FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON THE BANGSAMORO

ISSUES DISCUSSED OVER DXND TOMORROW

Radio station DXND will tackle the issues involving the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) between 6 to 7 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, June 28.

DXND Reporter Carlo Agamon has invited me to be a resource person in an interview which is expected to clarify issues involving the FAB.

The issue of the FAB has hogged the media limelight recently because of a series of bloody skirmishes between government forces and the renegade Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, which claims to be a break-away group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The outbreak of violence followed a stalemate in the on-going negotiations between the government and the MILF because of differences in the “Wealth Sharing Provision” of the FAB.

In the interview tomorrow, I will do my best to shed light on some issues which have caused fear and apprehension among people in Central Mindanao, especially North Cotabato where 39 barangays were identified as part of the core area of the expanded Bangsamoro Territory.

Among the issues that I hope to tackle tomorrow will be:

1. Will the 75%-25% “Wealth Sharing” between the MILF and the government affect areas outside of the Bangsamoro Territory?
2. Aside from the 39 barangays from North Cotabato, which have been identified in the FAB signed Oct. 15, 2012 as part of the Bangsamoro Core Area, will there be additional areas to be included?
3. With the enactment of the Bangsamoro Law and the identification of the Bangsamoro Territory through a plebiscite, will the expansion of the territory finally stop?
4. How will the non-Bangsamoro whose areas will be included in the expanded territory be represented in the Bangsamoro Government?
5. Is it true that lands purchased by Christians before will be recovered by the original Bangsamoro owners when the Bangsamoro Government takes over?

For those living outside North Cotabato who would like to listen to the interview, you an access DXND through livestreaming.

Please go to www.mannypinol.com and in the right hand portion of the webpage, you will find the link to the DXND Livestream.

Just click it and you will be able to listen to the interview.

(Photo caption: This photo taken last year shows me with several MILF cadres during a visit I made in Dungos, Tulunan during the MILF peace advocacy.)