Foreign envoys issue joint statement for peace in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign ambassadors yesterday issued a unity statement urging the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to remain engaged in the peace process and bring to bear the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

The ambassadors said they are concerned with the delay in the implementation of the CAB as the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) has yet to be passed by Congress.

The BBL is the legal translation of CAB. If enacted, the BBL will be the legal basis for the creation of an autonomous Bangsamoro region in Mindanao that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

“We call on all concerned to remain engaged in the peace process to give life to the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro, and to the long term political, economic and social pillars that will bring the peace dividend to the country as a whole,” the ambassadors said in their statement.

“We ask for a continued commitment from all stakeholders to seize this opportunity to enable the Bangsamoro people to form an effective and inclusive, devolved administration as called for in the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. To do this will require flexibility on all sides to work within the current Constitution of the Republic and recognition of the aspirations of the people of Bangsamoro,” they added.

The ambassadors also said in sustaining the peace effort, it is vital that there is no return to violence and that long-established institutional safeguard measures remain in place to monitor and resolve disputes. “It is important that work on normalization progresses credibly.”