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[av_heading heading=’Long, arduous road to peace’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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Tuesday, May 9, 2017
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WHEN the Duterte administration came to power, there were high expectations that a real, honest-to-goodness and inclusive peace agreement in Mindanao will finally be achieved. But just recently, President Duterte, himself a Mindanaoan, said he was “a bit pessimistic”, citing the continuing rivalry between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). There are other players such as the Christians and lumads.
The way to peace in Mindanao is still long and arduous. There are a lot of questions needing answers for the establishment of the Bangsamoro – how will it be managed, how the structures to be set up can start on the right footing, how funds for its development are used with transparency and accountability, etc.
We agree that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or ARMM is a failed experiment. The previous Aquino administration’s Framework Agreement between the government and the MILF was called historic for only for a fleeting moment. It was the closest we have come so far to initiating lasting peace and development in Mindanao after more than three decades of armed conflict and 15 years of on and off negotiations. But when it reached Congress, it went up in smoke amid questions on its constitutionality and allegations that not all sectors in Mindanao were consulted.
There’s no doubt that forging a peace accord for Mindanao is daunting. But will still hope that with mutual trust, sincerity and openness among stakeholders, they can find loftier common ground while respecting each other’s differences.
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