAT-TAF), 33
Constitution, 48, 107, 121, 152, 170,

224, 228, 230, 232, 234, 243. See also
Saligang Batas
Department of Interior and Local

Government (DILG), 113, 150
conflict resolution models, 68, 138
Coordination Committee on the Cessation

of Hostilities (CCCH), 146, 200, 206
Cotabato City, 96, 97, 109, 184, 188, 193,

194, 198, 214n, 222
David, Rina, 117
de los Reyes, Gil, 110
decommissioned combatants, 137, 211,

212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 220
del Rosario, Albert, 3
Deles, Teresita Quintos, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 18,

20, 23, 28, 31, 32, 38, 47, 48, 60, 61,
72, 74, 85, 88, 104, 106, 108, 110, 113,
115, 116, 120, 128, 132, 142, 147, 150,
152, 156, 183, 192, 200, 202, 205, 240
Department of Agriculture (DA), 18,
157, 214
Department of Education (DepEd), 16,

24, 157, 187, 210, 214
Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR), 187
Department of Finance (DOF), 109, 113
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), 33,

72, 91, 185, 245
Department of Health (DOH), 16, 24,

25, 28
Department of National Defense (DND),

16, 150
Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH), 111, 112
Department of Social Welfare and

Development (DSWD), 16, 25, 157,
210, 214
development worker, 210
Djalia, Sitti, 124, 125
Drilon, Franklin, 41, 88, 174, 226, 229, 239

Dureza, Jesus G. 246
Duterte, Rodrigo Roa, 246

E
East ASEAN Growth Area, 34
Ebrahim, Al Haj Murad, 3, 10, 11, 16,

17, 26, 30, 31, 38, 41, 51, 72, 85, 104,
113, 142, 143, 147, 150, 166, 196, 200,
205, 227, 244
Enrile, Juan Ponce, 3, 174
EDSA (Epifanio delos Santos Avenue)

revolution, 121
Estrada, Joseph, 135
European Union (EU), 14, 32, 33, 45, 47,

58, 75, 142, 145, 193, 199, 208, 236
252
Index
European Union, 14, 32, 33, 45, 58, 75, 208

F
Facility for Advisor y Support for

Transition Capacities (FASTRAC),
33
Ferrer, Miriam Coronel, 32, 45, 51, 58, 65,
72, 74, 80, 85, 94, 115, 120, 126, 127,
132, 140, 145, 147, 150, 165, 166, 177,
181, 192, 200, 201, 205, 210, 216, 222,
224, 227, 230, 239, 241, 242
Formal Exploratory Talks (FET), 52, 53
Fr. William Masterson, SJ Award, 115,

127, 128, 133
Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro

(FAB), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13,
14, 17, 23, 25, 26, 31, 42, 53, 62, 96,
155, 207, 233
Fuentes, Daisy, 16
Government of the Republic of the

Philippines (GRP), 43, 111, 134, 174
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 112
H
Hamidi, Datuk Sri Dr. Ahmad Zahid

bin, 3
Hashim, Salamat, 12, 14, 20, 44, 170
Hataman, Mujiv, 6, 16, 31, 142, 145, 150

health centers, 18, 119
Hillary Rodham Clinton Award, 140
Hiroshima University Partnership Project

for Peacebuilding and Capacity
Development (HiPeC), 67
Hiroshima, Japan, 61, 63, 67, 71, 72, 73, 77
House of Representatives (HoR), 3, 63,

131, 142, 223, 226, 228, 229, 238,
241, 242
I
Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute (GZO),

122
hsanolu, Ekmeleddin, 3, 11, 14, 207
good governance, 48, 49, 64, 78, 109
Independent Decommissioning Body

(IDB), 142, 145, 147, 149, 150, 151,
152, 153, 154, 155, 158, 168, 219, 247
Georgetown University, 137, 139, 140
Government of the Philippines (GPH), 3,

5, 9, 24, 25, 27, 31, 32, 38, 41, 42, 45,
48, 49, 51, 55, 56, 62, 65, 68, 69, 72,
78, 80, 90, 92, 94, 95, 97, 99, 101,115,
120, 124, 126, 127, 135, 137, 140, 142,
145, 147, 150, 151, 154, 155, 157, 166,
169, 172, 173, 174, 176, 178, 180, 181,
185, 189, 192, 193, 197, 198, 200, 201,
202, 205, 206, 207, 210, 214, 216, 217,
218, 219, 222, 223, 224, 225, 227, 230,
232, 233, 239, 241, 242, 243, 245
Independent Commission on Policing

(ICP), 33, 74
INDEX, 119-20
Indigenous peoples (IPs), 43, 57, 73, 80,

96, 167, 176, 187, 190, 197, 231. See
also lumad
Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA),

73
Indonesia, 12, 14, 32, 34, 45, 47, 75, 112,
165, 199, 208
253
Index
Infantry Division, 52
Inquirer, 127
Law enforcement operations (Leo), 203
International Contact Group (ICG), 14,

32, 45, 52, 57, 74, 81, 142, 165, 170,
202, 205, 207, 222
Libya, 12, 14, 32, 45, 75, 134, 193, 199, 208
Internally displaced persons (Idp), 24
International Monitoring Team (IMT),

14, 32, 45, 57, 74, 142, 146, 155, 170,
199, 205, 208
International Non-Government
Organizations (INGOs), 26, 155
Iqbal, Mohagher, 113, 120, 127, 181
J
Japan International Cooperation Agency

( JICA), 33, 60, 61, 74
Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for

Reconstruction and Development
( J-BIRD), 33, 75
Jemaah Islamiyah, 138
Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Post ( JCMP),

211
Joint Normalization Committee ( JNC),
145, 205, 206
Joint Peace and Security Committee
( JPSC), 146, 206
Joint Peace and Security Team ( JPST),

144, 168, 194, 206
Joint Verification and Monitoring
Assistance Team ( JVMAT), 149
Jolo, 122
Korea, 112
Leonen, Marvic, 3, 4, 5, 30, 31, 45, 52, 74

Licuanan, Tati, 16, 110
Lingga, Abhoud Syed, 165, 166, 167,

181, 189
Local government unit (LGU), 38
Luistro, Armin, 16
Lumad, 31, 48-49, 75, 85, 87, 122, 125,

186, 192. See also Indigenous peoples
(IPs)
Luzon, 19, 86, 112, 160
M
Madani, Iyad Ameen, 244
Malacaan, 53, 71, 226, 229
Malacaang Palace, 11, 17, 23, 26, 51, 69,

227, 228
Malaysia, 3, 14, 31, 34, 38, 40, 44, 45, 49,

60, 75, 76, 112, 180, 193, 202, 207,
208, 225n, 247
Mamasapano incident, 115, 123, 126, 131,
132, 188, 203-04
Mangudadato, Esmael, 6, 16, 142
Mansor, Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah, 3
martial law, 16, 26, 70, 118, 119, 124,

133-34, 187
Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral
Domain (MOA-AD), 57, 69
Metro Manila, 174, 193
MILF Central Committee, 13, 16, 19, 25,

26, 41, 142, 145, 155, 192, 200
254
Index
Mindanao Development Authority

(MinDA), 16
Norway, 14, 32, 45, 75, 107, 142, 147, 151,

154, 158, 193, 199, 208
Mohamed, Tengku Dato Ab Ghafar

Tengku, 3, 4, 5, 9, 32, 38, 44, 52, 142,
145, 150, 155, 165, 170, 207, 222
Mohamed, Datuk Seri Mustapha, 3
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),

11, 12, 14, 26, 30, 31, 38, 41, 55, 68,
71, 105, 106, 110, 122, 126, 134, 137,
143, 151, 153, 165, 169, 180, 183, 205,
210, 224, 227, 230, 237, 243, 244
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF),
12, 122, 133, 169, 192, 243
nuclear weapons, 71
Ochoa, Paquito Jr., 3, 88, 186, 225
Office of the President (OP), 48, 222, 224,

225, 227, 232
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the
Peace Process (OPAPP), 5, 48, 207
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

(OIC), 3, 14, 33, 45, 49, 207, 208, 244
P
Moro question, 12. See also Bangsamoro

question
Palao, Ustadz Jacob, 218
Myanmar, 138
People Power uprising, 82, 115. See also

EDSA revolution
Mujahideen, 12, 14, 26, 44, 153, 218

N
Nagasaki, Japan, 71, 77
National Commission on Muslim

Filipinos (NCMF), 81, 185, 187, 192
National Democratic Front (NDF), 121
National Economic Development

Authority (NEDA), 104, 105, 109,
113
National Security Council (NSC), 238
New Peoples Army (NPA), 121
New Zealand, 33, 75
non-government organization (NGO), 26,

32, 41, 118, 119, 123, 146, 153, 155
normalization process, 63, 206, 219
Northern Ireland, 135
Peace and development communities

(PDC), 49
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation

(PhilHealth), 157
Philippine National Police (PNP), 187
P-Noy, 24. See also Aquino, Benigno S. III
Priority Development Assistance Fund

(PDAF), 178
Purisima, Cesar, 110, 113
R
Ramadan, 51-54, 62
Ramos, Fidel, 134, 135
Razak, Dato Sri Mohammad Najib bin

Tun Haji Abdul, 3, 11
Republic Act 9054, 53, 174
Rocamora, Joel, 110
255
Index
Rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), 149
Rodriguez, Rufus, 131, 226n, 238n, 239,

242
Roxas, Mar, 110, 113, 142, 150
Sacdalan, Jess, 16
Sahali, Sadikul, 6
Sajahatra Bangsamoro Program, 24, 25,

26, 28, 75, 111, 168
Saligang Batas, 85. See also Constitution
Sarangani, 112
Sarmiento, Mel Senen, 16, 226

Sema, Sandra, 124, 142, 145
Short messaging system (SMS), 128

Singson, Babes, 110
social equity, 48, 64
Society of Jesus (SJ), 115, 120, 127, 128,

132, 133
socioeconomic development programs/
packages, 52, 77, 149, 156, 157, 231
Soliman, Dinky, 16, 110
Spain, 88, 93, 174
Spanish colonial regime, 123, 137, 166,

174
State of the Nation Address (SONA),

173, 227
Sulu, 6, 7, 12, 13, 160, 174, 186
sustainable development, 104. See also

sustained development
Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP),

214
sustained development, 65, 131. See also

sustainable development
Tan, Abdusakur, 6
Task Force f or Decommissioned

Combatants and their Communities
(TFDCC), 137, 144, 146, 149, 156,
157, 194, 206, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213,
214, 216, 217, 218, 220
Te c h n i c a l E d u c a t i o n a n d S k i l l s
Development Authority (TESDA),
157, 218
Terms of Reference (TOR), 90
Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT),

53, 142, 145, 153, 200, 205, 208, 247
Transitional Justice and Reconciliation

Commission (TJRC), 89, 90, 92, 94,
96, 97, 145, 182, 186, 188, 205
transitional justice and reconciliation, 65,
131, 184, 186, 187, 203, 243
Tripoli Agreement, 134, 244
Turkey, 14, 32, 45, 75, 81, 147, 151, 208

U
Ulama, Timuay Melanio, 200
United Kingdom (UK), 14, 32, 45, 58,

75, 81, 208
United Nations (UN), 14, 45, 157, 178,

208
United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), 33
United Nations S ecurit y Council

Resolution (UNSCR), 187
256
Index
United States Agency for International

Development (USAID), 33
United States of America (USA), 14, 145,

208, 235
V
Verification and Monitoring Assistance

Team (VMAT), 158
Visayas, 86, 160
World Bank, 33, 49, 109, 146, 157, 193

X
Xavier University (XU), 114, 115, 116,

117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124,
125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132,
133, 134, 135
Z
Zamboanga City, 37

Junctures, A Book On The Bangsamoro Peace Process

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JUNCTURES

JUNCTURES: Selected Speeches and Statements, GPH-MILF Peace Process, 2012-2016

Farrah Grace V. Naparan

To those who dream

Launch of the Sajahatra Bangsamoro

Signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro

Peace Is Living Together: Religions and Cultures in Dialogue for Peace

Junctures: Selected Speeches and Statements

International Conference on the Consolidation for Peace for Mindanao (COP6)

COP6 Side Event: Womens New Role in Peace Building

Transmittal of the Proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress

Launch of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The Asia Foundation

2014 Philippines Development Forum the on Bangsamoro Development Plan

76th Xavier University Convocation

Awarding Ceremony, Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for Advancing Women,

Ceremonial Decommissioning of MILF Weapons and Combatants

28th International Meeting for Peace: Peace is Always Possible,

GPH and MILF Panels Special Meeting

Public Launch of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission

Second Anniversary of the Signing of the Comprehensive Agreement

Junctures: Selected Speeches and Statements

Decommissioned Combatants Skills Training Closing Ceremony

PART II. Other Statements

Statement of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles

Statement of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles

Statement of OPAPP Sec. Teresita Quintos Deles on the Latest Developments

Press Release: Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Ad Hoc Joint Action Group

Armed Forces of the Philippines Peace Process Office

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

Bangsamoro Coordination Forum

Bangsamoro Development Agency

Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces

Bangsmoro Islamic Freedom Fighters

Basic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region

Bangsamoro Transition Authority

Bangsamoro Transition Commission

Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro

Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities

Civilian Protection Component

Communist Party of the Philippines

Department of Environment and Natural Resources

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade-Technical

Department of Public Works and Highways

Department of Social Welfare and Development

Epifanio delos Santos Avenue

Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro

Facility for Advisory Support for Transition Capacities

Government of the Philippines

Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute

Government of the Republic of the Philippines

Hiroshima University Partnership Project for Peacebuilding and

International Contact Group

Independent Commission on Policing

Internally displaced persons

Independent Decommissioning Body

International non-government organizations

Indigenous Peoples Rights Act

Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development

Japan International Cooperation Agency

Joint Peace and Security Committee