Rep. Mujiv Hataman of AMIN Party List and Rep. Faysah RPM Dumarpa of Lanao del Sur had filed two different bills on anti-Discrimination. Their bills are now being consolidated into one.
This consolidated bill is now on the process of being formulated and framed. We would like to hear your views about this bill and help contirbute to its construction by making your comments on its draft posted here.
Please Click on the links below to read the bill and post your comments.
c/o Rm. 408 South Wing, House of Representatives, Batasan Complex, Quezon City, Tel. 931-6364
Peace in Mindanao has been so elusive that for centuries thishas beenthe calls of its people .The ongoingviolence in five provinces is but a continuationofhistoric conflict and thesewarsmight spreadand escalate once moretootherprovinces. Can we imagine how much civilian lives will be affected even moreifthe present war and violence between the military and MILFwill not stop.
Eversince we engaged in the civil society movements,our paramount concernis the attainment of lasting peace in Mindanao.As peace advocates , we still believethatpeaceful settlementof the Bangsamoro question is still possible underthe atmosphereofshared responsibilityandcommitmentto peace of all stakeholders Muslims, Lumadsand Christians alike.
We in the ANAK Mindanao Party List, Bangsamoro People Solidarity for Peace (BANGSAMORO), Moro Human Rights Center (MHRC), Assalam Bangsamoro People’s Association (ABPA),Mindanao NGO Forum and other like-minded organizations, maintain ourcommitmentto push forward our collective actions to promote peace based on justice and fight all formsofinjustices and discrimination against Mindanaoans such as Muslims, Christians and Lumads.
Towards that end,we arelaunching the CARE for PEACE ( Caravan and Relief Campaign for Peace) as our initial and immediate activity. The CARE for Peace campaign activitywill be held on September 12-15, 2008and it is aim to;
1.provide immediate relief assistance to evacuees in the affected areas
2.educatethepublic on the real issues and concerns besetting the current realities in Mindanao
3.Gathersupportfrom peace-loving peoplesacrossthe nation and abroad in support to
our questfor lasting peace in Mindanao
It is in this light thatwe in the CARE for Peace isreaching out toyou and your organizationsto join us in this worthwhile endeavour. Your presence, active participation and supportareenoughmanifestation thattogether,we can continue our questforpeace no matter how elusive it would be. Attached is the breakdown ofexpensesof the campaign activities for your consideration. Kindly contact Mr. Jolly Lais or Ms. Norhaiya Macusangfor additional information and details of the campaign at(02) 931-6364 or 0920-6283205 or email:
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.
Convening Organizations:
ANAK Mindanao Party List
Moro Human Rights Center (MHRC)
Bangsamoro People Solidarity for Peace (BANGSAMORO)
By Christine Avendaño, Inquirer Mindanao Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: August 20, 2008
MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang announced Tuesday night a P5-million reward each for the capture of Ombra Kato and Abdulla Macapaar alias Commander Bravo, the two Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commanders responsible for the series of attacks in the North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte and Sarangani provinces.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo approved the reward offer that was endorsed to her by Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. during Tuesday night’s National Security Council (NSC) meeting.
Kato and his men from the MILF’s 105th Base Command are also facing 60 criminal cases for occupying last week some 20 barangays (villages) in North Cotabato, burning and looting houses. The attacks left at least nine dead and displaced some 165,000 people.
On Monday, MILF forces led by Bravo raided towns in Lanao del Norte province, spraying gunfire, hacking civilians with machetes and torching houses. As a result, at least 28 people were killed and some 44,000 residents were displaced.
Muslims and Christians in Mindanao condemned the atrocities committed by MILF units in Lanao del Norte and Sarangani.
It was Gen. Alexander Yano, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, and Director General Avelino Razon of the Philippine National Police who recommended the reward money.
“Since they are both at large, the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of National Defense will issue a reward of P5 million for the information leading to the arrest of both Ombra Kato and Commander Bravo,” Puno said at a press briefing following the NSC meeting in Malacañang.
Bring Kato, Bravo to justice
Puno said he and Teodoro believed it was imperative to implement the reward system “to expedite the process and bring (Kato and Commander Bravo) to justice.”
“There is no warrant of arrest as of yet because they’re at large but it’s no secret that we are looking for them until they are arrested and brought before the justice system,” Puno said.
He said he and Teodoro hoped that the reward would “encourage those with information to come forward.”
By posting a reward money for information against the two MILF leaders, this meant the government “did not consider them within the ambit of the peace process,” Teodoro said.
“They are common criminals and that is the stand of government at this point. As to what its effect to the MILF, it’s for them to consider and act on,” he said.
The 11,000-strong MILF has been fighting for Muslim self-rule in the Philippines for decades, and signed a 2003 ceasefire with the government. But a series of violent attacks in Mindanao has raised doubts over peace prospects.
“We support the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain believing that this is a most viable step towards peace in Mindanao. However, we oppose the malicious use of the Moro People’s legitimate struggle for Self-Determination for this administration’s Charter Change agenda and the opposition’s cashing in on the issue to attack the administration and push for their own political interest,” Rep. Hataman of the Anak Mindanao party list group said.
Hataman led a no less than 1000 crowd of Muslim and non-Muslim groups in a mass action yesterday, August 15, 2008 in time for the oral arguments held in the Supreme Court.
Hataman noted that the provisions under the said Memorandum of Agreement do not require Constitutional Amendments. “The MOA is clear in saying that ‘the parties agree that the mechanisms and modalities for the actual implementation of this MOA-AD shall be spelt out in the Comprehensive Compact to mutually take such steps to enable it to occur effectively.’ This means that what are laid down in the MOA are only General Concepts and Principles, nothing in it is final and executory. The modalities or terms of implementation will still be discussed, therefore the door is open to mechanisms which may not necessarily require Charter Change,” Hataman argued.
The said provision Hataman added, further states that, “Any provisions of the MOA-AD requiring amendments to the existing legal framework shall come into force upon signing of a Comprehensive Compact and upon effecting the necessary changes to the legal framework with due regard to non derogation of prior agreements and within the stipulated timeframe to be contained in the Comprehensive Compact.”
“We understood this provision to mean that it is the Comprehensive Compact which may be the subject of amendments to any existing legal framework, and not the MOA-AD. And based on the MOA itself, this Comprehensive Compact shall contain a timeframe by which the necessary changes are to be effected. The amendments therefore may be discussed after 2010, not necessarily during the term of the current administration. We therefore do not see the immediate need for Charter Change for purposes of the MOA-AD” the solon said.
On the issue of the non-inclusion of the Philippine Constitution as reference of the said MOA-AD, Hataman countered that the other party to the Agreement, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, is a liberation movement that does not recognize the Philippine Constitution. “Raising this question only manifests their utmost ignorance of the Bangsamoro struggle. It is a pity and a shame especially for diplomats like them to be ignorant of internationally-established principles such as Right to Self-Determination.”
Hataman however pointed out that though there is no mention of the Constitution in the Agreement, one of its Terms of Reference is the Constitutionally-mandated Republic Act No. 6734, as amended by RA 9054 or the ARMM Law. “As term of reference, the MOA-AD considers RA 9054 as a legal framework, and one cannot uphold RA 9054 without upholding the Constitution,” Hataman said.
“And let us not dismiss the fact that the Constitution serves to guard our democracy and the highest form of democracy is the people’s exercise of their sovereignty. This is what the MOA-AD provided for, a plebiscite to ensure that it is not the politicians, not even the peace advocates, but the people who will have the last and final say,” Hataman ended.
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