PNoy: Future pact with MILF may need congressional OK

President Benigno Aquino III on Monday said the result of the negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will probably need congressional action. At a press briefing after the 110th service anniversary of the Philippine National Police at Camp Crame, Aquino was still stingy in divulging details on his secret meeting with MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ibrahim Thursday in Tokyo late last week. "I’m really hard-pressed to put the details here, at this point in time, wala pang pinagkasunduan. Ayoko namang baka sabihin ng iba pa na kinakahon ko ito. Para ano pa ‘yung pag-uusap kung ikakahon na nating lahat. ‘Yung detalye has to be with the negotiating panels as agreed upon by the Chairman Murad and myself," he said. Asked if the deal that will be reached in the future will be an executive agreement, the President replied: "Probably it will take congressional action." Aquino did not elaborate but said that the stakeholders will be informed whatever the agreement will be. "The bottom line is ipapaalam natin sa lahat ng stakeholders at saka ng prospective, hindi Muslim problem lang. Syempre ang pinag-uusapan namin dito ay ‘yung Bangsamoro people, ano," he said. "Pag Bangsamoro hindi raw Muslim block—kasama ‘yung Lumad, kasama ‘yung Kristiyanong napapasailalim doon sa area na sinasabing nasasaklaw ng kanilang tinatawag na Bangsamoro complex," Aquino explained. He denied that the talk with the MILF was the reason he called for the postponement of the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao which was supposed to be held this month. Aquino reiterated that the postponement was to enable his administration to deliver the reforms he wanted to implement in the ARMM. He admitted, however, that the talks with the MILF could help in the process. "Ang laki ng probability na ‘yung kamalian na nangyari sa ARMM lalo pang mapapasama kung natuloy natin ‘yung eleksyon. Para madama ng mga kababayan natin lalo na sa ARMM na hindi sila pinapabayaan ay importante na may maitalaga tayo doon na talagang focused lang para mai-deliver ‘yung dapat na serbisyo ng gobyerno sa kanila," he said. He further said that if the ARMM will be affected in the future agreement with the MILF, a plebiscite will be conducted to ask the people if they will agree or not. "Yung exactly will it (ARMM) be expanded, will it be contracted, will be discussed by the negotiating panel so we’ll come up with a proposal that we will present before the people. Isa sa mga pinag-agreehan natin dito, sabi ko paano ba ide-define ‘yung territory? "Ang dulo ‘non sabi nila plebiscite which is also my point, ano. ‘Yung mga taong maaapektuhan ang dapat magsasabi kung sasama sila doon sa ARMM or hindi sila sasama sa ARMM," Aquino said. The President said what struck him during his dialogue with Murad was the latter’s statement that they are not adversaries but problem solvers. “The panels are problem solvers, ‘yun ang linya niya. They are not adversaries. So I would like to think that they will be cooperative as far as improving the situation especially in the ARMM and in Mindanao in particular in the way they defined this for all Bangsamoro people," he said. — RSJ, GMA News