links: http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/new/item/528-peace-advocates-call-on-congress-to-pass-bbl-that-conforms-to-the-cab
MANILA, Philippines — The Civil Society Organizations from Mindanao along with peace advocates in Metro Manila staged a rally outside Senate as Senator “Bongbong” Marcos was delivering his privilege speech on August 12, 2015.
“Prior to Senator Marcos privilege speech, it was already anticipated
that the Substitute Bill or the SB 2894 would be announced in his
speech,” Sajid Khan Tula, Chairman of the United Youth for Peace and
Development (UNYPAD) Metro Manila chapter, said.
He lambasted Senator Marcos for having come up with a Substitute Bill
that has totally disregarded the substance of the BBL original version,
and for having deprived Bangsamoro of their right to self-determination
and governance.
“Instead of healing the wounds of injustices (such as land grabbing,
massacres, summary executions, among others) committed by his father to
the Bangsamoro, he is adding them, and what the Senator did to the BBL
is another unforgivable massacre, like what his father did to the
Bangsamoro” Sajid lamented.
Kamim Macmod, Regional Coordinator of the UNYPAD Luzon Regional
Cluster, said that very purpose of the rally is to inform the law makers
that the Bangsamoro people do not and will never accept any BBL version
that does not conform to the CAB.
“Mr. Senator Marcos, we have been in a chaotic situation during your
father’s regime. Now that we see we are closer to the end in our effort
to addressing problem of peace in Mindanao. We see we are now closer to
fulfilling our dream of enjoying freedom within the Philippine State.
Why are you killing our dreams by means of proposing a bill according to
your own interpretation and desire,” Murshid Mascud, Vice Chair of the
Mindanao Alliance for Peace (MAP), said.
“Mr. Marcos, we want the BBL based on CAB because that is the only
solution to pacify and end the conflict in Mindanao. We, in the Civil
Society Groups, believed that the BBL based on CAB still be the real
solution to the decades-long conflict in Mindanao, so why go for
proposed law of yours which is weaker than the BBL,” Murshid, also an
intervener to Supreme Court, added.
“You know, We, People (Muslims and Christians) of North Cotabato, are
already existing, living harmoniously and peacefully. Please don’t ruin
the good atmosphere we are enjoying right now due to a bill which is
unsatisfactory to the majority. We are the one who will suffer the
consequences of failure of the peace process,” Kelly Antao, North
Cotabato first district Board Member, said.
He explained that when the war unfolds in North Cotabato, the people there will indeed suffer a great loss economically.
“For instance, the fund which is supposedly used for the development
of the Province, we will be forced to spend it for the evacuees. We
could use it for the projects that can better benefit our constituents
but we have no choice other than spending it for the survival of our
people in evacuation centers should war happen,” Kelly pointed out.
He said that one of the concrete examples is the birth of BIFF due to
the failure of MOA-AD, and what worries him is he doesn’t know what
kind of child will be born should this BBL be watered down.
“The government is skeptical of allocating fund for the Bangsamoro as
they have been thinking that the money will be used to purchase
weapons, which will be used to fight against the government to secede
from the Philippines,” Yusoph Lumambas, UNYPAD Secretary-General, told
TV-5 news.
“That will not happen because it is stated clearly in the FAB and CAB
that the Bangsamoro Government is still under the Philippine
Government,” he said.
Asked about what part of the new versions (of both House of
Representatives and Senate) he doesn’t like, Yusoph said: “Generally if
we look at these new versions, they are far from the agreed one. They
changed the contents of it.”
Kamim Macmod said that the peace advocates led by the Consortium of
Bangsamoro Civil Society Organizations (CBCS) and its allied networks in
Mindanao and Metro Manila will never stop voicing out their concerns on
the BBL that has now been hovering between life and death in the hands
of the congress.
“We will continue to stage rally until our appeal to go for the BBL
based on CAB be heard by our Legislators because it is only the way
where the GPH and the Bangsamoro would both win,” he disclosed.
“It is a win-win solution,” he stressed.
MILF Website
Article links:
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OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS PROMOTIONS WEBSITES
PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
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