The Philippines faces daunting challenges as it tries to attain lasting peace in Muslim Mindanao, convenors of the National Peace Council said yesterday.
Among the daunting tasks that the government needs to address in a bid to attain peace are: “history and culture of the Muslims; centuries of neglect, deep-seated prejudices and biases; the unfortunate clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, last January 25; and the strident voices denouncing the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and calling for all-out war.”
These were among the subjects tackled by the peace council in their first meeting held last Monday in Makati City.
At the same meeting, the council convenors agreed to focus initially on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which continues to suffer rough sailing in Congress in the aftermath of the Mamasapano carnage that left 44 police commandos and 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters dead.
Present in the first meeting were former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., Ambassador Howard Dee, business tycoon Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, and youth leader Bai Rohanisa Sumndad Usman. They were earlier named, along with Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, by President Aquino to convene a national summit to look into the BBL.
They were joined at the meeting by several co-convenors, such as Archbishop Soc Villegas, Fr. Joel Tabora, Bishop Pablo David, Amina Rasul, lawyer Christian Monsod, Dean Sedfrey Candelaria, Dean Danilo Concepcion, Prof. Moner Bajunaid, Pat Sarenas, lawyer Nasser Marohomsalic, Dr. Cielito Habito, John Perrine, Dr. Wilfrido Villacorta, Bishop Efraim Tendero, lawyer Marlon Manuel, Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, and Ramon del Rosario.
The peace council decided not to name a chairman to preserve the spirit of collegiality. Instead, the convenors will divide the work as required.
The clusters relate to four broad subjects: constitutionality and forms and powers of government to be chaired by Davide; justice (social justice and human development), Dee and Usman as co-chairs; economy and patrimony, Ayala as chairman; and human security, whose chairman has yet to be named.
Manila Bulletin
