Galvez: gains of Bangsamoro peace process ‘too precious to be stalled’
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 19 March) – Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. is appealing to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to continue “doing its share” in the implementation of the Bangsamoro peace process, saying the gains achieved by the parties “are too precious to be stalled.”
Galvez made the plea in response to the announcement of MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim temporarily suspending their engagement on several aspects of the peace process.
Ebrahim pointed out that the MILF Peace Implementing Panel (PIP), chaired by Mohagher Iqbal, does not have a counterpart following the reported resignation of Government PIP (GPIP) chair Cesar Yano.
In the absence of a formally designated Chair of the GPH Peace Implementing Panel, the MILF finds itself unable to proceed with substantive engagements that require formal commitments and authoritative decisions, Ebrahim said.
“The MILF Peace Implementing Panel cannot negotiate and engage with a headless counterpart,” Ebrahim stressed in a statement dated March 12 but made public only last Tuesday.
Ebrahim reiterated the front’s “steadfast commitment” to the full and faithful implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) even if the MILF declared “a temporary pause in several aspects of engagement under the peace implementation mechanisms until a full-pledged Chairman of the GPH Peace Implementing Panel is appointed.”
In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, Galvez said that the selection of the GPIP is an internal process of the government, which, however, “should not affect the work of the peace mechanisms and the efforts of all stakeholders working for peace in the Bangsamoro.”
Galvez heads the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), which he pointed out is in charge of “implementing the government’s overall peace policy agenda.”
In his statement, Ebrahim noted that the GPH may be moving toward further mainstreaming the Bangsamoro peace process within the broader structure of government institutions, citing the more visible roles played by OPAPRU and the Office of the Presidential Assistant to the President, which is headed by Secretary Antonio Lagdameo Jr.
Galvez said the OPAPRU is supporting the GPIP which, according to him, is tasked to serve as the “bridge” between the government and the MILF in relation to the implementation of the CAB.
“While the OPAPRU recognizes the concerns raised by the MILF leadership, we must never lose sight of the people whose lives depend on the implementation of the peace process,” he said.
“The gains we have achieved, particularly under the Normalization Track, are far too precious to be stalled. It is our firm belief that the momentum of our peacebuilding efforts must be sustained, and in fact, must be accelerated in light of the upcoming first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections,” he added.
Galvez reminded the MILF that the CAB “is more than just a peace accord.”
“It is a sacred peace covenant. Every ‘temporary pause’ translates into a day of uncertainty for the former combatants, their families, and the communities currently undergoing the transformation process. These are the individuals who have sacrificed the most and rightfully deserve the immediate and continuous assistance from the national and BARMM governments and other peace stakeholders, especially in these difficult and trying times,” Galvez said.
Galvez urged the MILF to continue walking the path of peace, “as the peace process is a living testament of our partnership.”
“We believe that the spirit of the CAB, rooted in the principles of jointness, bilateralism, and mutuality, is best honored by keeping the wheels of implementation turning,” he said.
Galvez appeared confident that the “temporary challenges” facing the parties could be hurdled, citing their “shared aspirations for a just and durable peace in the Bangsamoro region.” (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
No comments:
Post a Comment