Aquino vows to fulfil pacts with Muslim rebels

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - President Benigno Aquino III vowed Monday that whatever agreements his administration would forge with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will be implemented.

In his fourth State of the Nation Address before the joint sessions of the Congress, he also urged Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law by 2014.

"What is clear to me: every word we utter must result in an action that would benefit all. Every line that we craft in the agreement we are forging must be set in stone and not merely written on water, only to be forgotten by history," Aquino said.

He said that peace in southern Philippines, which has long been torn apart by conflict, is "within reach," citing the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) in October last year and the inking of the FAB's wealth-sharing annex recently.

"We are confident that we will not have to wait long before hearing more good news on the development of the peace process," he said.

In his address, he also lauded the MILF for its willingness to listen and to compromise.

Now that the Transition Commission tasked to craft the Basic Law for the Bangsamoro was formed, Aquino hoped that once the group is finished with its work, Congress would pass it into law.

"I ask you to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law before the end of 2014. This way, we will have ample time to prepare for the election of a new Bangsamoro government come 2016," he said.

The government and the MILF have been working for the creation of the Bangsamoro government that will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao by 2016. The new government was also envisioned to end the more than four-decade armed conflict in southern Philippines.