Preserve gains of peace process, next president asked

MANILA, Philippines – Whoever wins the presidential elections should preserve the gains of the peace process, government peace panel chairperson Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said yesterday.

Ferrer said the next administration should implement the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Ferrer said the proposal of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago during the last presidential debate to incorporate traditional and customary laws is not new.

“It has been addressed both in the CAB and the original draft of the BBL. According to the signed document, three justice systems will prevail in the Bangsamoro autonomous region: the regular courts, Shariah courts and the traditional courts,” she said.

Ferrer said the suggestion of Sen. Grace Poe and Santiago to dismantle private armed groups and go after terrorists are provided in the normalization annex of the CAB.

She said the socioeconomic development proposals of Vice President Jejomar Binay, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas were also incorporated in the CAB.

The BBL will be the basis for the creation of a Bangsamoro region that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The new Bangsamoro region will have a parliamentary government with more political and fiscal autonomy.