Makati Business Club expresses support for peace pact between PH gov’t, MILF

By: Amy R. Remo - 11 years ago

Government and MILF panels signing the peace documents. Malacañang photo

MANILA, Philippines—The Makati Business Club has urged the Philippine government to enact the Bangsamoro Basic Law and ensure that it will not only embody the aspirations of the Bangsamoro, but will also pave the way for the region’s revival as a vibrant center of economic and cultural activity.

The MBC made the appeal following the successful signing of the Annex on Normalization and Addendum on Bangsamoro Waters between the Aquino administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). This was the last of the four annexes leading towards a Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

“We join our countrymen and the international community in recognizing this noteworthy move that will bring about genuine and lasting peace and development in Mindanao,” the MBC said in a statement issued Wednesday.

According to the MBC, this landmark achievement has proven that cooperation and open dialogue can indeed “serve as an effective bridge between parties whose differences may, at first, seem irreconcilable.”

It noted that it may be high time for the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the MILF to come together and identify points of consensus between the 1996 Final Peace Agreement and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro on which a more sustainable and lasting peace in Mindanao can be built.

“The business community strongly believes that, besides other factors, economic neglect has been among the primary reasons for this conflict and that, in pursuit of our shared goal of sustainable and inclusive growth for all Filipinos, development in the Bangsamoro will be critical,” the MBC stressed.

“Thus, the business sector will continue to fully support this final phase of the process. Likewise, the business sector stands ready to assist in harnessing the region’s potential as a vital part of the Philippine economy, with the ultimate aim of uplifting the lives of our brothers and sisters in Mindanao,” the group further said.