Zamboanga City-The Department of the Interior and Local Government Region IX in partnership and coordination with the Local Government Academy, successfully conducted the General Orientation Workshop on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB)  on September 24, 2014 at  Cecille’s Hotel and Pension House, Tumaga, Zamboanga City. 

 

Participants to the orientation were the City and Municipal Local Government Operations Officers, Cluster Heads, Division Chiefs and CAB Focal Persons in Zamboanga Peninsula.

DILG IX Regional Director Paisal O. Abutazil recalled in his message his bitter experiences as a young victim of war in Cotabato. Having experienced the unfortunate, he emphasized optimism about the peace initiatives currently being undertaken by the national government specifically prioritizing the people in the Mindanao area.

RD Abutazil underscored that the activity is also a jumpstart engagement to openly discuss and debate on possible strategies that the Department should undertake in support of the national government’s effort to provide a just and lasting peace in Mindanao.

“On the part of the DILG, tayo yung neutral. If in case somebody will ask ano ba itong Basic Bangsamoro Law (BBL) na ‘to? Then we can give our objective answer. That’s the very reason why we are all invited here. My sober request is to empty our cup and let us be very open in the discussions, ask questions and when we return to our respective stations, ibigay natin yung talagang totoong content ng Bangsamoro,”, he supplemented.

Meanwhile, Resource Person  Atty. Mohammad Al-Amin Julkipli from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) emphasized that the CAB is not only limited to the Bangsamoro people but to the entire Government of the Philippines. 

 To drive his point, he discussed the update of the GPH-MILF Peace process, the Roadmap to Bangsamoro Political Entity, the main differences between the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the envisioned Bangsamoro on the following areas of territory, form of government, fiscal arrangements and devolved powers.

At present, he said that areas to be included in the proposed expansion of the Bangsamoro territory are to be determined by a plebiscite in the present ARMM set-up which include 6 municipalities in Lanao del Norte; 39 barangays in 6 municipalities of North Cotabato; Isabela and Cotabato Cities; other contiguous areas  by LGU resolution or petition.

 He emphasized that this CAB is different from the previous agreement especially that the parties continually talk and negotiate until an Exit Agreement be made on 2016.

As a milestone of the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III, he  cited that “: walang imposible sa mga handang magkaisa, makiambag sa mga solusyon, at kumilos tungo sa pagkaksasundo. Sa wakas, naabot na natin and kapayapaang pundasyon ng ating mga mithiin para sa Bangsamoro, para sa Mindanao at para sa buong Pilipinas.”

The convergence ended with the participants’ responses on the issues related to CAB, their implications to the LGU and the Department’s initiative in addressing those concerns.