COTABATO CITY - MILF Peace Panel Chairman Mohagher Iqbal expressed mixed emotions on the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) between GPH and MILF in a consultation with different civil society organizations held yesterday, October 30 in Cotabato City.
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Picture
details: MILF Peace Panel Chairman Mohagher Iqbal asking
if there
are any more questions during the open forum at the
consultation on the
Framework Agreement held yesterday (Oct 30). Sitting beside him is the
Chairperson of Consortium
of Bangsamoro Civil Society, Mr Guaimel Alim.
CBCS
is the convenor of said forum. (Frenz P. Laureta)
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“I am happy as a
person, as a member of the peace panel, and as a member of MILF because I am
involved. But at the same time, I am sad. I am happy because we have a
destination, I am sad and worried because we have so much to do. But in the
end, I am more happy because I trust Allah is with us.” Mohagher Iqbal stated
in his opening remarks.
Iqbal was the main
speaker at a consultation held at KFI Conference Hall, KFI Compound in Dona
Pilar Street that was attended by different Moro Civil Society Organizations
headed by Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS) and Kutawato Regional
Management Committee (KRMC), IP Leaders headed by Timuay Melanio Ulama of Organization
of Téduray and Lambangian Conference (OTLAC), national democratic
organizations represented by Kawagib Philippines and Kabataan Party, human
rights groups and international NGOs.
Iqbal also reiterated
that the FAB is not a perfect document but it is the best so far with regards
to advancing the right of the Bangsamoro people to self-determination as it
builds on prior experiences and fills the gap where earlier documents failed.
He called on everyone to give the peace process the benefit of a doubt and
consider the FAB as an incremental victory in which steps are still to be taken
to build the feasibility of a Bangsamoro identity, territory, and government.
Iqbal considers the
FAB as the key to the liberation of the Bangsamoro people, but he was quick to
add that it is not instantaneous. According to him, there are four important
things to do which are ideological strengthening, political consolidation,
socio-economic development, and cultural development. He added that learning
from past experiences, they have set up safeguards to ensure the compliance of
the central government to the peace process. First is that the Peace Panel will
not cease to exist even with the event of signing of a final peace agreement;
second is the presence of an international monitoring group and they will only
sign an exit agreement upon satisfaction on the proceedings of the peace
process; and lastly is that the miscellaneous and annexes of the FAB will be a
bilateral agreement.
To conclude, Iqbal
stated that “The Framework Agreement offers optimism, but we also have to
manage expectations and frustrations”.
Meanwhile, Mr. Guiamel
Alim, Chairperson of CBCS, offered a challenge to the attending organizations
on what they can do to disseminate correct information to the populace
especially in Tawi-Tawi and Sulu. He added that information to be disseminated
should not be exaggerated nor lacking of pertinent details, as either of which
can be detrimental to the peace process.