Dureza: Only one peace road map for Mindanao | ABS-CBN

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Dureza: Only one peace road map for Mindanao

Dureza: Only one peace road map for Mindanao

Trishia Billones,

ABS-CBN News

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The administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte will be pursuing a single road map to achieving lasting peace in Mindanao, his peace adviser said.

Incoming Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza told ANC's Headstart on Wednesday that they are now consulting with different stakeholders to be able to write that road map.

"We’ll do a lot of consultations, look at realities today as they stand, and then craft a new way. But definitely, from the message coming from President-elect Duterte, there must be inclusivity," he said.

"Mag-implement na tayo ng agreement, wala nang kanya-kanya, wala nang paksyon-paksyon, left or right, wala nang MN[LF] or MI[LF]. It has to be one Bangsamoro for the Bangsamoro, one peace road map for everybody," he added.

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However, Dureza maintained, the new administration is "duty-bound to implement signed agreements" with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

"We’ll have to do the best we can to implement the Comprehensive Agreement for the Bangsamoro (CAB) with the MILF. We have the 1996 Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF, where there are still issues on implementation," he said.

Though he said these agreements are "best efforts," they come out a bit problematic because of the different views of other branches of government.

"Ang problema lang, from the rebels’ point of view, when government signs, that is the whole government already committing to it," said Dureza.

But, in reality, he said the executive officials craft and sign the agreement, then they would have to convince the legislative branch, which is independent from them, to pass the corresponding implementing mechanism law.

Dureza said those in the executive branch usually use "language engineering, that means to just prevent a deadlock, you come up with a phrase that is acceptable to both interpretations."

"Ang problema, pag dating mo ngayon sa pag-iimplement, you go to Congress. Congress has no other way but to be within the confines of the Philippine Constitution. That’s where the problem is," he said.

And if it does pass Congress, the judiciary, primarily the Supreme Court, would still have to vet the proposed law for constitutionality.

Dureza, who is a returnee to the negotiating table with the rebels, said the unresolved peace situation in the Philippines, when compared to other countries like Ireland, would be like comparing apples to mangoes.

In the Philippines, he said, there are a lot of ethnicities and diversity, and any reconciliation among them would call for "social cohesion."

"Ibig sabihin, wag mong i-convert yung isa into the mainstream. Let’s just accept the differences. Understand the differences, and then accept these differences," he explained.

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