http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2013/02/25/transcom-members-named-milf-peace-panel-chair-iqbal-is-transcom-chair/
The MILF on the other
hand selected eight members: Iqbal, Maulana Alonto, Abdullah Camlian,
Ibrahim D. Ali, Raissa H. Jajurie, Melanio U. Ulama, Hussein
P. Munoz and Said M. Shiek.
According to Lacierda, the seven appointees of the GPH panel “underwent thorough screening and evaluation” by a TransCom Selection Body composed of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles, and Mehol Sadain, Secretary of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF).
By Carolyn
O. Arguillas on February 25 2013 2:55 pm
 |
| Mohagher Iqbal |
DAVAO CITY
(MindaNews/25 February) – Malacanng announced Monday noon the appointment of 15
members of the Transition Commission of the Philippine government (GPH) and
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the body that would prepare the
groundwork for the setting up of the new autonomous political entity
called “Bangsamoro” by June 30, 2016.
Presidential
spokesperson Edwin Lacierda announced the names – eight from the MILF and seven
from the GPH — . in a press conference in Malacanang.
He said the TransCom
will be chaired by Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF peace panel chair.
Iqbal will now be
holding three concurrent positions: as information chief and peace panel chair
of the MILF and as chair of the GPH-MILF TransCom.
Named members of the
TransCom for the government are: Akmad A. Sakkam, Johaira C.
Wahab,. Talib A. Benito, Asani S. Tammang, Pedrito A. Eisma. Froilyn T. Mendoza
and Fatmawati T. Salapuddin.
According to Lacierda, the seven appointees of the GPH panel “underwent thorough screening and evaluation” by a TransCom Selection Body composed of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles, and Mehol Sadain, Secretary of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF).
Lacierda said the GPH
Selection Body agreed that appointees be “a Bangsamoro, a track record in
support of the peace process, and established probity, untainted by any charge
or suspicion of corruption or abuse of power, among others.”
Women
and IPs
The eight names
selected by the MILF are all members of the MILF peace panel. Iqbal is MILF
peace panel chair. Alonto and Camlian are members of the MILF peace panel;
Jajurie, Ulama and Sheik are members of the MILF peace panel’s Technical
Working Groups while Munoz, more popularly known by his commander’s name, Sonny
Davao; and Ali, an aleem, are consultants.
Jajurie is a lawyer
while Sheik is head of the MILF’s Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of
Hostilities.
Iqbal acknowledged
that individually, taking on the task on a concurrent capacity is “mahirap pero
mas mahirapan kami kung maghanap pa ng bago” (difficult but it will be more
difficult if we look for new ones).
He told MindaNews in
a telephone interview that “organizationally, mas madali (it will be easier)
because of trust and confidence.
On the GPH side, only
one from the GPH peace panel was named to the TransCom: lawyer Wahab, chief of
the legal panel.
Wahab, who hails from
Maguindanao, and who topped the Foreign Service Officer examination given out
by the Department of Foreign Affairs last year, is the youngest member of
TransCom. She is turning 28 on March 25.
Iqbal, the TransCom
chair, is turning 65 this year.
The other GPH members
to the TransCom are lawyer and former ambassador Sakkam from Indanan, Sulu
Prof. Benito, Dean of the King Faisal Center for Islamic, Arabic and Asian
Studies at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City; lawyer Tammang, a former
congressman from Panamao, Sulu; former Isabela City councilor Eisma
of Basilan; Mendoza, aTeduray who co-founded the Téduray Lambangian
Women’s Organization, Inc. (TLWOI) while Salapuddin was director of the
Sulu-based Lupah Sug Bangsamoro Women’s Association and is at present the
Director of the Bureau of Peace & Conflict Resolution of the NCMF.
Of the 15 members,
four are women (Wahab, Mendoza and Salapuddin from the GPH and Jajurie from the
MILF) while two are from the Lumads (Indigenous peoples): Mendoza from the
GPH and Ulama from the Organization of Teduray and Lambiangan Conference,
from the MILF.
Tausugs dominate the
TransCom membership: Sakkam, Tammang, Salapuddin and Jajurie, Camlian describes
himself as “Tausug/Sama/Banguingi from Zamboanga City and Basilan.”
The Maranaos have
three members in the TransCom: Benito, Alonto and Shiek; the Kagans have
Munoz and for the Iranuns, Ali.
The MILF base is in
Maguindanao but there are only two Maguindanaons in the TransCom: Iqbal
and Wahab.
The indigenous
peoples are represented by Tedurays Mendoza and Ulama.
Eisma, according to
ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman, is a “Christian representative to the TransCom.” A
source from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process said
Eisma “has lived in Basilan for a very long time and will be qualified to vote
on the plebiscite.”
EO
120
The appointment of
the members came two months and eight days after President Aquino signed on
December 17 Executive Order 120 creating the TransCom and four months and
10 days after the signing of the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro
(FAB).
EO 120 provides an
initial funding of P100 million for the TransCom from the contingency fund of
the Office of the President. Budget for the succeeding years shall be
incorporated in budget proposal under the Office of the President.
The roadmap to the
creation of the Bangsamoro, prepared and published by the Presidential
Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, lists 15 steps
from the signing of the FAB on October 15.
The second step is
supposed to be the adoption of the Annexes followed by the issuance of the EO
creating the TransCom, Congressional resolutions supporting the EO and the
fifth step which is the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
The GPH and MILF
peace panels resumed their negotiations on the four annexes on Power-sharing,
Wealth-sharing, Normalization and Transitional Arrangements and Modalities, to
complete their comprehensive peace pact.
The House of
Representatives and the Senate passed resolutions supporting the EO and the FAB
before they went on Christmas break.
Tasks
The EO provides the
following tasks of the TransCom, in accordance with the FAB: “draft the
Bangsamoro Basic Law with provisions consistent with the 2012 Framework
Agreement on the Bangsamoro; whenever necessary, to recommend to Congress or
the people, proposed amendments to the 1987 Philippine Constitution; and
whenever necessary, to assist in identifying and coordinating development
programs in the proposed Bangsamoro in conjunction with the MILF Bangsamoro
Development Agency (BDA) and the Bagnsamoro Leadership and Management
Institute (BLMI)” and for this purpose, “may likewise coordinate with such
other relevant government agencies and/or non-government organizations.”
It also adds these
tasks: “coordinate and conduct dialogues and consultations with the National
Government and various stakeholders in furtherance of its functions; and
perform such other relevant functions as the President may hereinafter direct.”
The TransCom,
according to the FAB, will be independent from the ARMM (which will hold its
last elections in May 2013) and other government agencies” but all agencies of
government are mandated to “support the Transition Commission in the
performance of its tasks and responsibilities” until it ceases to exist “upon
the enactment by Congress of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.”
The EO provides that
the TransCom “may directly coordinate with legislative bodies in order to
accomplish its functions” and shall organize its Secretariat headed by an
Executive Director as may be designated by the chair. It can also create
technical committees and engage the assistance of experts and professional
advisors. (Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews)
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