May 30, 2012 News: The women sector of Aleosan, North Cotabato showed their support for the ongoing peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) by holding a forum at the Function Hall of Mahad Pagangan in Aleosan, North Cotabato on May 21, 2012. Some 500 women from the different villages of the town came to attend the forum, which started from 8 o’clock in the morning to 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon.

In her opening remarks, Rubiya Guiamalon, head of the Women Sector of Aleosan, explained that the said forum was held in order to inform the Bangsamoro women of the progress of the ongoing peace negotiations.

“Being one of the major segments of the Bangsamoro society, the women should always be aware of the development of the peace talks, so that we will know where we can strike in pushing the peace process forward,” she said.

We are hoping that the GPH and MILF peace panels will be able to reach the point of inking a comprehensive compact as a political solution to the century-old Bangsamoro question,” she added.

Asked about the prospect of the negotiation, Anisa Matula, Chairwoman of the Women Affairs Committee (WAC) of the United Youth for Peace and Development, Inc. (UNYPAD), Aleosan Municipal Chapter, said, “It is a major question, which has not yet been given answer until now.”

“I think it’s the government that should answer that question. I do believe that the success of the peace process is already in the hands of the government as the MILF has already lowered its demand from independence to a mere autonomous political entity,” she added.

“Now the MILF has already made a necessary compromise, can government also make a compromise by democratically giving space to the proposals of the MILF through its peace panel so that they could forge an agreement that would finally place the carnage in Mindanao into total closure?, she asked.

In his speech, Rahib Kudto, National President of the UNYPAD, who was invited to give an updates of the GPH-MILF peace negotiations, said “if the government has that plan to sign an agreement with the MILF aimed at finally resolving the Bangsamoro question, it can do it now as the peace panels have already signed a 10-point decisions on principles, although this is not yet a peace agreement, but it can guide them towards discussing the details that are needed in packing a comprehensive compact.”

Asked about the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), he opined, “Never again to ARMM as it is not just a failed experiment but a ‘failed design’ to put the Bangsamoro struggle to death.”

“It was no less than the Supreme Court of the Philippines who declared formally that the ARRM is not an autonomous region but an administrative unit,” he added.

“This peace forum shows the eagerness and willingness of the women to work together to attain peace in Mindanao,” Uztadza Samera Kaloko, one of the guest speakers, said.

“Although negotiation is a ‘give and take process,’ we should also always remind the government that what they are talking about in the negotiation is a Bangsamoro question and therefore we will only accept a solution if it is an answer to the political sentiment and aspiration of the Bangsamoro nation,” she added.

She called on the women in Aleosan, irrespective of political and religious affiliations, to be united to support the ongoing peace process while strongly expressing her agreement to the idea that the only solution to end the bloodlettings in Mindanao is the signing of the comprehensive peace compact.

“I am sure that, although we are just women, we can do something to support the peace negotiation and we could make a difference,” she emphasized.