Peace accord gets mixed reactions from Church execs

MANILA, Philippines - The recent signing of the normalization annexes of the Bangsamoro framework agreement has elicited mixed reactions from officials of the Catholic church based in Southern Philippines.

Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said the signing of the agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is a positive development toward achieving lasting peace in Mindanao which has been scarred with decades of armed conflicts.

"Well nakikiisa tayo sa optimism ng karamihan tungkol sa nagawang signing of the last of the annexes itong normalization...sana tuloy-tuloy na na magkaroon tayo ng magandang kinabukasan dito sa Mindanao,'Bishop Bagaforo told Church-run Radyo Veritas.

Bishop Bagaforo said it is vital that there would be transparency in the consultation on the Bangsamoro basic law and the sincerity in the commitments of both parties.

"Dalwang bagay siguro ang mahalaga na lagi nating sinasabi. Yung transparency ng consultation sa paggawa ng Bangsamoro basic law dapat ang consultation at may proseso ng partisipasyon ng lahat. Hinihingi natin ang sinseridad ng bawat partido yung commitment ng dalawang partido na isakaturapan na maging faithful, maging totoo sa pag-implement," Bishop Bagaforo said.

The MILF-GRP framework agreement was first signed in October 2012. The annexes on power sharing wealth, sharing, transitional, and normalization were inked 15 months later.

Meanwhile, Archdiocese of Zamboanga administrator Msgr. Cris Manongas said the latest signing of the normalization annexes could trigger another standoff in the city between the Moro National Liberation Front-Nur Misuari faction fighters and government troops.

"What might be the reactions. It could be violent reactions. It could be  peaceful reactions. We really don’t know.  But we keep on praying that  what happened in Zamboanga  in September  will not happen again...I hope this peace deal with MILF will lead to another peace deal to find peace deal with MNLF," Msgr.Manongas said.

The prelate also appealed to other tribes and ethnic groups in Mindanao and understand that the accord does not mean ownership solely by the MILF.

"We are in constant contact with the different friends on the side of the Muslim leaders. We hold regular sessions, dialogue with them... we must educate people here that having a peace deal doesn’t mean that it is a total ownership or immediate ownership of all things here. Kasi it's really a way of saying that we can live together in peace," Msgr.Manongas said.