http://opapp.gov.ph/milf/news/p-noy-murad-underscore-trust-sincerity-achieving-gains-peace-process
“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 ang inyong mga
fighters (We are able to dream of these because of the trust being demonstrated
by the leadership of brother AL Haj Murad and the central committee of the MILF
as well as your fighters),” President Benigno Aquino III said during the launch
of the Sajahatra Bangsamoro program on Monday at the Bangsamoro Leadership and
Management Institute in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.
COTBATO CITY - The
milestones achieved by the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were made possible owing to the trust and
sincerity that both sides have demonstrated to each other.
(from
left) MILF Chair Murad,
President BenignoAquino
III and
OPAPP
Sec Teresita Quintos-Deles
during
the presidential visit in
Maguindanao province |
The President was
accompanied by Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras, Presidential Communication
Operations Office Sec. Sonny Coloma, Presidential Communications Development
and Strategic Planning Office Sec. Ricky Carandang, Presidential Adviser on the
Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles, Social Welfare and Development Sec.
Corazon 'Dinky' Soliman, Education Sec. Armin Luistro, Transportation and
Communication Sec. Jun Abaya, Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala, Mindanao
Development Authority Sec. Luwalhati Antonino, Commission on Higher Education
Chairperson Patricia Licuanan, Defense Sec. Voltaire Gazmin, Budget Secretary
Butch Abad, and Health Sec. Enrique Ona. Also present were members of the
peace negotiating panel, the highest officials of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines and Philippine National Police as well as officials and
representatives of government agencies participating in the Sajahatra
Bangsamoro program.
From the MILF side,
Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim led his contingent composed of the members of the
MILF Central Committee and the MILF peace negotiating panel. Hundreds of
members of the MILF community also witnessed the ceremonial turnover of
services and projects to selected beneficiaries.
“Alam ko pong hindi
madali ang magbukas ng puso sa gobyerno matapos ang apat na dekadang
pakikipaglaban (I know that it is not easy to open one’s heart to the
government after four decades of fighting),” President Aquino stated.
“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 gobyerno (But
Murad has seen that this is the fruit of his sacrifices and that of Hashim
Salamat, who came before him, and the many brothers who went through great
struggle to attain peace and adequate care from the state and government)."
President Aquino, who
was known as the first president who has initiated a meeting with the MILF
leader, has again made history by being the first president to have visited an
MILF community.
For his part, Murad
said they were “humbled by this grand gesture.”
“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,”
he stated. “We welcome the partnership between the government and the
MILF."
The MILF leader also
said that it is the “repeated pronouncement of sincerity of the President that
gives us solace in this difficult process.”
On the same note,
Deles underlined that the “bridge of trust we have painstakingly built is
strong enough to withstand the trials ahead no matter 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,” she said.
While the MILF
welcomed the sincere gesture from the government to make immediate the dividends
of peace, Murad cautioned “not to lose sight of the imperative and the
challenges of the works ahead -that of achieving in the soonest possible time
the signing of the comprehensive compact between the MILF and the GPH.”
Seeds of trust
President Aquino
recalled his first meeting with Murad in Japan in August 2011 when the “first
seeds of trust were planted” with the MILF. He likewise mentioned the historic
signing in October 2012 of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) in
which “the first fruits of our hard work became enshrined."
“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 (And
now, we demonstrate that through this Sajahatra Bangsamoro program, there is no
need to wait for a long time to experience change; we will start and implement
what can be started and implemented now),” he said.
“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,” added President Aquino.
Likewise, Deles
referred to the forging of the historic document which earned recognition and
support from both the local and international communities.
“It was not so long
ago when we are in a similar jam-packed event to witness a milestone in our
history unfold,” she said. “The event, and the agreement, which we now referred
to as the FAB for brevity, promised the dawning of beautiful mornings to
wake-up to after the nightmares of violent armed conflict.”
“Ngayon po, ako ay
nagising sa umagang kay ganda (Today, I woke up to a beautiful morning). A
beautiful sunny morning full of happy anticipation to be part in yet another
milestone in our peace efforts,” Deles stated stressing that the partnership
between the government and the MILF “is what we are launching today.”
Sajahatra Bangsamoro
is the President’s concrete, socio-economic peace initiative that aims to
uplift the health, education and livelihood conditions of MILF communities
towards realizing lasting peace and development for the Bangsamoro people and
the entire country. It signifies the strong partnership between the government
and the MILF as both work together in identifying beneficiaries and projects to
address immediate needs of the people.
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