QUEZON City, April 20 (Eagle News) — The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is pushing for the successful implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) which had earlier been signed by representatives of the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
This was conveyed on Monday by OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani as he continued his five-day visit to the Philippines to push forward the peace agreement and the autonomous government in the Southern Philippines.
The visit came at a time when the government’s peace deal with the MILF seemed to hang on a balance after the tragic incident in Mamasapano, Maguindanao where 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force had been killed.
Madani met with Senate President Franklin Drilon and Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., chair of the Senate Committee on Local Governments, who had been conducting consultations on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). He also paid a courtesy call to President Aquino on Monday afternoon.
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Madani expressed his condolences for the relatives of those killed in Mamasapano, but at the same time stressed the importance of pushing for the peace process in Mindanao.
“We express our condolences to all those who lost their lives. As unfortunate as this tragedy might be, we fully agree that it should not distract us,” Madani said.
The OIC official stressed the long-term benefits of peace in Mindanao. He said that the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the Bangsamoro Basic Law, if passed by Congress and approved by the Filipino people, will bring about peace in Mindanao.
“Everybody wants settelement. Everybody wants peace,” he said. “We can all benefit from this.”
“We are here to underline optimism that this agreement will be ratified and hopefully be accepted by the people of the Philippines and it would find its way to putting an end to the conflict that has been with us for many, many decades,” Madani said.
The OIC official said he had already met with leaders of the MILF as well as with the Moro National Liberation Front, and those involved in the peace talks.
Madani clarified that he is not meddling with the job of Congress as it would still be the one to decide on the peace agreement that the international community is waiting for.
Madani said that even armed groups in Mindanao wish for peace.
He warned that radicalism might escalate in Mindanao if the peace talks would not be successful.
Madani also paid a courtesy call on President in Malacañang on Monday afternoon.
Madani was accompanied by OIC Special Envoy for Peace in Southern Philippines Sayed Kassim El Masry, and OIC Department of Muslim Communities and Minorities head, Dr. Hassan Ahmad Abdein, during the courtesy call, held at 1 p.m. at the Palace’s Music Room.
Present on the Philippine side were Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Secretary Yasmin Busran-Lao, National Security Adviser Secretary Cesar Garcia Jr., and Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis.
The OIC chief arrived in the country on April 16 for a five-day visit that aims to show the OIC’s support for the peace process in Mindanao.
Madani had a meeting with Deles, as well as with officials of the MILF and the MNLF), during which he expressed hope that the peace process would continue.
“We are optimistic, we are supportive,” Madani said after presiding over the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF) in Davao City.
The BCF is an OIC-sponsored group formed to harmonize and settle the differences between the MILF and MNLF.
Madani arrived in the country on April 16, Thursday, after visiting Malaysia where he had also discussed the Mindano peace talks with the Malaysian foreign minister, Dato’ Sri Anifah Hj. Aman. Malaysia facilitated the peace dialogues between the government and the MILF.
Madani is the first OIC secretary general to visit Mindanao. The OIC, which has 57 Islamic countries as members, is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations.
He had been conducting continuous back-to-back meetings during his five-day visit to the Philippines to push forward the peace agreement and the autonomous government in Mindanao. (Eagle News Service, with a report from Meane Corvera)
