PRESS
RELEASE
October 23, 2000
A
MULTI-SECTOAL group in Lanao provinces wants the Organization of
Islamic Conference to assist the Moro National Liberation Front
to establish a Bangsamoro Authority similar to the Palestinian
Authority of the Palestinian Liberation Organization if the
Philippine government is unwilling or refuses to make good its
commitments and obligations for the full and effective
implementation of the September 2,1996 Final Peace Agreement.
Presided
by lawyer Macapanton Abbas Jr., the group also said that in the
event that the government will also fail to comply with its
obligations it has committed to the OIC and UN agencies and the
USA and European Donors in the Special Zone of Peace and
Development, the MNLF as the sole and legitimate representative
of the Bangsamoro people to the OIC is compelled to demand the
acceptance of its full membership based on the right to
self-determination and default or violations of the government
of the peace agreement.
During
their assembly at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City
on October 20, 2000, they formally submitted their Petition
Paper to the OIC Fact-finding Mission outlining their 7-point
demands for the Philippine government to comply before the 9th
Islamic Summit Conference on November 12-14 in Doha, State of
Qatar.
The
group wants the Philippine government to:
1.
Implement Phase I of the Agreement by appointing Muslims to the
cabinet, Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and other positions
enumerated in the Agreement.
2.
Organize the MNLF integrees into a Regional Security Forces
in-charge of the ARMM peace and order.
3.
Declaration on unilateral cease-fire and stop all war activities
and pull out the military and PNP and RSF in-charge.
4.
Peaceful settlement with the MILF.
5.
Enactment of an Organic Law expanding the ARMM and containing
all the provisions in the Final Peace Agreement this year 2000.
6.
Two years full implementation of socio-economic projects as
approved by the SPCPD and ARMM in the SZOPAD and amending E.O.
261 and E.O. 271 on the Mindanao Coordinating Council to comply with E.O.
361 creating the SPCPD and R.A. 6734 creating the ARMM.
7.
The new Organic Law should be submitted to a plebiscite in 2002
and elections in 2003 or 2004 at the same time with the local
elections.
Abbas
said in the midst of the national instability brought about by
people’s discontent, immorality and corruption in the
government compounded by inadequate representation of the Bangsamoro people of Mindanao in the national
government, the best option of the Bangsamoro is a state, the
final status to be subject of referendum by OIC-UN for a
peaceful solution, otherwise the conflict, he added, shall rage
with greater intensity in the detriment of all parties.
Abbas
said the uncompromising demand of the Bangsamoro people for
statehood must be heard by the leaders of this country, citing,
among other reasons, that the Bangsamoro people are now united
under Islam in their struggle to establish their Islamic
Governance. # # #
