COTABATO CITY: A Moro traditional leader and a technocrat called for the wise exploitation of natural resources in the soon-to-be created Bangsamoro region in southern Mindanao under the agreement forged between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Datu Yusoph Boyog Mama, former regional director of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Region 11 based in Davao City, one of the candidates for governor in next year’s Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections, said that the Bangsamoro’s mineral resources should be safeguarded for the benefit of the people of the region and not for multinationals or businessmen outside the region.

“Let us all work sincerely to realize a true and honest to goodness exploitation of our very own abundant resources for our own advantage that would provide more jobs, which in return create sufficient honest income for our people,” Mama said.

He added that incomes derived from the use of natural resources can greatly improve the life of the poor.

He said that once the Bangsamoro region is in place, whoever would be the leader would need to create income-generating programs and projects.

“Let us remind those who will run the Bangsamoro region that the large majority of our people are among the poorest of the poor in the country,” he added.

Mama challenged whoever will take the leadership of the Bangsamoro area to be sincere in instituting reforms especially in governance so as to avoid the lapses that occurred in the ARMM.

“It is about time that we must work and serve sincerely to execute the true reforms in the new Bangsamoro region according to the genuine wishes and dreams of our very own people,” he said.

“The historic GPH-MILF peace agreement is a welcome ray of hope for all the Moro people, who have long struggled and aspired for progressive self-determination, economic upliftment and social solidarity. This is a promising step towards effective nation-building. We are one in supporting the initiatives of the Philippine government and the Palace leadership and its show of sincerity to our people, effectively empowering the Bangsamoro to dream again,” he said.

Confident
Meanwhile, lawmakers on Sunday expressed optimism that the signing of the framework agreement forged between the government and the MILF will pave the way to a long lasting peace in the South.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Loren Legarda expressed their support to the agreement.

Enrile said that the new pact is different from the 1976 Tripoli agreement and he believes that new framework is not unconstitutional.

Legarda said that change will not come overnight but the people should support the reform process.

“Ink on parchment cannot solve the problem. It will be a long and arduous process. Any peace agreement will not be successful without an economic package. And it’s not enough that resources are made available. Resources must be translated into jobs, livelihoods, food, education, healthcare, and welfare for the Bangsamoro people,” Legarda said.

Mindanao is home to six of the 10 poorest provinces and 17 of the 20 poorest municipalities in the country.

“Let us give peace a chance. Let us explore all possibilities within the bounds of our national sovereignty to achieve the long-elusive peace in Mindanao,” she said.

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel 3rd issued the same call, urging the public to give the agreement a “chance to work.”

“Peace in Mindanao means peace for the whole country,” Pimentel said in a statement.

“We need to inform the public, especially those who are not from Mindanao, about this agreement so we can avoid what happened in the previous agreement,” he added.

“We need to avoid the mistakes of the past. As they say the devil is in the details. So I will be interested in the details like the power sharing arrangement and whether the agreement would require Constitutional amendment,” he explained.

Symbolic
Palace deputy spokesman Abigail Valte said also on Sunday that the Abu Sayyaf Group is not included in the signing of the framework peace agreement.

Valte described the peace pact signing “very symbolic and historic.”

She said that it is the first time that the MILF will enter Malacañang.

“We’re very hopeful and both sides are committed to giving peace a chance,” she added

The Framework Agreement will be signed 1:30 p.m. at the Palace’s Rizal Hall. After the signing, Dean Marvic Leonen, chief negotiator of the government, and Mohagher Iqbal will hold a press briefing.

Valte said that no specific terror threats were monitored that would sabotage today’s event.

National Capital Region Police Office director Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina, said that his entire force is on heightened alert.

Valte said that Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will witness the signing of the framework agreement, as well as Organization of Islamic

Cooperation secretary-general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and other local and international guests. The MILF alone will be represented by 200 members.

WITH REPORTS FROM RITCHIE A. HORARIO, JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA AND CATHERINE S. VALENTE